Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport hatchback 2017 review images
The latest Vauxhall Insignia is lower and lighter than the car it replaces - and it's now known as the Insignia Grand Sport Base cars come with a 138bhp 1.5-litre turbo-petrol, but the 163bhp version of this engine is only £300 extra Those after a diesel engine can have a 1.6-litre (again with two power outputs) or a 168bhp 2.0-litre The Insignia is significantly more enjoyable to drive than the outgoing model It's engaging and eager on winding backroads, but quiet and smooth on motorways Those after maximum performance will want the 256bhp 2.0-litre turbo-petrol - though it's thirsty and expensive It's not perfect though: the gearlever for the six-speed manual gearbox isn't particularly pleasant to hold, for instance And with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine fitted, you'll need to be changing gear a fair bit to make progress Drivers in the latest Insignia sit 3cm lower than they did in the old car, Rival cars offer more storage, but the Insignia has a long, spacious boot - though it's not that deep All cars come with cruise control, keyless entry & go, autonomous emergency braking and an infotainment touchscreen The trim range is slightly baffling, with six levels to choose from; top-spec Elite Nav brings leather & LED headlights Entry-level Design Insignias come with 'structure' wheels, which are steel wheels with convicing alloy-like covers Interior fit and finish is excellent, particularly given the Insignia's starting price You could hardly call the interior design daring, but as such a mass-market car, the Insignia has plenty of people to please The gearlever isn't that nice to hold, with slight ridges to the sides. The clear gloss plastic top also gets smeary quickly The infotainment system is quick in its operation, but it's not that intuitive and the white background lets it down The cheapest route to sat nav is moving from Design to Design Nav trim, though this costs around £800 There's a huge amount of rear legroom, though the sloping roofline means taller adults will have to slouch a little The boot is long and well-shaped, but it's somewhat shallow and there's a fairly prominent load lip