YES folks, this really is a big Vauxhall estate car and it doesn’t look like a box.
This newest load lugger is a looker; elegant and full of design flair. It should be because it follows on from the pretty Insignia hatchback, but not everyone has managed to convert their hatchbacks into good looking estates.
When it comes estates Vauxhall has quite a heritage, remember Carlton and Omega, both underrated, but which could swallow a lot of luggage, not to mention the odd wardrobe or chest, and things got even better with Signum and the last Vectra estate.
Debates among motoring journos dubbed the last Vectra too boxy but I thought it better looking than the hatch and probably the roomiest in its class even outdoing the evergreen Volvo V70.
And it is here that that you start to question the Insignia designers' design brief. Was it to make the Sports Tourer the roomiest, most practical estate car in its class, or give the punters something that makes them say wow?
The clue is in the name and the answer is in the end result. Sports Tourer suggests something a little more racey than a car that will cart a whole load of luggage and this car is definitely racey.
No it isn’t as practical as its predecessor because it can’t take as much luggage and it is not as easy to load, but am I the only one never to have used up every inch of space in an estate car. Most people pack the estate fairly tightly for the family holiday but after that it becomes a holdall which rarely holds very much.
Trouble is there are those around that can hold more, notably the Ford Mondeo and the new Skoda Superb estate which looks like it is big enough to fit a caravan inside instead of towing it! These cars also drive equally as well as the Vauxhall and there is the case that people buying estates want the roomiest available, even if they do not use all the room.
So it is pretty clear that Insignia Sports Tourer might enjoy the same lavish praise that is quite rightly being heaped on hatchback brother. Of course the majority of the Sports Tourer enjoys much of what has made the hatch the European Car of the Year.
It looks great, the cabin has the same much improved quality along with that sexy dashboard which really does catch the eye even if it is a bit overpowering at first glance.
Seats are well shaped and nicely padded (not everyone can get something so basic right) and there is a bit of an added bonus for Sports Tourer buyers – there is more headroom for back seat passengers because the roofline is slightly higher than the hatch.
You can choose from dozens of different Insignias but in the UK we have our own unique model. We all have fond memories of the SRi badge on a Vauxhall and you won’t be disappointed with this one.
The suspension has been lowered and stiffened to sharpen up the handling and there is a feisty 2-litre turbo under the bonnet. It transforms what could be regarded as a boring old estate car into something that dad will feel good about. It has a real dynamic feel to it, the eager engine teaming up nicely with the grippy handling.
There is however a price to pay. Petrol consumption is awful, hovering in the mid twenties if you are lucky, in fact I got a lot more to the gallon out a bigger, heavier, and faster Mercedes 3.5 litre V6. May be the whiplash response of the Vauxhall makes you drive it that bit quicker.
Vauxhall Insignia Sport Tourer SRi Nav factfile:
Engine: 2-litre turbo; 216hp
Performance: 0-62mph 7.5secs; 147mph
Economy: 31.7mpg combined
Emissions: 209g/km. VED £215
Insurance group 14
Price: £24,650