Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer

Expert Rating:

Introduction

You know the deal with the Vectra: Jeremy Clarkson despised the first one so much that he stood next to it for a few minutes, camera rolling and said exactly nothing. His logic was that Vauxhall didn't bother putting any effort into the car, so why should he bother with the review? Vauxhall's factory workers promptly downed tools in protest.

That reputation for blandness stuck even with the next generation model - the car that this Insignia replaces. The truth is, neither the first nor second-generation Vectras were anywhere near as bad as Britain's most famous motoring journalist made out - it's just that they were terminally bland. Thankfully, the Insignia isn't.

What are its rivals?

Ford's Mondeo is its key rival, obviously. The Insignia is a middle market car - there's no getting away from that, but its maker has at least tried to imbue it with the feel of a far more upmarket product. We're not going to pretend it's a real rival for the German premium trilogy, but then, it's much cheaper than them - and there are some who would consider taking a top of the range Insignia ST over a base spec Audi A4 Avant or BMW 3 Series Touring, believe it or not. As you'll find out, there's no shame in doing that this time around.

The Insignia also battles it out with the best Japan has to offer, including the Mazda6 Estate and the Honda Accord Tourer.

How does it drive?

The Insignia Sports Tourer belies its size; from behind the wheel it feels a lot smaller than it is. There's a dynamic polish about the chassis that makes it a very enjoyable thing to drive. Its steering is precise, but it's also light, as are the rest of the controls - well-engineered, positive of feel and easy to manage. On the move, it doesn't ever feel like a bulky estate car either.

The ride/handling balance is spot on too, with enough feel through the steering wheel to inspire confidence in what the front wheels are doing, but without the harsh-edged, gritty ride of a many a sporty estate or saloon. It's not the last word in handling prowess, but it feels sharper than it might have, while remaining comfortable, quiet and composed at all times.

However, our test car came equipped with a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine - new to the range and a de-tuned version of the unit found in the Corsa VXR with 178bhp and 170lb.ft of pulling power. The idea is that it offers 2.0-litre-ish performance but in a package that's easier on the wallet because economy and emissions are improved. Unfortunately, though, it's by some margin the weakest link in the Insignia ST package: it's a harsh, noisy lump with uneven power delivery and a tendency to suffer flat spots. All its power gushes in after 2,000rpm, which means it does very little if you press the fast pedal below that point, then kangaroos into action once the turbo kicks in, making it jerky and frustrating to drive slowly. It's not even that economical: we struggled to hit 30mpg. Basically, avoid it and buy a diesel version instead.

What's impressive?

The positive behind-the-wheel experience is, it seems, where the majority of Vauxhall's budget has been spent (or GM's, rather), but evidently there's been a fair amount of cash left over to employ some decent stylists: the Insignia is good looking inside and out. You can see for yourself that its outer styling is hardly offensive. We particularly like the 'blade' slashes down the flanks - very dynamic.

In the cabin it's, oh, about seven million miles away from the Vectra. The curved dash is both stylish and functional; and it's easy to get comfortable because there's loads of steering wheel and seat adjustment. Flashes like a tailgate that self-closes once you've pulled it down, and tail lights built into the boot aperture when the boot door is open, show that Vauxhall has thought the Insignia through.

What's not?

The 'Sports Tourer' name is a giveaway, but the Insignia estate is more a 'lifestyle' wagon than a massive load-lugger. Rear seats up, the boot is big enough (540 litres) and that's despite its curvaceous rump, though the splayed shape means it's not the most practical among its peers, and with the back bench down it loses out on capacity too.

Despite its charming aesthetics, the Insignia isn't the huge jump forward in quality Vauxhall claimed it would be before launch either. Sure, it's better than anything else that's ever worn the Griffin, but it's still not quite up to Blue Oval standards, mainly because of sub-par lower level plastics. The dashboard of our test car was somewhat creaky during cornering too. While the button cluster is made of a matte material that attracts greasy stains as readily as the inside of a McDonald's fries carton.

The equipment level of our test car was suspect too. Its 'Exclusiv Nav' trim imbued it with 17-inch alloy wheels, satnav and chrome trim, but it also had wind up rear windows. We assumed they didn't exist anymore - so to then find them on a £20,000 car was as amusing as it was surprising.

Should I buy one?

There's an awful lot about the Insignia Sports Tourer to like. For a start, it's one of the most handsome estates money can buy, and it doesn't make too many practicality sacrifices to be so - though there are some. The 1.6-litre turbo engine is a good idea on paper (186g/km, 35.8mpg, 178bhp, 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds), but the reality is very different and it's best avoided, especially as it will command £215 per year in VED. Still, the Insignia is built on a fine chassis that's capable of providing some driving enjoyment when the mood takes and the cabin's a lovely place to be, mostly, but buy a diesel if you want to make the most of those things.

Mark Nichol