The much-awaited Opel Insignia, Car of the Year 2009, is finally in Malta.

On announcing the Car of the Year (COTY) award, the non-profit organisation said: “Many jury members appreciated the looks and visual quality of this model but the new mid-sized car is much more than style.”

The Car of the Year is a designation given by 59 senior motoring correspondents from 23 European countries. They chose the Insignia from a tough field of 37 contenders in this year’s competition. Twenty journalists placed the Insignia as number one.

To be named the best car of 2009, the journalists must take into consideration criteria such as design, safety, handling and performance. “Technical innovation and value-for-money are particularly important factors,” COTY said.

Opel’s Insignia also got five stars for safety by the European traffic institution Euro NCAP. The Insignia has also been awarded four stars for child protection and two stars for pedestrian protection – the best ratings given so far in the large family car segment. The independent institute has earlier confirmed the high quality of the Insignia’s head rests for protection against whiplash. Opel engineers have used the latest technology to improve seats in the new Opel Insignia, making them safer, more comfortable and better for the back than those found in other cars. This is the conclusion of a panel of independent ergonomics experts and doctors in Germany.

With regard to fuel consumption and Co2 emissions, the Insignia offers efficient, environmentally friendly driving without compromises. By making a multitude of detailed improvements to the powertrain and to the road and wind resistance factors of the ecoFLEX model, Opel’s engineers minimised consumption without affecting driving fun. The EcoFLEX model emits under 140 g/km in Co2 emissions.

The Insignia’s look also signals a new direction for the Opel brand and shows the new design elements that will be seen in future models. Opel’s designers spent years, painstakingly refining the surfaces, carving the crisp intersecting lines and colours; testing the textures, feeling the materials and ensuring all the surface finishes were of the highest quality.

Opel’s pioneering role and unique expertise in lighting technology continues in the Insignia with the latest generation Adaptive Forward Lighting system offering nine different light beam settings.