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[Doctor Gollum]

This one in the video is highly likely to be a 4x4 being the V6 Turbo. Don't see why they'd go backwards and make it FWD when the last model had 4x4 variants, It's more likely to be 4x4 than RWD also... Granted the boring examples will no doubt be FWD as usual.

Yes, but it will probably be primarly a FWD, only activating rear wheels when needed (as all modern AWD does).
4x4 and AWDs are, IMHO, just unnecessary weight in most of the times. When the surrface is good, I would allways go for RWD (or FWD on small car). On slippery surface, AWD is a good advantage, I addmit.
And the engine is mounted wrong way.

Indeed. Direct a token few horsepower through a flimsy drivetrain to the rear to avoid the shame of having to call it a FWD car shitbox.  Fact is, the structure and suspension were designed to be FWD, so compromised from the start. As you say, unnecessary weight and, of course, tyre wear to try and cover up for the fact that the car was rubbish from the start.

Neither fair, nor entirely accurate where the Insignia is concerned... rear suspension is completely different on the 4x4, and far beefier than the standard ones...

Also, in Tour/Normal modes the AWD operates as described, with a variable torque bias, with a strong front wheel emphasis... switch to Sport/VXR mode and it becomes a different car with a permanent 60:40 rear bias. The flex ride also softens/firms the damping according to mode. Mine spent it's entire time in Sport mode, and inspite of 20" wheels, rode and handled far better than the fwd hatch ever could...

Incidentally that car has now done nearly 150k miles with no mechanical issues

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Similar to the Cav/Calibra 4x4s then, in that respect versus their more lowly models? which iirc, had a rear suspension almost identical to the Carlton/Omega? (though I appreciate the Insignia doesn't have the 'feature' of destroying the 4WD system if you have odd tyres) Many people don't realise the rear suspension of the Calibra in 4x4 guise was a very different animal to the standard Cav with a beam axle rear.


(PS and yet the Cav with bog-standard beam axle handled very well, and better than plenty of 'superior' newer cars, ironically but that's another story)

[TheBoy]

... I'd love to see another Omega/Royale/Senator, and if they were clever, and had tried to push the brand up not down over the years, then maybe they could....

Yes, it all started when someone decided that their customers would be prepared to pay £30k for their flagship model with... the same front end as a shitbox Astra G.

A real British Leyland bit of thinking, that was.. "Well, we've got all these left over grilles in stores".

I do agree to a fair extent. Thing is, the facelift of the Omega was what it was. In fairness to them they spent a shedload of cash on it (£180mill rings a bell from my memory banks) and of course what you got was a brand new car, with just the main shell and floorpan the same as the PFL, everything else got a fettle in one form or another. It was a brilliant facelift, though in years to come I think the PFL wil be perceived as the more 'resolved' design. in 2000 everything had to have fully body coloured bumpers, all in one grilles and bonnets were the new Vauxhall 'face', and of course, it's the millennium to roll out the Star Silver in buckets! I remember, beautifully aesthetic or not, the Omega was dated in 2000, and in fairness, it had hit its natural 6-year lifecycle. The fact it was revised at all, and to the level it was reminded me of Concorde, actually. 

I can see someone one day taking a last of the line 3.2 Elite, and installing PFL externals, and possibly the dashbaord, too, but leaving all those extra FL goodies that the last models got, that weren't even in existence on the 1994 cars. ESP, rear vented discs, Dual zone Charcoal filtered Climate, lift up centre armrest and cup holder jobby, etc... plus all the usual toys on top.

But, anti corrosion aside, the MFL was the pinnacle of Omega design and function.  I'm stuggling to think of what genuine (not just penny pinching) improvements were made to the FL.

[Kevin Wood]

The fact it was revised at all, and to the level it was reminded me of Concorde, actually. 

A gas-guzzling but quick white elephant with nice new leather seats inside. I see what you mean.

The thing is, the facelift was purely cosmetic, with exactly the same mechanicals underneath. Mechanicals which were getting tired by then, and it brought the styling of the car down to the run-of-the-mill level, a move which had already started when look look at the transition from the Senator to the Omega PFL. Easy to see how it lost its' appeal as an executive car, IMHO. All the better for us, of course, until we come to want a replacement. 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

I think the pinnacle is the MFL, or certainly a PFL with a couple of MFL niceties (headlamps, for one) though I know you are a particular fan of the MFL poo-coloured steering wheels.
-The door cards, though overall I think the PFL are nicer, the FL ones do look a quantum leap on in aethetics. Also the concealed little cubbies are a very nice feature.
-The multi-function centre armrest is a feature I like, and means you've somewhere to put your cup! Many people may have forgotten, but 'cupholder one-upmanship' was a definite feature of the 90s, possibly started by the Vectra (which came out 1 year after the Omega)
-Engines which, whatever we think of them now would not pass the emissions regulations of 2001(or thereabouts, forget the exact year) so the Y engines had to happen, restricted in power though they were.
-heated seats with variable temp settings, now that was cool.

