New Insignia is a whole lot of car
THINGS are hotting up at Vauxhall with the arrival of a very special Insignia GSI model that was developed at the Nurburgring in Germany and is the fastest Vauxhall car to have blasted its way around the iconic track.
We tried the car in Grand Sport guise and powered by a punchy 2.0-litre 210ps diesel engine mated to a slick eight-speed automatic gearbox.
It could sprint to 60mph from a standing start in 7.3 seconds and maxes out at 145mph. It’s worth mentioning at this stage that this is a family car.
On the economy front, it can deliver combined fuel efficiency of 40.4mpg with carbon emissions of 186g/km.
The five-door Insignia GSI Nav Grand Sport is certainly a head-turner and ours was supplied in Lava Red which perfectly suited its character.
Striking design cues include beautifully streamlined curves, GSI front and rear bumpers, GSI side sills, a GSI rear spoiler, visible tailpipes, dark tinted rear windows, matrix headlights and 20-inch alloys.
Move inside and the dynamic theme continues with body-hugging perforated leather sports seats complete with GSI badging, an eight-inch colour touchscreen, a premium navigation system, BOSE sound system, Bluetooth connectivity, smartphone connection via Apple Carplay and Android Auto, dual
zone climate control, a head-up display, heated or cooled front and outer rear seats and plenty more.
The interior feels very upmarket and sporty with the likes of metal pedals and a heated flat-bottomed sports steering wheel completing the styling. The acceleration through the eight-speed gearbox is smooth and responsive with steering wheel mounted paddles for taking extra control.
There is a Tour or Sport mode that alters the way the car behaves and when pushed hard the Insignia GSI delivers a gentle growling sound to suggest there is plenty of power to be unleashed.
It delivers precise steering and handling ability along a winding country lane and then boasts all the power needed to let loose on the faster moving motorways.
The Insignia GSI is very well planted so tight bends can be attacked with confidence and there’s no sign whatsoever of any body movement.
Comfort levels are high with a firm but not hard ride and there is ample leg room in the back for a couple of adults to stretch out.
The all-round visibility is good, but not brilliant, but there are sensors and cameras to make parking a simpler process.
On the safety front, the car is well equipped with a comprehensive list of features to protect occupants and passengers alike, along with the reassurance of 4x4 capabilities.
Our car also featured a Driving Assistance Pack One as standard and that added the likes of forward collision alert with automatic city emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, following distance indicator and lane departure warning with lane assist.
The car comes with Vauxhall’s impressive Onstar system that enables you to contact a ‘real’ person 24/7 if you need directions, advice or recommendations about places to visit, eat or stay. They can direct you to filling stations, remind you about upcoming warranty services and, should the unthinkable happen and you be involved in an accident, send your GPS coordinates to the emergency services.
So, the Vauxhall Insignia GSI Grand Sport is bursting with technology and is brilliant fun to drive, surely there must be a catch?
The only thing that may deter people is the starting price of £33,965 (increased to £34,400 on our car). But in fairness to Vauxhall, it’s a whole lot of car for the outlay and some rival brands charge a great deal more.