Vauxhall Insignia VXR : FIRE SIGN

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Vauxhall has given its Insignia the VXR high performance treatment. Steve Walker takes a look.

We've come to expect certain things from Vauxhalls carrying the VXR badge and subtlety isn't necessarily one of them. VXR is where the firm gives its designers and engineers a little more scope to express themselves and the pumped-up, power-packed results have certainly raised some eyebrows in the past. The Insignia VXR is ostensibly in the same vein, a high performance make-over of Vauxhall's medium range mile-muncher but look closer and it's a more sophisticated proposition than we've come to expect and has some high class rivals in its sights.

This Insignia immediately looks a more serious customer than its Astra VXR and Corsa VXR stablemates. It's also in a completely different league from the Meriva and Zafira VXR people carriers that Vauxhall developed for performance hungry family guys. With 325PS from its turbocharged V6 engine and a clever adaptive four-wheel-drive system, it also displays a more cerebral bent than the mighty VXR8, which basically amounts to 430bhp of Australian muscle car. With Vauxhall confidently name-dropping the likes of Audi's S4 as potential rivals for this thoroughbred Insignia, it must have really brought its A-game this time. The 2.8-litre V6 Turbo unit that powers the VXR is nothing new to the Insignia. The engine has been offered on up-spec models in the everyday range from the outset so there will be company car drivers pounding the motorway network right now enjoying its lusty performance while trying not to think about their Benefit In Kind tax bill. The engine features a twin-scroll turbocharger and variable valve timing technology as well as a number of light alloy components designed to reduce weight. In the VXR, however, the power output is upped by 64bhp to 325PS and that makes a standstill to 60mph sprint of 5.6s a real possibility. Like the premium German rivals that Vauxhall is gunning for with this flagship insignia, the top speed is limited to 155mph.

"Vauxhall has never shied away from giving its VXR models a generous helping of attitude"

More than the raw thrust supplied by the engine, it's the way that power is deployed that Vauxhall hopes will elevate the Insignia VXR into competition with some of the top performance saloons. The adaptive four-wheel-drive system and specially designed chassis promise far greater composure than you could hope to attain in any car pumping 300bhp through its front wheels. The 4x4 system distributes the power automatically according to the levels of grip detected by sensors at each wheel. It also features an eLSD electronic differential which uses the sophisticated electronics to mimic the operation of a mechanical limited slip differential, boosting traction. The front suspension of the VXR is heavily revised compared to standard Insignias with the clever HiPerStrut layout working to minimise torque steer and maximise grip when cornering. VXR Vauxhalls rarely leave anyone in any doubt that they are, indeed, VXR Vauxhalls and the Insignia is no exception. It rides 10mm lower than standard models but it's visually edged closer still to terra firma by the deep bumpers and side skits that boarder its lower extremities. The distinctive chrome ringed vertical air-intakes at the front are echoed by vast twin exhausts built into the bodywork at the rear. The standard wheels are 19" items but these can be upgraded to 20" ones via the options list and poking through the spokes are the colour-coded callipers of the Brembo high performance braking system. The interior is a strong point of the standard Insignia and the VXR model sets out to build on that with Recaro sports seats and chunky flat-bottomed sports steering wheel. VXR badges litter the cabin, cropping up on the instruments, the gearknob, the steering wheel and the door sills. Performance might be the Insignia VXR's primary focus but the car will still retain the space and practicality of the more mundane Insignias. The VXR specification is available in all three of the Insignia's bodystyles, saloon, five-door hatch and Sports Tourer estate. It comes with a detailed equipment list befitting a model from the top end of the Insignia line-up and is priced accordingly. Some customers may baulk at paying this kind of money for a beefed-up medium range saloon but when you consider the kind of sums the premium German brands would want for a 325PS 4x4 sports saloon, the Vauxhall is likely to feel a great deal more affordable. Even hot hatchbacks routinely cross the £20,000 barrier these days. The Insignia VXR isn't a car you buy if you're aiming to keep your fuel and tax bills in check. Using the car's formidable performance on a regular basis will lead to modest economy and hefty emissions but buyers in this specialist sector of the market will usually be going into it with their eyes open. They'll be happy to pay a premium for the exhilaration that the Insignia VXR can serve up. Vauxhall has never shied away from giving its VXR models a generous helping of attitude and the Insignia VXR looks to be very generously equipped in that regard. It also has the underlying qualities to back-up its bravado and on paper, Vauxhall's assertion that its fastest Insignia is a match for some classy premium brand rivals is not without merit.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Vauxhall Insignia VXR
PRICES: £30,995-£32,320 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 18 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 268-274g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 5.6s / Max Speed 155mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 17.0mpg / (extra urban) 33.6mpg / (combined) 24.7mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: twin front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [4dr] length/width/height 4830/2084/1498mm