Since it first arrived on the scene five years ago, the Vauxhall Insignia has proven a success story. It has regularly outperformed its arch-rival, the Ford Mondeo, in terms of retail and fleet sales here in Britain.

Stats also show that the Insignia is one of the few vehicles in its class to regularly earn a place among the top ten bestselling new cars in Britain. However, Vauxhall’s position on the top ten sellers list has become more and more vulnerable, challenged by the Volkswagen Passat and the new-generation Ford Mondeo.

In response to the looming threats, the Vauxhall Insignia has been given a substantial refresh. The family car is as before sold in a few bodystyles, including five-door hatchback, four-door saloon and five-door Sports Tourer estate.

The already attractive exterior of the Insignia has been updated with extra chrome detailing, and the front has been reshaped to give the car a lower and wider stance. Also added are improved gadgets and four new engines including two low emission diesels.

Performance

The Insignia’s expanded engine range includes a brand new 2.0-litre Ecoflex diesel which can produce 118bhp or 137bhp.The turbocharged petrol options include the basic 138bhp 1.4-litre unit, a 168bhp 1.6-litre engine and a 247bhp 2.0-litre unit. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard for all these units.

We tested the 137bhp Ecoflex diesel on the saloon model and the 168bhp petrol in the hatchback specification. Both engines are smooth and responsive, with gear changes short and simple in manual form. 

While the diesel has a little bit of kick to it, the 1.6-litre petrol is certainly more enjoyable. It provides easy and quiet running on lower speed roads but it can give plenty more grunt when demanded.

Ride and Handling

Driving the Insignia is a generally comfortable experience. 

Whether on motorway or twisty countryside roads the Insignia stays very much composed on the road, even when driving in adverse conditions. The updated Insignia has had its chassis updated to reduce noises and vibrations when driving – which will keep those who frequently cruise on the motorway, happy.  At least 60 per cent of the suspension components have also been adjusted to achieve more precise characteristics. This ultimately results in a comfier ride, especially if you drive on an uneven road. Driving the Insignia is a generally comfortable experience. Letting it down however is the steering, which is accurate but lacks weight and feel. This can be disconcerting if you throw it into a bend. The Ford Mondeo certainly has the edge when it comes to wow factor.

Interior and Equipment

The Vauxhall Insignia was designed by Briton Mark Adams - in Germany. 

The Insignia’s interior has been redesigned to feel less clustered, with fewer controls on display around the centre console. The Insignia can seat four adults with little trouble and the cabin looks neatly presented all round. The soft-touch plastics are of a good quality and give the cabin a more premium feel. Standard equipment in the new Insignia range now includes a DMB (Digital Media Broadcast) radio with USB, CD and MP3 functions available. Bluetooth connectivity is also supported. Other standard kit includes 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control and an eight-inch colour touchscreen.  Conveniently, various onboard functions can be controlled with either the touchscreen, voice control or laptop-like finger touchpad near the gear-stick. On a design front the Insignia is looking good with its swooping roofline, however, headroom can be a little on the tight side for those over six foot. The wide boot of the Insignia has decent capacity though, offering 500 litres standard in hatchback and Sport Tourer bodystyles.

Cost

A major plus side of the Insignia is its price tag as it costs less than both the VW Passat and Ford Mondeo.

Vauxhall expects its new 2.0-litre Ecoflex diesels to sell particularly well because of their eye-catching figures for efficiency. That’s no surprise given both units produce CO2 emissions from a Road Tax-beating figure of just 99g/km.  The diesel-powered Insignias can also return a combined fuel economy of up to 76.3mpg. In real world driving expect to achieve high 60s – now that would be something. Petrol-powered Insignia models emit CO2 from 123g/km to 169g/km, while the maximum combined fuel economy for the petrol range is 54.3mpg on the 138bhp 1.4-litre turbo. A major plus side of the Insignia is its price tag as it costs less than both the VW Passat and Ford Mondeo. In fact, you could even go for the Insignia Sports Tourer body style and still end up paying less than the entry level Passat and Mondeo.

Our Verdict

The updated Vauxhall Insignia should continue to prove an attractive proposition for many motorists. While it isn’t the most entertaining family car to drive, it is generally easy-going. The refreshed styling looks sophisticated both inside and outside and the car is well equipped. With its new highly-efficient diesels, the updated Insignia can be expected to attract lots of company car operators, while families will be attracted to the car thanks to the space on offer. It is certainly an interesting lock of horns between the Insignia and the reinvigorated Mondeo.