Vauxhall Insignia GSI

It showed true potential, but was ultimately hamstrung by its engine

WHEN I WAS A LAD A YOUTHFUL JOHN BARKER – then hailing from the parish of Performance Car magazine – ran a Vauxhall Carlton GSI 3000. He loved it, and it showed in the cornering shots. An everyman’s Lotus Carlton or bargain Beemer M5, it epitomised the appeal of big, fast saloons built by mainstream manufacturers. I still quite fancy one today.

Fast forward the best part of three decades and I too found myself running a GSI. Only this time it was an Insignia – great grandson of the Carlton. A few years back this would have meant a handsome saloon powered by a 325bhp 2.8-litre turbo V6, but unfortunately those days are long gone.

The £38,000 (£40,455 as optioned) 2021 GSI was a curious car, as much a product of its time as Barker’s ballsy steed was of the hedonistic ’90s. Perhaps more than any other genre, the sports saloon has suffered the double whammy of group CO2 ratings and falling sales. The impact of changing attitudes was most keenly felt in the Insignia’s limp and hard-to-love 2-litre turbocharged four-pot, which had neither the voice or the poke to deliver much in the way of fireworks.

Clearly Vauxhall’s engineers had their hands tied when it came to the motor, but they put plenty of effort into ensuring it rode and handled well. Big cars should be supple and good on long journeys, and so it proved with the Insignia, but the surprise was how well it made progress on the sort of country A and B-roads you’d drive for fun.

The chassis really did have some polish, with multi-stage adaptive damping combining pliancy with poise. It wasn’t as sporty as the GSI badge might lead you to expect – largely due to that insipid engine and a nine-speed torque-converter auto that prioritised smoothness over snap – but its ability to carry speed across challenging roads was undeniable. Big Brembo brakes had excellent pedal feel and stopping power, while premium Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S rubber on 20-inch rims provided further evidence the GSI was specced by engineers rather than accountants.

One quirky aspect of the Insignia’s hardware was the switchable all-wheel-drive system. With just 228bhp and 258lb ft the front wheels shouldn’t exactly be overworked, so it seemed odd to add that weight, complexity and cost. However, in the rain, or exiting tight corners, the front wheels sometimes scrabbled for traction.

Obviously selecting all-wheel drive helped in this regard but it also made the car rotate into corners more keenly. This was down to the torquevectoring rear diff (another expensive piece of hardware), though sadly there wasn’t enough performance on tap to really exploit the benefits. Another 100bhp would have woken it up a bit.

Looks-wise the GSI reflected its mild-mannered performance. Gone were the turbocharged V6’s muscular Q-car looks, replaced by tidy but largely anonymous styling. But what it lacked in terms of spark, the GSI compensated for with a tremendous amount of interior and luggage space. It also had a soothing demeanour that made it effortless to live with. Sometimes that’s exactly

‘The chassis really did have some polish, the damping combining pliancy with poise’

what you want, but generally speaking the lack of personality or excitement made me feel like I’d stepped away from the world of quick and interesting cars.

I think what’s most frustrating about the trend of downsized engines is they simply don’t deliver the kind of economy uplift you’d expect. In my hands the GSI generally returned around 28mpg, which is pretty underwhelming. Then again, that could have something to do with lugging 1625kg about. Whichever way you slice it, small engines don’t tend to suit big cars. Either in terms of character or performance.

The big Vauxhall served me well as a daily driver and surprised with its polished dynamics, but there was little to get the juices flowing. Sadly, so far as living up to past glories, the GSI was a pale and rather sorry imitation.

Date acquired April 2021 Duration of test 6 months Total test mileage 4884 Overall mpg 28.3 Costs £0 Purchase price £40,455 Value today £33,900