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Two weeks ago we showed you spy shots of a 2010 Buick Regal caught testing in China that appeared to be nothing more than a rebadged Opel Insignia. (As you may recall, we’ll be getting the 2010 Buick LaCrosse in the States.) All three of those cars are based on GM’s Epsilon II platform, which we will also likely see under future vehicles from Saab, Saturn and Chevrolet. The Buick brand, and the popular Regal, are doing very well in China. As such, it’s no surprise to see these latest spy shots of the barely disguised four-door Regal dipped in red, and it looks great despite being a badge job. The production version is expected to debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November.

After a few leaks and an assortment of GM-sponsored “spy shots,” the Opel Insignia is here. Take note. Aimed to compete in Europe with the Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord, Mazda6 and Citroen C5, the Insignia is set to replace the aging Vectra and could come Stateside sporting a Saturn badge.

The sleeker, sexier Insignia takes a few cues from the GTC concept that helped to inspire the new sedan, with a taut fascia, muscular stance and deeply drawn side blades that extend from the front fenders to run parallel with the side sills. The old V-bar has been nixed in favor of a wider grille, complimented by a pair of intake ducts and the new Vauxhall logo. “Smart” headlights feature daytime running lamps standard and there will be an option for LED lighting on higher-spec models. The rear is sufficiently swoopy, with a tapered tail and smooth haunches, while the rear badge plays double duty as adornment and trunk release button.

The Insignia is 21 cm longer and five cm wider than the Vectra it replaces, and legroom shouldn’t be an issue since the Insignia gets an additional 35 mm tacked onto its wheelbase. Three models will be available, including the standard saloon (above), a hatchback and a wagon.

Power is provided by a choice of three diesels or four gasoline-powered engines, with the former producing anywhere between 110 hp to 160 hp, and the latter putting out 115 hp from the standard four-cylinder or 260 hp from the range-topping V6. Power is channeled to either the front or all four wheels through a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. A VXR model is likely to be revealed sometime next year.

The Opel Insignia will be available for a meet and greet at the London Motor Show this July and will hit showrooms in the UK this October.
source:autoblog

The Insignia brand of Mp3 players from Best Buy has become popular among consumers because of the better value they offer in their full-featured audio devices. The new Insignia Pilot, available in 4 GB and 8 GB capacities, are priced at just $130 and $160 respectively. Not bad for a portable audio device which has all the features you’ll ever need and more.The Pilot Mp3 is equipped with both audio and video playback, photo viewer, FM radio, voice recorder, and has a built-in SD card memory expansion slot. The latter feature is convenient for those who don’t want to be limited by the 8 GB memory of the Pilot Mp3. It can play MPEG-4 and WMV videos, display JPEG photos, and support a handful of audio formats, including Mp3, WMA, WMA DRM, WMA Lossless, WMA Pro, OGG, WAV and Audible. It also has Rhapsody DNA integration, which basically allows you to transfer Internet radio channels to the player for easier access.

But the best feature of the Pilot Mp3 is the integrated Bluetooth. Its built-in stereo Bluetooth function allows you to listen to music using your wireless Bluetooth headphones. This is definitely a plus for enjoying music on-the-go as it maximizes movement, without having those dangling headphone cords bothering you. The Bluetooth connection with the Pilot Mp3 can go to about 30 feet. Now you can leave the Mp3 player on your desk and won’t miss a track on your music playlist while you’re on another room getting coffee.

The Pilot Mp3 is a bit lengthy compared with most compact flash players in the market. It has a simple black body with brushed silver trim. The face of the player, when held horizontally, has a 2.4-inch color LCD screen on the left and the control pad on the right. The control buttons somewhat resemble that of the Apple iPod’s clickwheel, except that the scroll ring is only enabled for four-way clicking.

Some of the Pilot Mp3’s playback features are also comparable to the iPod Classic. There is an album art display along with the current playing tracks. You also have the option of switching between screens to view a larger album art or other artist information. The main menu uses icons while music is organized using the step-down structure of displaying the artist, album, genre, etc. on the display screen.

On the other hand, sound quality isn’t that impressive with the Pilot Mp3. Deep bass isn’t quite discernible, even with the use of high-end earphones. Also video quality is on the downside, as there are noticeable pixelation during video playback. Nevertheless, battery life is extended for up to 25 hours of audio playback. It also has an effective photo display. The Insignia Pilot Mp3 player is really an economical device, which gives you more value for less the price.