Now, before anyone thinks I've turned and become a FL-fancier... 

PFL...
-NO rub-off rubberised coatings to make your dash look like it's got dry, flakey skin.
-A simpler engine to work on, with 'proper' HT leads, no separate coil pack thingies, no extra Lambdas to worry about, etc. and the crank sensors are cheaper, too!
-'More practical exterior. I have, regretfully being in contact with walls, posts and other cars, and nice fat textured black plastic is somewhat better at hiding these wee knocks than the 'cracks if you stare at them too hard' FL bumpers.
-Aesthetics - the PFL/MFL Omegas are frowning, sneering, and have a real 'attitude' abou them. The FLs look like a slightly odd replica of a contemporary Audi / Astra G, as mentioned above.
-You can fit your wheels in the boot of a PFL, owners of Elites will know their 235s on 17s don't happily sit in the spare wheel well as we chaps with out 205s
-What is perhaps now forgotten, but one of the most innovative boot handles, copied by numerous car makes now, but a hinged griffin that is the boot release was just so cool back int'daay, lad. 

[Kevin Wood]

Yes, speaking of "cupholder one-upmanship", Mrs. KW has upgraded her Mk2 MX 5 to a Mk3. Some of the useful cubby holes on the Mk2 have turned into cup holders. In fact, it now has 4 cup holders. It's a 2 seater.

[Kevin Wood]

Neither fair, nor entirely accurate where the Insignia is concerned... rear suspension is completely different on the 4x4, and far beefier than the standard ones...

Perhaps, but you can't help wonder if you couldn't have got 99% of the way there by just making it RWD.

[Mr.OmegaMan]

There is a new Cadillac that's going to be officially sold in the UK. The Cadillac CT6 Link

Marmite looks. Doesn't really suit the UK.

Probably better than what the next Insignia will be, But this Cadillac will be very expensive apparently.

[STEMO]

There is a new Cadillac that's going to be officially sold in the UK. The Cadillac CT6 Link

Marmite looks. Doesn't really suit the UK.

Probably better than what the next Insignia will be, But this Cadillac will be very expensive apparently.

That's gonna take on the S class? Errrrrr......no.

[Nick W]

That's gonna take on the S class? Errrrrr......no.

It doesn't have a chance, it's not ugly enough.

[STEMO]

That's gonna take on the S class? Errrrrr......no.

It doesn't have a chance, it's not ugly enough.

A pimp would have to run a lot of girls to afford that, but I suppose it will give them something to aspire to.

[Doctor Gollum]

Based on the Holden VF/VG platform

[TheBoy]

DBG, not sure what the fascination is with cup holders, but remember its an offence to drink your fresh, hot, overpriced coffee whilst driving, whatever the biff in the BP may say. In the same way you are not allowed to scoff a pie whilst driving.  Smoking, however, is allowed, but that's a separate rant.

The FL cup holder, believe me, is useless. Too far back to be useable, its actually awkward to lift a 'Donalds milkshake from it, let alone something wetter like fizzies or hot drinks.  Apparently. Obviously, I wouldn't be eating/drinking whilst driving, as that would upset Mr Plod.  .

So you have the worse of all compromises - a fairly unusable cup holder, and a tiny storage area under the armrest.


If the Omega needed cupholders, and I remain unconvinced that cars do, a better place, particularly for autos, would be centre console, just forward and outboard of the gear lever. There is a lot of wasted space under there, plenty of room for a sunken holder, that's in a more useable position.

[Ever Ready]

GM Europe could bring this over.
http://www.hsv.com.au/GEN-F2/see/Grange/
Just a shame about the name.

I see they have a Senator over there with the 6.2super charged LSA lump.

Change the name from Grange to Mighty Mig and I'll buy one. Second hand mind

[Sir Tigger KC]

Yes, speaking of "cupholder one-upmanship", Mrs. KW has upgraded her Mk2 MX 5 to a Mk3. Some of the useful cubby holes on the Mk2 have turned into cup holders. In fact, it now has 4 cup holders. It's a 2 seater.

Many people seem to go round with a bottle of water these days for fear of dehydration and the need to drink about 8 gallons of the stuff daily, so one holder is for that and the other for your travel beer coffee!