As tested, the 158bhp diesel engine of our Insignia variant delivered 258lb ft of torque from 1750rpm. It’s good for 0-60mph in 9.1sec.
Its in-gear performance is fine, too, given that the Insignia has fairly leggy gearing, which will allow it to ply motorways Europe-wide without burning too much fuel.
The same basic unit in our test car will also form the basis for overtly economical variants of the Insignia. And if our experience is anything to go by, they’ll be extremely thrifty. Less impressive was the sound insulation of our test Insignia.
Its noise at idle, at 51dB, is particularly unimpressive, and although things improve with speed, the Insignia is never a truly quiet companion compared with its rivals until you approach motorway cruising speeds, when the low revolutions of its engine and its excellent 0.27 drag coefficient help make it a very decent long-distance companion.
The Insignia’s brakes are beyond reproach. They faded at our test track, but the car’s instruments (uniquely, in our experience) quickly warned that they had overheated when the pedal went soft, even though retardation remained strong.
Our test Insignia still retained a healthy level of control over its body movements with 17-inch rims. On its 55-profile tyres and with the passive damping set-up, there’s little overt sporting intent, but plenty of assurance and alertness.
The Insignia also steers more slowly than the Mondeo, which is a deliberate ploy to make it feel more planted and secure at motorway speeds. It’s a trick that works, too, to an extent.
The steering feels lighter, less linear and, certainly just off straight-ahead, a shade less responsive.
It cannot match the Ford but is better than all of its other rivals in this respect. It feels like it pivots pleasingly around its driver, rather than feeling leaden and front-biased like most cars of its kind.
