Vauxhall Insignia VXR Sports Tourer review
Vauxhall Insignia 2.8T V6 4x4 VXR Nav Road Test
Test date 01 September 2009
Price as tested £35,760
For Handsome styling, excellent seats, spacious interior, near class-leading ride
Against Sluggish initial acceleration, inert steering, relatively high running costs
The VXR brand, created in 2003, is still in its relative infancy, but here it passes a milestone: the launch of a direct replacement
for one of its models.
The VXR version of the Insignia is a car with a proper predecessor. The Vectra VXR was a large, front-wheel-drive family car with a 2.8-litre turbocharged V6 engine.
Things are slightly different this time, though. Not only is the starting point – the Insignia – vastly more competitive than the Vectra was when it received the VXR treatment, but this version also features four-wheel drive, which is a first for the VXR brand.
Offered as a saloon, hatchback or Sports Tourer (estate), the Insignia has some of the loftiest ambitions yet for a VXR. The Astra medium hatch and Corsa supermini compete against cars of similar status. At £30,000 (over £33,000 in estate form), the Insignia is short on rivals from mainstream manufacturers such as Ford, Renault or Nissan.
No, Volkswagen Passat R36 aside, the Insignia VXR’s closest price rivals are (admittedly smaller) premium models from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. That’s a tall order.
Your say
Comments: 9 Join the discussion
