Vauxhall Insignia CDTi Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Vauxhall Insignia CDTi
Prices: £19,165-£26,935 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 8-9
Emissions: 139-154g/km
Performance: [2.0 CDTi 160] 0-60mph 8.9s / Max Speed 135mph
Fuel Consumption: [2.0 CDTi 130] (urban) 36.7mpg / (extra urban) 60.1mpg / (combined) 48.7mpg
Safety: twin front, side & curtain airbags, ABS, ESP
Dimensions: length/width/height 4830/1856/1498mm

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Our Rating: 7.9 / 10

The diesel Insignias are important cars for Vauxhall. Steve Walker takes a look.

The once booming medium range family car sector has fallen upon hard times. This fleet-focused corner of the market has seen its buyers siphoned off from all sides over the past few years and that’s despite the overall standard of the cars therein being stronger than ever. It all paints a bleak picture for the Vauxhall Insignia which must fight to retain its manufacturer’s share of a shrinking market against rivals that are right on their game. The diesel-engined models are crucial to the Insignia’s fortunes and may be part of the reason why Vauxhall doesn’t seem overly concerned.

The Vauxhall Vectra used to be able to rack up gargantuan sales figures simply by virtue of its status as Vauxhall’s entrant in the medium range family car sector. Today, the Vectra’s replacement has a far tougher fight on its hands. The company car drivers who were habitually shuffled into the Vectra and its ilk by their fleet managers have either been taxed out of their company cars completely or been presented with a far wider choice of vehicle than was the case in the past. With the Vectra gone off to circle the 10-lane ring road in the sky, it falls upon the Insignia to persuade these spoiled fleet punters that the medium range model they know is better than the 4x4, premium hatchback or compact executive saloon that they don’t.

There are 128bhp and 158bhp versions of Vauxhall’s 2.0-litre CDTi diesel engine available in the Insignia. This is a big car, weighing in at over 1.5 tonnes, but both engines are well capable of spiriting it along thanks to big torque outputs: the 128bhp CDTi 130 unit generates 300Nm from 1,750rpm while the 158bhp CDTi 160 has a maximum of 350Nm on tap at the same engine speed. It makes for a strong pull through the gears and decent overtaking urge for dispatching B-road slowcoaches. The gearing is relatively long, giving the car a relaxed feel on the motorways but a 0-60mph sprint of 8.9s shows that the more powerful car can still pick up its heels. The 10.7s sprint of the CDTi 130 model is less impressive.

The Insignia diesels aren’t the quietest cars in this class when you’re on the move. The suspension and tyre noise coupled with the muted growl of the engines ensures there’s something to listen to when the stereo’s off but it’s not too intrusive. The ride quality is extremely good with Vauxhall’s engineers having achieved a subtle balance between the firmness needed to excite a driver and the softness required to keep them comfortable. Push the car through a bend and it resists roll very well while the grip at the front wheels is tenacious. The steering isn’t the most tactile or precise set-up, especially when making small adjustments around the straight ahead, but during more sweeping turns, the weight and response improves markedly. In general, the Insignia gets the balance between long distance cruiser and lively handler just about spot on for its class.

Part of the problem faced by medium range family cars is the dull ‘repmobile’, ‘Mondeoman’ image that has been foisted upon them but you’d have to say that the Insignia makes a valiant effort at shedding it. Personal taste will obviously come into play here but at least there’s something in the bodywork to keep the eyes entertained. The strong shoulder line and near curves around the nose and rear give the car some character and a compact, even muscular look - remember that it’s well over two meters wide and 4,830mm long. The cabin is slightly hit and miss with the steering wheel, door inserts and fascia showing off some very neat design and high quality materials. The hard plastics on the centre console (particularly the electronic hand brake switch) and some of the buttons rather let the side down. The instruments are clear and cowled by classy chrome circles which raise the tone.

The Insignia makes good use of its formidable bulk inside where there’s good leg room for rear seat passengers and a boot of epic proportions. The curve of the roof does restrict rear head room but only occupants on the lofty side