Vauxhalls Victor! Insignia voted European car of the year

The Vectra was always going to be a tough act to follow.
We drive the new Insigna, European car of the year 2009.

Vauxhalls family favourite became a familiar sight on our roads, and a familiar name to anyone who has ever driven a car.

Practical, straightforward and a little bit bland, it was massive success for the company for both private and fleet sales, and any plans to replace it were always going to be a risk.

But when the Insignia emerged from the mists last year, the bosses at Vauxhall must have been delighted with the reception the car enjoyed from critics and public alike.

The icing on the cake came at the end of last year when the Insignia picked up the European car of the year award.

A big hand must go to the designers – because the Insignia is a stunning looking car from every angle.

Chunky yet sleek, with a sophisticated front end and a distinctive rear end, the Insignia has real presence on the road.

Their are six engines in the range – four petrol and two diesel, ranging from the 1.8 through to the 2.8 V6 Turbo.

I drove a fairly basic 1.8 Exclusiv Nav and although I came away mightily impressed with the new Vauxhall on the whole, this 1.8 came up short on performance.

Although the engine was smooth, it struggled to react to a prod of the pedal at lower speeds, and left me with a feeling that something was missing.

It needed working hard, especially as I took the family away and the car was pretty loaded down.

The 1.8 only really felt in its comfort zone at higher speeds on the motorway and, for a family car, this is a plus point.

It ate up the miles as we journeyed south and really provided a comfortable ride. I would definately go for one of the bigger engines, which provide that extra thrust.

The Insignia handles well enough, with pretty decent, if light, steering and cornering, and the suspension copes with most things thrown at it.

Inside the cabin the designers have provided an interior fit to mach the look of the rest of the car.

The dashboard sweeps from both sides of the car into the centre console and ther’s an attractive wood effect trim.

The plastics are quality looking and the dials are simple and classy.

You’ll need a degree in knobtwirling to get the hang of many of the controls, but I got there in the end. There are also loads of buttons as well just to add to the intrigue.

The seats are big and comfortable and headroom and legroom in the front is good, although that distinctive sloping room cuts in to the rear headroom, although this isnt going to impact on anyone around average height.

It does mean however, that visability suffers through the small rear window. Although front and side views are fine. Theres an amount of road noise when the surface gets roughm, along with some wind noise, but overall things are pretty refined.

There is plenty of space – 520 litres in hatchback, enough to take the accumulated luggage of a small family ( including a bike, in our case). There are five trims available in the Insignia range. Entry level exclusiv cars come with front electric windows cruise control. Mine came with satnav and a decent DVD / MP3 sound system too. SRi spec brings electric rear windows, alloy wheels and sports suspension, while the SE level gets wood trim and automatic lights.

Elite adds electric heated front seats and parking sensors.

As you would expect for a family car, Vauxhall has not held back on security and safety. The Insignia received a five star EuroNcap ratings and boasts six airbags and stability control as standard, and you also get anti whiplash front head restraints and an alert to tell you if anyone in the rear has undone their seatbelt.

You can also get headlights with nine different beam patterns to suit driving conditions and lane departure warnings. The Insignia comes in at just over £17,000 for the basic 1.8 but that climbs to more than £30k for the V6.

It compares well to many of its rivals in the family car market and with good economy for the diesels, and 36mpg for the petrol 1.8, the Insignia will be a popular choice as a family car – and as a fleet car, too.

That prestigious Car of the Year award for 2009 is certainly not going to do its credentials any harm, either.

VAUXHALL INSIGNIA 1.8 EXCLUSIVE NAV
Engine : 1.8
Transmission : Six Speed manual
0-62 : 10.9 secs
Top Speed : 129mph
Combined mpg : 36.2mpg
OTR price from : £17,920