The Herald - The Herald Magazine
First Drive: Vauxhall Insignia
IT SEEMS almost every new model these days is an SUV or trendy crossover. They come as small, medium or large and, as the man at the car showroom will tell you: “We have one to suit you, sir!” There has been a massive move towards this body style and I’ve often wondered if the end is nigh for the likes of the VW Passat, Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia.
So it made a pleasant change for me recently to get behind the wheel of the new Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer. This car is a traditional estate with a passenger cabin fit for a basketball team and a cargo area that will take the golf bags of a fourball.
In fact, it’s perfect for the family, sportsinclined, dog lovers or the motorist whose day job is salesman.
I like the shape and style of the Insignia Tourer. It is eye-catching and has been sculpted to give maximum internal space while retaining a degree of elegance. It is a long car and, if you drive into a parking space, its derriere is likely to stick out.
Equipment at entry level is not bad, it has a five-star safety rating and, best of all, you can now acquire an Insignia Tourer for just over £20,000. In the trade they call this aggressive pricing and, if you can accept Vauxhall as being a reliable company of long standing, it might even challenge the all-pervading German brands.
Eventually, when interest rates rise and mortgage payments tighten family budgets, money will do the talking and £20,000 may have more authority than spending £40,000 or even £50,000 on a car.
The model I had was at the top end of the range but the line-up starts with a Design trim that has a touchscreen infotainment system, DAB radio, cruise control and emergency braking.
Take one or two more steps up the range and you’ll be able to brag about many more quality features.
The passenger cabin, its dashboard assemblage, touchscreen and controls are wholly acceptable. I know some motorists, keen to rocket the car into the premium league, will advise the use of hand-stitched leather or luxurious plastic finishes but in doing this the car would lose its primary purpose in life and would be unlikely to gain any more credibility.
And so, with the intrusive lane departure switched off, I feel content and comfortable behind the wheel.
Under the bonnet is a two-litre turbo diesel with an output of 170ps that is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine is not sporty by nature but it capably deals with overtaking and goes about its business without too much noise.
The ride is especially good around town but, overall, I was impressed with its compliancy at all speeds. It is a car I could easily become attached to on every day drives.
I have a notion motorists who have made the switch to SUVs will be quite satisfied with the biddable drive the Insignia offers.
Passenger and cargo space is fabulous but this benefit does require extra care when manoeuvring in tight spaces although this is greatly assisted by the reversing camera.
Best of all, perhaps, with the new Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer is that its pricing structure makes it hard to ignore.
It is the product of a company that builds cars in the UK and comes with a lot of heritage, which means its badge will be a welcome addition in most driveways.