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Vauxhall Insignia: it’s a new name and a new platform, even an all-new badge, but the aspiration is the same: to finally unseat Ford’s Mondeo as top family hatch and rep favourite.

Vauxhall is confident, saying greater focus than ever before has been paid to the way the Insignia drives, that the design, undertaken in GM’s new European Design Centre, is more rakish and that the technology is bang up to date. The Insignia is the first product to appear on GM’s new Epsilon II platform, a...Read the full article

Autocar:

It is the first front-drive Vauxhall Cavalier of 1988, though, which is of more recent relevance

Fake wood and grey plastic. Ugh. Nasty as the Mondeo's spray-painted silver dash may be, I'd rather have that than what looks like the interior of a mid-90s Japanese 'exec' car'.

I saw the Insignia close-up today at my local dealer. While it looks OK from the outside and there is obvious quality inside,  the drivers seat seems to be very well proportioned, is comfortable and has loads of adjustments, (I didn't drive it) my 2 complaints are 1) the centre console is enormous and dominates. It is too near the driver and looks just what it is, a big ugly lump of plastic. (Covered in about 50 switches). Made me feel too closed in.

 The second complaint is that the access to the rear seats is restricted to people of less than about 5'6" tall, unless those taller want a bad back and or a headache. I am 5'11" and found it very difficult to get in, because of the swooping roofline and when eventually inside my head was against the roof, not brushing, but hard against it. There also seems to be ridge across the boot floor immediately behind the rear seat. I currently own a 2005 Vectra, I would be looking at a Mondeo or Passat rather than the Insignia.

I'd have to pick you up on the observation that the Insignia has noisy diesels.  Maybe you had an early unsorted one, but I've just driven an SRi 160 and noisy it ain't.  There's some growly rumble at low speed, which is not unpleasant and anything above 30 settles to an unintrusive hum, hard in fact to tell it's a diesel.  Handling is really very good as is ride.  In the real world there's no perceptible difference between this Insignia and the Mondeo in these areas.  The 160 wafted along, overtook smoothly and quickly   It felt very well sorted and a joy to drive.

 The inside is comfortable, makes you feel secure and at home (probably a product of the bid dash - like it or not, but I liked it.  The sat nav is well located, high up, unlike some where you'd have to look low in the dash to read it, which is not really safe.

All is not rosy though - the SRi seats are great, but why isn't a height adjuster provided on the passenger side of the SRi's?  Even as an extra.  Why oh why can't I have a sunroof???  My Vectra has one - another extra, so why not?  And why is the rear vision on the hatch so bad?  Does GM have a grudge against motorcyclists?  Insignia drivers will run more than a few off the road simply because they won't see them.  And last gripe - why didn't GM launch with a signature engine?  The 190 hp diesel sounds like a gem, not that there's much wrong with the 160 hp, but it's not outstanding in a way that makes it stick out above the opposition.

I like these a lot, and I'm glad to hear Vauxhall continue their recent run of form.  When I was a wee lad (ish) I had a couple of Cavaliers (H reg SRi and K reg CDi) and I loved them, the latter I took from 30k to 105k miles with no problems whatsoever, I remember it as being a very pleasant, although not exactly sporting(!), drive - lovely car, had a friendly personality!  Very unlike every version of the Vectra, all of which leave me stone cold - impossible to warm to on any level, and in the case of the first version, positively dreadful.

I would certainly consider an Insignia, however as a company car driver I've found the lease costs to be extraordinary.  I've recently had to order a new car and did look at the Insignia, but it was vastly more expensive than the comparable Mondeo, and right up there in Audi/BMW territory if I recall correctly. 

Now, Mondeos are on a par with the original Vectra in terms of likability to me (note that's likability, not ability - my personal opinion, don't rupture something all you Mondeo worshippers!) so I didn't order either in the end.  While I wish Vauxhall every success with this car, I hope they are able to offer more competitive lease costs, or I fear the commercial success of this appealing new car may be limited....

Well I do like this car but those down sides pointed out the against part are a bit of a set for the Insignia. I think they've focused too much on interior design and fuel economy and not enough on other more important things like the steering. Auto-car have got it spot on with the steering. £21,340 though is a stretch. And with that as another set back you will have to compromise if you were to buy the car.

minesaseat:

I'd have to pick you up on the observation that the Insignia has noisy diesels.  Maybe you had an early unsorted one,

Ive just driven the Insignia also, and compared to a Mondeo or the new Avensis I'm afraid it is VERY noisy. Apparently lowering emissions is making some diesels noisier.

I like the boot area, looks a bit like a 6 series BMW, but the front looks very Cadillac. And when you get in the back you have to watch your head.

Car of the Year?

I have seen 2 now and from a distance mistook both for a new Mazda 6 from the rear, its that over fussy slightly blingy design again. Also a bit surprised at the size or apparent size, I thought it was bigger than a Mondeo but it has far less presence on the road in my eyes. I really wanted to wish it well but frankly dissapointed on first actual sighting, I would be just as inclined to head to the Toyota dealer.

minesaseat:

I'd have to pick you up on the observation that the Insignia has noisy diesels.  Maybe you had an early unsorted one, but I've just driven an SRi 160 and noisy it ain't. 

Sorry but I also have to disagree. A neighbour has just bought one and it sounds like a 1980's Transit when he starts it up in the morning. If i have a bedroom window open it bloody wakes me up! Most working for the Insignia is that a neighbour has a Vectra B with the old 2.2 diesel and it is alot quieter on start up, from the outside at least. They have a long way to go to match the ford tdci/PSA HDI, on refinement at least.

Shame because now I've had a look at one up close its not bad, even if the neighbour has tried to ruin the effect by ordering it in navy blue.

 The only good I see coming out of Vauxhall is the European design is making its presence known on the American GM market, and the cars are actually starting to look good.

Not convinced by the looks after seeing several on the road, it looks very short for a car in the Mondeo class but I think this is just the way the styling makes it look. the front looks OK but the back 1/4 just looks rushed and unfinished, Rather Gawky looking really.

The interior does look much better interms of quality, but I would have to agree with another poster describing the centre console as taking over is spot on.