By Ian Strachan
From Cresta to Victor to Cavalier to Vectra to Insignia. One thing Vauxhall has always excelled at is upper medium family cars. The Insignia, which has just celebrated its tenth birthday, is no exception.
There’ll be a new 2020 Insignia coming along soon, which means there are forecourt bargains to be had with the previous model. I tested the all-wheel-drive Insignia GSI with a 210 bhp turbocharged two litre engine, and it’s a very good car indeed.
The design of this big hatchback is strong, well-balanced and pleasing. Its eye-catching, smoothly-rounded profile and assertive road stance set it apart from many of its competitors. Expect the new version to continue this trend.
Inside too, the design is attractive as well as practical, with more than adequate leg and headroom and a huge boot. The award-winning sports seats in the GSI are comfortable in the extreme and can be heated or cooled.
I test drove the 210 bhp turbo-charged Insignia in GSI specification which comes in at £38,520. Extras as standard include smart 20 inch alloys, steering wheel mounted audio controls, heated steering wheel, auto stop/start, lane control, satnav and multi-media system with eight-inch colour touchscreen, automatic headlights, leather sports seats, cruise control with speed limiter, front and rear parking sensors with forward camera and electrically adjustable heated door mirrors.
The 2.0 engine is more than powerful enough, and manages just below 40 mpg in mixed driving, and pulls well throughout the range of a smooth eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Ride and handling in the Insignia in four-wheel drive mode are comfortable and confident . Suspension is hard without being uncomfortable.
Safety levels are high, and so is carrying capacity, with an impressive load space which ticks all the boxes in terms of length, width and depth. A minor grumble: the rear screen is sharply raked and really needs a rear screen wiper. Rear visibility in the rain is compromised.
The Insignia is firmly placed in the best sellers list and the signs are it’s going to stay there.
