Teaser: 2008 Vauxhall/Opel Insignia

Vauxhall�s new upper-medium sized saloon will have an all-new name when the covers come off it at the London motor show in July 2008. Out goes the Vectra moniker, with all its undesirable �rep-mobile� connotations; in comes Insignia, the badge that, General Motors hopes, will carve out a more upmarket and aspirational identity for one of its most important European cars.

Vauxhall�s big announcement came this morning, along with an enigmatic picture showing only the badge of the new car and its rear light cluster.

�Dynamic performance is one of Vauxhall�s core values,� said GM Europe�s Chief Marketing Officer Alain Visser, �and in the new Insignia, this defining characteristic is realised by sophisticated powertrain technology, active safety and the interface between driver and car. The Insignia�s level of comfort and environmental friendliness is unrivalled even among considerably more expensive competitors.�

For the Vectra, a model which has spent twelve years on sale, and through two generations has sold more than a million models in the UK, this is the end of the road. However, it�s expected to stay in production until well into 2008, before the Insignia launches later in the year.