What is it?
Having sampled the entry-level diesel Insignia Grand Sport, we move straight on to the most expensive petrol-driven version, the 2.0-litre 4x4 Turbo, which is sold exclusively in range-topping Elite Nav trim. With a 2.0-litre petrol engine and eight-speed auto, the model develops 256bhp, but the real windfall is the GKN-developed four-wheel drive system, derived from the same Twinster technology used in the Ford Focus RS.
Costing from £27,710, this go-faster variant pushes the Insignia firmly into the fringes of Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series territory, although similarly priced versions of either aren’t nearly as well equipped as the Vauxhall.
Alongside the standard family-pleasing 4G wi-fi hotspot, you also get LED matrix headlights, heated seats, a larger 8.0in touchscreen, sat-nav, dual-zone climate control, a Bose sound system and 20in alloys.
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Confusing engine choices....
It's disappointing to see that there's no high output diesel above the 170HP 2 Litre, surely 200HP+ could have ben possibly with a bit of remapping, but more worrying is the lack of a petrol engine to fit between the 165HP 1.5 Litre and 250HP 2 Litre. It's a huge gap in the range.
I can't see the 1.5 Litre being terribly flexible. Now the lack of the 1.6 200HP petrol engine appears to me to be a strange omission, more so as it's available in the smaller Astra.
Personally, I'd be very tempted with an SRI VxLine Tourer fitted with the 200HP engine, to replace my Saab 9-3 Sportwagon but think I'll be looking elsewhere. Shame as it's a cracking looking car!
and back to the insignia
Did look at the insignia when I changed to the astra, was a nice car - but the astra suited me better due to our road being a pain for parking.
However now I have moved its hard to keep up with the jonses of a Y reg Ford KA owned by the old dear next door and the Juke owned by the other old dear next door - oh and the golf owner next to them and the nissan quashqui next to the other next neighbour - perhaps I should just trounce them all and get a audi 1.4 tfsi to be number 1!
Back to the insignia - considered th eprevious 2.0 turbo version so would consider this one - although surely the tax etc is wrong - the mpg strikes me as worse than the current one? Does the 4x4 system add a lot of weight? Surely the 8 speed gearbox would help with economy?
I had a Vectra