GM considered Opel’s Insignia for Cadillac

Earlier this week a report emerged naming Buick the new gateway for Opel’s European models into the U.S. now that the future ofSaturn is looking grim. The star in Opel’s crown, the 2009 Insignia sedan, is already on sale in Chinese markets as the Buick Regal but an insider at General Motors recently said the Insignia would also be sold in the U.S.

GM Insignia

GM hasn’t completely ruled out the revival of the Regal nameplate through the importation of the Opel Insignia, but the idea is losing traction with the company’s top brass. Since the all-new LaCrosse – which is architecturally very similar to the Opel Insignia – is already heading to U.S. Buick dealers, the addition of the Regal could overload Buick’s mid-size offerings.

2010 Buick LaCrosse sedan

To prevent the overstuffing of the Buick brand, GM is mulling adding the Insignia to the Cadillac lineup, according to the Detroit Free Press.The FWD layout of the car would be safer to drive on icy-roads than the current fleet of RWD Cadillac saloons, and many of the features offered on the Insignia in Europe, such as AWD, adaptive headlights and a lane-departure warning, could also be offered in the U.S., improving the potential mid-sized Cadillac's feature set and profitability.