Opel Insignia production to end, after Vauxhall axes Holden Commodore twin

UPDATE, July 21: Opel Insignia to be axed as German production wraps up

The vehicle that once wore the famous Holden Commodore nameplate will soon reach the end of the line.

A spokesperson for Stellantis confirmed to Automobilwoche that the Opel Insignia would be discontinued in Europe, with production at its Rüsselsheim plant in Germany to wrap up by the end of 2022.

The factory will instead focus on producing the Opel Astra and DS 4 small cars, allowing Opel to have a “faster ramp-up” for the Astra.

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Opel was purchased by Groupe PSA in 2017, in the same year the second-generation Insignia launched, with the German carmaker now part of the Stellantis group of brands.

The mid-size Insignia was developed under previous ownership by US car giant General Motors, using the company’s E2XX architecture. This platform does not support plug-in hybrid or full-electric powertrains without extensive re-engineering.

An all-electric replacement for the Insignia with a raised crossover-style body, similar to the Citroen C5 X, is expected to launch in 2024.

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The story to here

May 18: Vauxhall Insignia axed in the UK two years after end of Holden Commodore's run

Slumping sedan sales are being blamed for the death of the Vauxhall Insignia – the British sibling to the Holden Commodore – which was pulled off sale in the United Kingdom this week.

Based on the Opel Insignia, the Vauxhall was rebadged for the UK market and available in right-hand-drive since the second-generation model's 2017 launch, having been put on sale in Australia as the Holden Commodore ZB from 2018.

As reported by British publication Autocar, Vauxhall intends to fulfil its current order books for the Insignia, but won't take any new reservations for the sedan and wagon, while also confirming it has no places to introduce a replacement model in the near future before the marque goes all-electric by 2028.

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“The Insignia is stopping for Vauxhall,” Vauxhall UK's managing director Paul Willcox told Autocar.

“We will fulfil orders, but there is no plan in the short-term to replace it straight away.

“There will still be an Opel Insignia [on sale in Europe], but there is a gap for us, with no plans to fill for now.”

A boom in popularity for SUVs, as well as for segment rivals such as the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, have been attributed to the Insignia's demise – with sales declining from a peak of over 45,000 in 2011 to roughly 8000 in 2019.

Similar factors led to the Holden Commodore ZB being removed from sale in 2020, with the European-based model never achieving the success of its Australian-made predecessors after local production ceased in 2017.

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The Insignia's departure from Vauxhall's line-up marks the end of the manufacturer's association with General Motors, having been sold by its American owner to PSA – now known as Stellantis – in 2017 after a 92-year run.

Under the control of Stellantis, Vauxhall will continue to sell rebadged vehicles from its European siblings in the UK, borrowing from the catalogue of Peugeot, Citroën and long-time partner Opel.

The Insignia-based Commodore continues to be a part of the Supercars Championship, scheduled to be replaced next year with the incoming Gen3 regulations which will pit Ford's Mustang against the Chevrolet Camaro, although the Commodore will drop down to Super2 in the coming years as a choice for competitors in the feeder category.