IT’S not an SUV. It’s not electric. And it’s certainly not trendy.
But it can do 75mpg. Has acres of space inside. And is comfier than a squidgy sofa.
Yes, my friends, the trusty Vauxhall Insignia is still with us.
You’d be forgiven for thinking big, sensibly-priced saloons were relics of the past.
You don’t see them advertised on the TV any more and they are usually tucked away in the corner of a showroom behind all the copy-and-paste crossovers.
But I like the Insignia. A lot. Especially as a diesel. It’s a smart long-distance cruiser for sales reps and families unimpressed by designer German brands. It’s also good for towing things.
Let’s start with that 75mpg.
That’s not some BS lab test — that’s real world on the M6, on Thursday. My testing also returned 52mpg on a mix of town and motorway driving.
That means it easily punches 600 miles on a tank. And you can do that in comfort without knackering your back.
You sit nice and low in this car, with lots of seat and steering wheel adjustment, and it has a chunky footrest and soft bits to rest your elbows.
There’s also big buckets for drinks, phones, keys, lanyards, face masks and all the usual debris.
Here’s something else that pleases: The cruise control goes up and down in 1mph increments, rather than chunks of five, like most other cars.
So, if you’re feeling really crazy on a quiet motorway in the dead of night, you could set the speed at 71mph or even 72mph and feel like you’re winning. Not that I would recommend that.
I also like the simple on/off switch for the intrusive self- centring steering. And the old-school dials. And the turn-key start. Not everyone wants virtual assistants and hand-gesture controls.
Yes, the 7in infotainment screen is about as sophisticated as a school calculator — but hook up your phone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and you are sorted. Google Maps is better than built-in satnavs anyway.
At this point I should mention there are lots of different engines and trim levels.
I drove the new 1.5-litre three-pot diesel first seen in the Astra. It’s light and clean and RDE2 compliant.
If you want more grunt, go for the 2-litre four-cylinder diesel with 174hp.
But if you really, really don’t want dino diesel, there are two new 2-litre petrols with cylinder deactivation. One is 200hp and the other is 230hp.
That 230hp engine is reserved for the all-singing GSi which is also AWD with upgraded suspension, Brembo brakes and a kit list as long as your arm.
Toys include head-up display and heated seats front and back. But all those add-ons will send the price soaring towards £40k.
That’s why I drove the entry-level SE Nav at £24k — I like value for money more than I do leather and gadgets.
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