Vauxhall Insignia 2.0 CDTi Exclusiv 5-door

“Classy styling and German
‘premium’ values, but at
affordable prices — starting from
a headline-grabbing Ł15,935 —
are the key points for the new
Vauxhall Insignia...”

BUT VAUXHALL'S NEWCOMER IS MUCH MORE THAN THAT. It points the way forward for Vauxhall as a brand to become more desirable. Like its main competitors such as the new Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord, Renault Laguna, Citroen C5 and Skoda Superb, the new Insignia is a distinct move up market for styling, specification, quality and size. This moves the brand ever closer to the premium end of the sector dominated by the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

The core platform designed for Insignia will be used worldwide by Vauxhall's parent company GM and will spawn 17 different models and eight body styles with power sources from petrol to hybrids.

With the executive-sized, four-door coupé-styled Saloons and five-door Hatchbacks arriving in the UK at the end of this year (and Sports Tourer five-door estates early next year) the upper-medium sector of the new car market will become even more competitive — and provide strong competition for Ford's highly-praised new Mondeo range.

The Insignia's elegant styling combines interesting sculptured artistry with technical precision, illustrated by 'wing' and 'blade' themes which integrate with the car's rakish silhouette. The body's sculpted shape is punctuated by sweeping front and rear light designs and fronted by a bold radiator grille, which displays the refreshed Griffin logo in a new, circular surround carrying Vauxhall's name.

Another benefit brought by the Insignia's flowing lines is a low Cd of just 0.27, bringing with it benefits both in fuel consumption and performance. All body variants have an identical wheelbase — of 2,737mm — while the Sports Tourer adds around 80mm to the 4,830mm length of the Saloon and Hatch models.

Inside the cabin the sweeping styling lines are continued — the result is a significant improvement in quality and overall appearance: the Insignia just looks and feels a much classier car than the Vectra it replaces.

On the downside, the coupé roofline significantly limits rear seat headroom in the Hatch and it is hardly any better in the Saloon. The steeply angled rear window also restricts rearward vision. Rear seat legroom is also not plentiful but there is, however, a huge boot/load bay that offers between 520 and 1,465 litres of load space.

In some areas the Insignia is a case of style over function; but the smart new sporty image will be attractive to many more customers who might now find owning a Vauxhall appealing.

Because there are so many models, specification levels and options available and with a wide range of engines (in fact there's a total of 130 different model combinations available, with still more to come!), I've just concentrated on one specific model which I think is the sensible variant in today's cost-conscious marketplace.

The Insignia Hatch has the best and most versatile body style and whilst I liked the SE specification the most I tend to agree with Vauxhall that 'Exclusiv' will be the most popular value-for-money specification. The best engine choice — in financial terms relative to enough performance for everyday use — is the turbodiesel 2.0-litre CDTi unit with 128bhp and 221lb ft of torque from 1,750rpm. This model comes with a six-speed manual gearbox and costs Ł16,935 on-the-road.

By paying an extra Ł250, customers can opt for the 158bhp/258lb ft version of the same engine — this brings a marginal increase in performance, and no doubt some drivers will consider it worthwhile.

Among the other engine options is a 138bhp 1.8-litre petrol engine but it does not have enough torque for this size of car and feels sluggish on hills. The 2.0-litre, 217bhp direct injection Turbo petrol unit is much better if petrol is your preferred fuel — and because maximum torque of 258lb ft is delivered from 2,000 it is a responsive performer. Forget the 256bhp 2.8-litre V6 Turbo engine: it's really not needed. For the record, the Sports Tourer will bring with it two further powertrains: a 1.6-litre, 178bhp Turbo petrol and a new 2.0 CDTi BiTurbo with a maximum output of 187bhp.

An ecoFLEX version with lower C02 emissions — but with no performance compromise — will join the line-up later next year. All powertrains come with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. And both of the Insignia's turbocharged petrol engines are available with the latest-generation advanced all-wheel-drive system. This system will also be available on future, more powerful diesel versions.

All Insignia models come with high levels of equipment as standard, including ESP, passenger airbag deactivation, automatic headlights, electric driver's seat height adjuster and electrically-adjustable four-way lumbar support. Cruise control is also standard across the range, along with front, side and curtain airbags, Isofix on all three rear seats and, of course, ABS.

'High-tech' options for Insignia models include FlexRide (which allows the driver to choose the suspension settings), Adaptive 4x4, Intelligent Adaptive Forward Lighting (which adjusts the headlights to the prevailing road and light conditions) and Vauxhall's Front Camera System which reads speed warning and No Overtaking signs and relays the information back to the driver. This system also includes a lane departure alert function.

The FlexRide system is not really necessary because the standard suspension smoothes out the bumps, potholes and ridges in the road just fine and provides a comfortable and relaxed ride. The steering feels pretty lifeless and gives little feedback; but it is precise, as it needs to be for such a large and substantial car. Sticking with the standard-sized alloy road wheels and not going for ultra-low profile tyres keeps road noise intrusion down to a very low level.

With undeniable good looks, a move up in quality and class, a comfortable ride and a wide choice of mostly well-priced models (from Ł15,935 on-the-road to Ł30,285, with heartland prices coming in at under Ł20,000) the Insignia scores well. Not quite so impressive is the poor rear headroom, restricted rear window visibility and lacklustre steering. However, the Insignia is nevertheless a significant step forward for Vauxhall both in looks, quality and desirability although it still loses out to the new Ford Mondeo for interior space and driving refinement. — David Miles

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