We review the Vauxhall Insignia from price to economy and all its features
VAUXHALL have just joined the executive club.
Their Insignia is a Neil Armstrong “one giant leap” moment that takes the company to a new level.
Jag-ged edge ... Insignia will make you think of the Jaguar XF
It’s so far ahead of the Vectra it replaces that the Vectra name has not only been dropped, it’s been wiped from the memory of every Vauxhall salesman.
You have only to look at the Insignia to see why everyone at Vauxhall is excited.
This is one dramatic car, which looks more like a sleek coupé than a mainstream sales repmobile.
From certain angles, the Insignia has shades of the Jaguar XF, a comparison that might seem laughable until you compare their side profiles.
The Insignia’s rave reviews so far have been based purely on its looks. But this week I put it through its paces to see if it drives as well as it looks.
The answer for the thousands of reps wanting to know is . . . yes, yes and yes again.
The Insignia drives well enough to merit entry into the executive club of motoring, not just for junior execs.
This is a car that will appeal to middle managers and even the top boss may fancy the top-of-the-range V6 Elite version if they can get over the badge snobbery issue and admit they drive a Vauxhall.
In these tough economic times, the Insignia could be the right car, at the right time at the right price.
Vauxhall’s London-born design boss, Mark Adams, says the big challenge was to create a car with emotion — and he has done just that.
The Insignia has a sophistication never before seen in a Vauxhall.
But it really comes to life when on the move, its muscular lines giving the road presence you’d associate with upmarket German models.
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I love its sleek shape, flowing roofline and chiselled rear as well as the winged LED daytime running lights front and back, bold new grille and more prominent Griffin badge.
My favourite design touch is the blade slash that seems to cut into the front doors and run to the back of the car.
The interior is as big a revelation, with all the trappings you would expect from a car costing plenty more than £20,000 — yet Insignia prices start at less than £16,000.
The boxy, cold lines of the Vectra cabin are a distant memory.
The Insignia has a seductively curving dashboard that wraps intimately around driver and front-seat passenger.
This cabin is sporty, the two main instrument dials sitting behind a racy three-spoke steering wheel that features the same signature wing graphic as the headlights.
The wing theme is cleverly used all around the cabin, linking the centre console with the door panels and repeated again on the door grab handle and gearbox surround.
The Insignia has a lavishness I’ve not seen in a Vauxhall before.
Just about everything you touch feels top drawer. Even the charcoal seat trim on the entry-level S model looks good.
The only thing that doesn’t seem right is the naff wood trim in the top-of-the-range Elite.
But you can specify a piano-black wood or grained metallic-effect trim instead.
Despite its raking roof, the Insignia is also pretty roomy in the back, with good leg room and a huge boot.
Vauxhall have made comfy seats a priority, crucial for business drivers who spend hours at the wheel.
The Insignia is full of innovations and my favourite is how the instrument lighting changes from white to glow red when you press the button to put the car in Sport mode.
This is part of a chassis set-up that Vauxhall call Flex Ride.
It allows drivers to individualise their driving style at the touch of a button and has Standard, Touring or Sport options.
The Insignia’s electronic sensor system works well.
In sport mode the car handles like a coupé, its responsive, steering is precise and it corners with assurance at speed.
This is a car you can hustle and enjoy.
The engine line-up starts with a 1.8litre petrol but the most popular will be the 2litre turbo-diesel — with two power levels — and 2litre turbo-petrol.
I preferred the smooth but lively 2litre petrol but it is let down by emissions of 225g/km CO2 and does little more than 30mpg.
This is why the diesel will be the best seller.
Its gruff engine note at low speeds feels out of place with the refinement of the rest of the car but it offers plenty of power, 48.7mpg and a 750-mile range.
There’s also a super-smooth and quiet 2.8litre V6 petrol that should appeal to the boss who doesn’t have to worry about the CO2 count for tax reasons, or fuel economy.
But go for the manual box, not the slow auto.
The flagship model also comes with all-wheel drive as well as Adaptive Forward Lighting, which includes nine headlight settings that light up the road like the Blackpool Illuminations.
The end result is a Vauxhall that will take the mainstream family car sector by storm because it will shock buyers for all the right reasons.
It’s quite simply the best car Vauxhall have ever made.
On sale from November. Prices start at £15,935 for the 1.8litre Exclusiv. The 2litre is from £16,935 and prices go up to £28,885 for the 2.8litre V6 Elite.
What to look out for when buying a used Vauxhall Insignia
Problems reported have included electrical and electronic issues — especially with the electronic parking brake and the complex control interface — and mechanical issues including clutch and brake problems, faulty clutch sensors, failing clutches, binding brake pads and dual mass flywheel failures (both petrol and diesel models).
Some diesels leaked power steering fluid — a serious fire risk — but models affected by this should have now been fixed under a technical service bulletin. Diesel particulate filter problems requiring an ECU software upgrade have also been noted.
Owners have also complained of issues with engine warning lights and other diagnostic glitches, leaking fuel filters, the differentials of 4×4 models, premature rust, faulty heated seats, failed wiring, leaking rear doors and failed information displays.
The Insignia has been recalled twice, for incorrect deployment of the driver’s airbag and then to correct the anti-pinch function on its electric windows.
It was rated 12th out of 15 in its category in the 2012 JD Power survey of customer satisfaction (beating only the Laguna, Peugeot 407 and its predecessor, the Vectra) and 95th overall.