New Vauxhall Insignia

Vauxhall unveils its Vectra replacement

You may have already seen the leaked images on the internet but Vauxhall today officially launched its Vectra replacement, the Insignia.

In the past the launch of a new mid-size Vauxhall would be a good time to think of as many ways as possible to say ‘boring’, but we have to say, this car actually doesn’t look too bad.

Also the good news is there will be a 260bhp version which is likely to have four-wheel drive, which should sort some of the handling issues of powerful Vectras of the past.

The car almost has a coupe-like roofline and there is what Vauxhall calls a ‘blade’ feature running from behind the front wheel and along the side of the car.

Overall the design is clean and Vauxhall has ditched the ‘V’ shaped front grill in favour of a tidier version.

The car will be available in hatchback and saloon guise initially, but expect an estate to join the range soon.

‘We’ve re-defined our design vocabulary,’ said Mark Adams, vice president of design, GM Europe.

‘The Insignia is muscular, but lithe and curvaceous. Our aim was to develop a confident look which reinforced the car’s superb driving dynamics, but also one that made it clear that this was a premium product, albeit still at a highly competitive price in its class.’

Inside there is ‘ambient lighting, which will be featured in future Vauxhall models, radiates a warm, luxurious aura’.

The Insignia also features AFL (Adaptive Forward Lighting) - nine different light beam settings automatically adjust themselves to cater for various driving conditions.

The Insignia is available with five engines at launch and come with either manual or automatic six-speed transmissions. The three petrol engines range from a four-cylinder 140bhp unit to a V6 with 260bhp.

Two new 2.0-litre direct-injection diesel engines will be offered with power outputs of either 130bhp or 160bhp.

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