Vauxhall’s all-new Insignia Country Tourer with rugged styling, all-wheel drive and premium technology has been showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Country Tourer is more spacious and considerably lighter than its predecessor, thanks to an all-new architecture, and comes with a wide range of innovative technologies. With all-round black protective cladding and silver front and rear skid plates, the newcomer has a tough and rugged off-road appearance.

The car comes with a broad powertrain portfolio, including a brand new top-of-the-range diesel engine. In addition, the newcomer will also be available with the new eight-speed automatic transmission and ground-breaking all-wheel drive technology.

Additional ground clearance of 20mm, plus the innovative all-wheel drive with torque vectoring and new five-link rear suspension cater for those who want to leave the city and explore the countryside. Instead of a traditional rear differential, the Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer boasts two electrically controlled multi-plate clutches that enable a more individual and precise transmission of power to each wheel. To stabilise the vehicle and counteract understeer on tight corners taken at higher speeds, the system can send more torque to the outside rear wheel without further driver intervention.

The improved FlexRide chassis provides the basis for changing road conditions and driving behaviour. It adapts the dampers, steering, throttle response and shift points (on automatic models) independently or based on the ‘Standard’, ‘Sport’ or ‘Tour’ modes, which can be selected by the driver. The new central ‘Drive Mode Control’ software is the heart and soul of the adaptive chassis, and continuously analyses the information provided by the sensors and settings, recognising the individual driving style.

Rory Harvey, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director, said: “The Country Tourer takes the Insignia story a step further. With its all-wheel-drive capability, raised ground clearance and rugged appearance, it adds another important dimension to the New Insignia range.”

From the very start of the development process, the designers – led by Brit Mark Adams – and team of engineers worked on a third distinct Insignia variant, meaning the Country Tourer perfectly complements the Grand Sport and Sports Tourer models.

The prominent landscape grille and slim headlamps give the new Insignia Country Tourer a wide horizontal impression, while the skid plate helps to give the car a solid stance. Moulded black protective cladding in the lower fascia, wheel arches and along the lower body side emphasise the rugged appearance. The adventurous design cues continue at the rear too, with the silver-coloured skid plate and dual exhaust bezels reinforcing the lower, wider impression.

The new Insignia Country Tourer, is above all, extremely practical. To make loading as easy as possible, the tailgate can be opened without touching the car. In combination with Keyless Open & Start, a simple kicking motion under the rear bumper is enough to open the tailgate with another kicking motion required to close it. To increase loading space to 1,665 litres, 135 litres more than the outgoing version, the new Insignia Country Tourer comes with optional 40/20/40 foldable rear seats, enabling even more flexible loading space configurations. The standard roof railing not only emphasises the adventurous look, but allows the Insignia Country Tourer to carry loads of up to 100kg.

The wheelbase has been increased by 92mm, enabling a more spacious cabin. The new Insignia Country Tourer comes with AGR-certified premium ergonomic front seats and the heated outer rear seats, heated windscreen and the heated steering wheel like its Grand Sport and Sports Tourer siblings.

As with its Grand Sport and Sports Tourer siblings, the Insignia Country Tourer comes with numerous technologies and assistance systems that enable a new level of safety and comfort. One of the highlights is the second generation of Vauxhall’s innovative and award-winning adaptive IntelliLux LED matrix light. The Vauxhall LED matrix light now has 16 LED segments integrated into each of the very slim headlamps, and comes with an active curve lighting function and dedicated LED spotlight with a range of up to 400 metres. Further additions include the head-up display, adaptive cruise control(ACC) with automatic emergency braking, Lane Keep Assist with automated steering correction and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

The latest Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible IntelliLink systems ensure outstanding entertainment and connectivity, while smartphones can be charged wirelessly and seamlessly integrated with the infotainment system. The personal connectivity and service assistant, Vauxhall OnStar, is also on board and offers an extensive service portfolio ranging from automatic crash response to stolen vehicle assistance. Two updates to the OnStar portfolio are the booking service, and parking search, both of which can request OnStar advisors to book hotel rooms and/or search for suitable car parks.