Vauxhall Insignia hatchback (2017-2022) - Interior & comfort

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the way the Vauxhall Insignia looks, feels or works inside – but we wish it were just a little more aesthetically exciting. Sure, there’s a modern and swish frameless touchscreen infotainment system, but while overall quality has improved markedly, the interior design hasn’t moved the game on in terms of styling. The Peugeot 508 has a far more eye-catching cabin.

Vauxhall Insignia dashboard

Aesthetic gripes aside, everything works really well in the Insignia. The seats are exceedingly comfortable, the ergonomics are spot-on, a sense of solidity abounds and there’s barely a single piece of scratchy plastic in sight (or touch). Vauxhall’s focus on quality is clear to see, and buyers are likely to find it most welcome. Few will complain about the lower, more comfortable driving position, either.

More than anything, we’re impressed by the amount of thought put into the Insignia’s interior displays. This is seen in details like the ledge under the touchscreen that steadies your hand while you enter commands and the user-friendly way in which the controls are arranged.

The Insignia is an accomplished and comfortable cruiser, too – thanks to high gearing the engines are quiet at speed, and there’s very little intrusion from wind or road noise, either. The ride is smooth on both slow urban and fast trunk roads.

Equipment

The facelifted Insignia line-up started with SE Nav trim and moves through SRi Nav, SRi VX-Line Nav and Ultimate Nav on its way to the top-spec sporty GSi model. Vauxhall has recently slimmed the range down to just Design and GS Line, with the latter providing the sporty looks of the old SRi models.

Even the basic SE Nav trim gets a comprehensive specification. It gets cruise control with a speed-limiter, an infotainment touchscreen, sat-nav, DAB radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and dual-zone climate control. Standard safety kit includes front and rear parking sensors, LED headlights and tail lights, LED daytime running lights, forward collision alert, lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition. It also gets 17-inch alloy wheels and sports seats.

On top of this, the new Design trim gets high-beam assist, ambient lighting, heaters for the front seats and steering wheel, a digital instrument cluster and more.

Moving up to GS Line adds bigger alloy wheels, a sportier body kit, clever adaptive headlights, keyless entry and start and individually folding rear seats. GS Line also unlocks the more powerful engines.

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The discontinued GSi model commanded a substantial premium over the lesser trims, hiking the Insignia’s starting price to well over £40,000. It features a sporty bodykit, leather sport seats, 20-inch alloy wheels, red painted brake calipers and dual exit stainless steel exhaust tailpipes. It also gets a unique GSi rear spoiler. The GSi also features Vauxhall’s ‘Flexride’ adaptive suspension and gets gearshift paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. The Flexride suspension is an option for GS Line cars with the 197bhp petrol engine.

Options

Along with the reduced trim level range, Vauxhall has slashed the number of possible options. A towbar costs £600, preparation for a spare wheel costs £20 and GS Line buyers can upgrade to an Alcantara Upgrade pack, with heated outer rear seats and a heated windscreen, for £1,000.

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The Insignia is available in six paint finishes. White is the standard colour, while the metallic options cost £600-£700.