In-depth reviews

Vauxhall Insignia (2017-2022) review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

The Vauxhall Insignia is a practical family hatch with a big boot and plenty of passenger space

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.0 out of 5

Practicality, comfort and boot space Rating

4.4 out of 5

Find your Vauxhall Insignia
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Advertisement

At the heart of the Insignia appeal is its usability. The latest car is significantly longer and wider than the last model, with the wheelbase increased by almost four inches. There’s decent visibility from the large window area, although the high sides do make tight parking spaces a pain. Standard front and rear parking sensors go someway to alleviating this issue, however.

There’s plenty of cabin storage front and rear, as the Vauxhall is spacious enough to allow extra room for water bottles and snacks. A front centre armrest is standard, while the steering column adjusts for reach and rake, so the driver should be able to find a comfortable position.

Size

The Insignia is 4,897mm long, 1,863mm wide and 1,455mm high, which makes it slightly longer than the Skoda Superb's 4,861mm. The two rivals have virtually the same width (Skoda: 1,864mm), while the Insignia is not quite so tall as the Skoda's 1,468mm.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

The Insignia has a more flowing roofline than its predecessor, and that means access to the rear is slightly more compromised. But once aboard headroom is plentiful and even taller passengers won’t brush the roof.

Legroom is good, too, with plenty of space to the seat in front, so longer journeys shouldn’t be a problem for four adults. That’s thanks in part to the Insignia’s controlled, but forgiving, ride.

Boot

A one-touch release for the rear seats makes the Vauxhall’s 40:20:40-split bench easy to fold. There’s plenty of usability here, too, thanks to the Insignia's decent packaging. With 490 litres of luggage capacity with the seats up (underneath the load cover), there’s masses of space in the Vauxhall. The Vauxhall also offers a total of 1,450 litres with the back seats folded.

In comparison, the Skoda Superb hatch has 1,760 litres of space. However, there’s more than enough luggage and passenger space for most. The huge hatch gives great access to the boot, just like with the Superb, but there’s no power tailgate available to help improve usability. However, this boot space doesn’t come at the expense of room inside the cabin.

Most Popular

‘Forget leasing a car, a cut-price van should be your next everyday vehicle’
Opinion - Fiat Scudo
Opinion

‘Forget leasing a car, a cut-price van should be your next everyday vehicle’

With some huge savings to be had, Mike Rutherford thinks a van could be the perfect vehicle
3 Dec 2023
New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates
Renault 5 EV concept at 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed
News

New Renault 5: price, specs, launch and on sale dates

Renault’s reborn Renault 5 will start from €25,000 in Europe, suggesting a circa-£30k price in the UK. It's due on sale in the summer of 2024. Here's …
1 Dec 2023
Deal of the Day: Spacious Skoda Superb is a peerless estate for £223 a month
Skoda Superb Estate - front tracking
News

Deal of the Day: Spacious Skoda Superb is a peerless estate for £223 a month

The Superb is one of our favourite estates and our Deal of the Day for Monday 4 December
4 Dec 2023