Review: Vauxhall Insignia
Posted by Anura Samara, 29 March 2015
A review of the Vauxhall Insignia I hired to drive to The Wirral and Wales.
I hired the Vauxhall Insignia to get from Liverpool Airport to The Wirral. Once we had it, we took the opportunity for a day trip to Wales. This was my first opportunity to drive a Vauxhall, particularly now that Holden is sourcing its cars from Korea rather than Europe.
Driving
The Insignia is what Europeans would call a large car, but for Australians it fits into the mid-size segment dominated by the Toyota Camry, although it’s slightly large.
Externally, it’s stylish looking car with that long sloping rear. But for me, that sloping rear window is it’s greatest weakness – it severely restricts rear vision to the point where you feel like you’re peering through a pill-box slit. The supporting pillars add to the effect of reducing your visibility into the blind spots, which means you are constantly checking your mirrors and using the parking sensors when reversing. The first thing I notice with every car I drive is how the mirrors in my old Skoda Octavia RS were massive in comparison.
It’s not often that I drive a diesel-engined car. I found it quieter than I expected and appreciated the power from low down in the revs range. However, with the lower speed limits in the UK – when translating from MPH to KMH it always feels a little bit slower – means there is a fair bit of hunting around with the gears with the slightest change in either speed limit or power needed. Maybe that’s just because I don’t trust the pulling power of the diesel compared to petrol-driven cars I’ve owned.
Interior and controls
The interior was all black. Personally, I find it the most comforting colour as it reduces distractions on the eyes. I’m less taken with the plethora of switches and dials mounted on the front of the steering wheel – my preference is always to have them on a stalk where you can still reach them.
The Insignia is fitted with an electric parking brake. I love the idea, but I found it took a little bit more effort to release than in the Renault Scenic we hired last year, and it didn’t automatically turn on when you shut the engine down – instead, a chime sounded to warn you to apply the brake.
Opening the boot shows a vast area stretching back in to the car. “Big enough to carry a body” was my comment!
Comfort
As a short person, I immediately jack up the driver seat as far as I possibly can. In this case, a few more centimetres would have been nicer. But apart from that, it’s a comfortable car in that European way – the seats are firm (not sporty) and upright, and a full day of driving didn’t produce any of those aches and niggles that I associated with my Commodores.
Categories: Reviews
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