The Opel Omega B is a German business class car. The second generation of the popular series, which was produced from 1986 to 2003. Interestingly, the Omega was an intermediate model between cars such as Ascona and Senator. True, Omega itself has no direct successor, and its production was completed in 2003.
About the first generation
Before describing in detail the car Opel Omega B, it is worth briefly telling about its first generation. This is, as you might suggest, “Opel Omega A”.
Started production of this car in 1986. It could be bought in the back of either a four-door sedan or a five-door station wagon. True, the second version was called somewhat differently - “Omega-Caravan”. It should be noted that the car turned out to be more than successful, and the title “Car of the Year” received by her in 1987 speaks about this.
The model could be equipped with carburetor engines (1.8 liters), injection (1.8, 2.0, 2.4, 2.6 and 3.0) and atmospheric, diesel. There were also turbocharged engines. By the way, they could work under the control of either a 4-speed “automatic” or 5-speed “mechanics”. The first option was more modern, as the automatic transmission had sports and winter modes. The brakes on the model were set disc, and they were all equipped with vacuum amplifiers.
Second generation
Opel Omega B - continuation of the first release, which was described above. The second generation was produced from 1994 to 2003. And its main differences are an improved, more modern design, a comfortable interior, as well as equipment and aerodynamics.
The first step is to talk about the interior. The salon is very spacious. The front seats boast mechanical adjustments to the longitudinal movement, as well as the backrest. In such a car, even a tall driver will feel comfortable. Moreover, the front seats have a micro-lift. Thanks to this function, it is possible to adjust them in height. There are even adjustments to the so-called lumbar support. And comfortable head restraints can be moved in two planes.
The rear seatback can be folded, and in three different versions. Thanks to this, it turns out to transport bulky items in the car.
Equipment
Now you can talk about equipment. Power steering, ABS system, adjustable steering column, electric mirrors (equipped with heating) and electric windows, central locking - as you can see, the Opel Omega B had a rather rich configuration! There was also an electric sunroof, air conditioning, a rear spoiler, tinted windows, electro-corrector optics, fog lights, cruise control and even mirror lighting. What can I say about the on-board computer and a regular immobilizer!
It was all in the maximum configuration of the first generation “Omega”. The car Opel Omega B 2.0, in addition, still boasted a 2-zone climate control, automatic headlight range control , full-time xenon light, rear curtain (sun protection), CD changer, leather interior. Agree that the equipment has become even richer and more comfortable.
Characteristics
Now it's worth telling what the Opel Omega B features. Maximum equipment was known as the “Opel MV5”. Under the hood of this model was installed a 6-cylinder V-shaped engine with a volume of three liters. Another car could be equipped with a turbodiesel engine (2.5 liters).
In 1999, manufacturers decided that it was time to carry out restyling. External changes were clearly noticeable, in particular the shape of the taillights and the trunk itself. The hood, along with the front body kit, was also improved, made more modern. Since this year, the radiator grill has become an integral part of the Opel image. In addition, they began to send body parts for additional processing or, in other words, zinc-plating. So it was possible to maximize the level of corrosion resistance.
Power units
Speaking about the technical characteristics of the Opel Omega B (station wagon), one cannot but mention its engines separately. So, specialists squandered motors (that is, they made more volume) and made some small changes. For example, spark plug wires and the ignition module were replaced with two-component modules.
Diesel engines in recent years have been equipped with a system called Common Rail. It is interesting that the company "Opel" did not have engines of suitable volume that would run on diesel fuel. Because they were purchased from a competitor - BMV.
Returning to the topic of restyling, it is worth noting that chopped lines began to be traced in the interior of the car. Also there appeared more indicators and plastic. And the developers equipped the new multi-function steering wheel with a restyled model. The maximum configuration, by the way, included rain and light sensors.
2000s
The Opel Omega B Caravan has become a very popular car. In 2000, for example, the developers even planned to provide potential buyers with a brand new engine called Y57XE, which was already famous at that time. And no wonder, because he stood under the hood of such a luxury car as the Chevrolet Corvette! Powerful features: 4-band “automatic”, 8-cylinder, V-shaped.
Now the car could well become a full competitor to the Audi A6 and BMW E39 models. Even the manufacturers planned to compete with the Mercedes E-class. After all, the car was supposed to be very cheap.
However, at the last moment (to be more precise, a couple of weeks before the start of production), the leadership of the German concern decided to abandon their ideas. They explained this by the fact that the motor has an excessively weak cooling system. She, in their opinion, could not provide the power unit with decent cooling. But in fact, the whole reason was the unwillingness of the GM Europe leadership to see a competitor in the car market for the Cadillac model.
Briefly about famous models
So, the “Omega” of the second generation had several modifications. The most powerful version is considered to be a car with a 5.7-liter V8 engine in 2000. This engine produced 315 horsepower, and its maximum speed was 250 km / h. The car accelerated to hundreds in 7 seconds.
The weakest model is version 2.0 DTI 16V, which began to be released in 1997. The power of the motor under its hood was 101 liters. sec., and a top speed of 186 km / h. Up to a hundred, the car accelerated in 15 seconds (more than twice as long as the aforementioned version of the Opel).
Owner Comments
And finally, what kind of car Opel Omega B reviews. In general, pretty good things are told about this car. The first thing that all owners note with attention is the incredibly spacious interior, high-quality materials and the complete absence of all sorts of squeaks.
People claim that the described machine is reliable, solid, and it does not have any serious breakdowns (with careful use). “Omega B” is not afraid of any curbs, pits, potholes and tram tracks.
Of the inconveniences, they note only that when the engine is started, the trunk lid does not open. Even on this model, it can be unsafe in icy conditions, and to avoid problems it is necessary to put high-quality winter tires. The most economical models are naturally diesel, even nowadays. On the highway they spend a maximum of 6 liters of fuel, in the city - about 9.5.
The car as a whole is very good, comfortable and dynamic. In good condition, "Omega B" release of the early 2000s can be purchased for 200 thousand rubles. And this, I must say, is a very modest price for such a car. But the machine must be operated carefully. Every 15 thousand kilometers, it is necessary to change the candles and the filter, as well as the oil (original GM).