Vauxhall Insignia Hatchback

The recently revised Vauxhall Insignia brings plenty of style and refinement to the family car sector

Auto Express Car Reviews

Rating:
Latest deal price: from £14,579 to £18,826
For : Sleek design, strong refinement, upmarket cabin
Against : Lacks driver involvement, high prices, gruff diesels

When Vauxhall launched the Insignia in 2008, it instantly consigned the lacklustre Vectra to the history books. With its sleek good looks, upmarket cabin and class-leading refinement, the Insignia is a surprisingly desirable choice – although it hasn't got the all-round appeal of the Ford Mondeo or Skoda Superb. A mid-life refresh has seen the introduction of eco-friendly stop-start technology and extra standard kit. As you’d expect, there’s a choice of four-door saloon, five-door hatchback and practical Sport Tourer estate versions. All models get a decent haul of standard kit, but prices are high compared to mainstream rivals.

Our pick: Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv 2.0CDTi 160PS ecoFLEX S/S

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the Vauxhall Insignia

Styling

The Vauxhall Insignia packs plenty of kerb appeal. Sleek lines, a low slung roof and neat details make it a surprisingly stylish choice. Clever design means the four-door saloon looks almost identical to the versatile five-door hatchback. Buyers get a choice of ES, Exclusiv, SE, SRi and Elite trim levels. Alloy wheels are standard on SE versions and above, while the sporty SRi gets lowered suspension. Vauxhall has worked hard to give the Insignia cabin a premium feel, so build quality is good, with lots of soft touch materials. Air-con, cruise control and a trip computer are standard throughout the range, while the luxurious Elite adds leather seat trim and adaptive bi-xenon headlamps.

Driving and Performance

Though not hugely engaging to drive, the Insignia is a vast improvement over its clunky Vectra predecessor. A poised chassis, strong grip and direct steering make it capable and composed – although a Ford Mondeo is more fun. Vauxhall’s FlexRide adaptive damping system tweaks the suspension, steering and throttle for sharper responses - standard on selected SRi models. There’s also the option of a grippy four-wheel-drive system and a wide choice of engines. The entry-level 138bhp petrol feels breathless, but the turbocharged 138bhp 1.4-litre, 178bhp 1.6-litre and 217bhp 2.0-litre units are punchy and smooth. The frugal 2.0-litre CDTi diesel is available with either 128bhp or 158bhp, but is still gruff despite improved refinement. Topping the range is the 256bhp 2.8-litre V6 that blasts the Insignia from 0-62mph in only 6.7 seconds.

MPG and running costs

If you’re looking at the Insignia as a potential company car choice, then the ecoFLEX models make the most sense. Thanks to the introduction of stop-start technology, the 158bhp 2.0-litre diesel emits only 115g/km and promises to return 65.7mpg. Best of the petrol units is the 1.4-litre turbo, which boasts CO2 emissions of 134g/km and is claimed to achieve almost 50mpg. Buyers wanting to minimise their motoring costs should steer clear of the 2.0-litre and 2.8-litre petrols, which both push out more than 200g/km. You shouldn’t need to spend much money on extras, as all models are well equipped. However, weak residuals mean the Vauxhall isn’t a great long-term investment.

Practicality

The Insignia makes a decent family car, thanks to a spacious cabin and large boot. While it can’t match the vast Skoda Superb for outright space, the Vauxhall will easily accommodate five adults – although taller rear seat passengers will find their heads scraping the ceiling. There’s plenty of storage courtesy of numerous cubbies, a lidded compartment between the front seats and a large glovebox. The four-door saloon features a usefully shaped 500-litre load bay, but buyers wanting greater versatility should make a beeline for the hatchback. With the rear seats in place it serves-up an extra 30-litres of carrying capacity, while lowering the rear bench liberates a healthy 1,470-litres.

Safety and reliability

A five-star Euro NCAP rating means the Insignia will be a safe and sturdy family choice. All models benefit from six airbags and electronic stability control, while ES versions and above get active head restraints. Safety-themed optional extras include adaptive Xenon headlamps that respond to steering inputs for better night time vision in corners and tyre pressure monitoring. Solid build quality suggests that the Vauxhall should be a reliable choice, plus there’s a huge network of dealers for routine maintenance. What’s more, the first owner of the car benefits from a unique warranty that lasts the lifetime of the car or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.

For an alternative review of the latest Vauxhall Insignia visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

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1 Comment

Premium feel

Yes but the cabin is hard plastics from the middle part and down and the fit is sloppy there. Whatever is visual level and you touch is good, design is classy, rest is...sub par even for opel.

By giorikas81 on 3 November, 2011, 3:43pm

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