Vauxhall Insignia 2.0 CDTi ecoFLEX Exclusiv Nav road test

Vauxhall’s inspired replacement for the functional yet incredibly dull Vectra, the Insignia, has certainly blown away the design cobwebs at the manufacturer. It is without doubt one of the prettiest cars on the road at the moment, and it isn’t just an attractive face either as there’s plenty of brains in there too. Bags of innovation and on this green “ecoFLEX” variant the promise of strong fuel economy and impressively low CO2 emissions should make this a strong contender for business users looking for lower BIK, and for consumers wanting a D-segment car with a reduced carbon tyre-print but with the poise and refinement expected of a car in this segment. Can the Vauxhall Insignia ecoFLEX deliver on its promise?

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The engineers at Vauxhall must have thought long and hard about the size of engine to stick under that attractive bonnet - the delicate act of balancing power against economy. In the end the GM-owned car maker has opted for a 2.0 litre CDTi unit with a power output of a more than respectable 160PS. To further enhance the powerful credentials of the car, it will hit 60mph from zip in a smidgen under 9 seconds (8.9 seconds to be precise), on its way to a top speed of 137mph. In fact, performance wise its exactly the same as the standard 2.0 CDTi-powered Insignia available. On the opposite side of the seesaw is the requirement to hit economy and emission targets – after all this is the eco-version of the car. Glancing at the vital statistics, the car’s green credentials become apparent. A fuel economy figure of 54.7mpg on the combined cycle is more than decent, and official CO2 emissions of 136g/km place it in Band E for UK road tax, not exceptional by any stretch of the imagination but importantly for the business market this car comes in at 18% for Benefit-in-Kind purposes. Here’s where Vauxhall has been very clever – making a car which should appeal to business users wanting a performance large hatch but in a package which isn’t going to really hit them financially. The car maker could have gone with a smaller sized engine to bring that CO2 figure down, but then that would have been to the detriment of the car’s perky performance which would no doubt have alienated a large proportion of the car’s target market. When you’re behind the wheel you quickly forget that this has the ecoFLEX badge on the rear, true the first and second gear change is a little clunky, and the car’s diesel unit grumbles a bit when you change to second a little too early – but that’s merely force of habit and you quickly adapt to letting the engine rev higher in first gear before changing. Once you’re past this initial “problem” the rest is near flawless, there’s plenty of torque available across the rest of the range and the car accelerates quietly and quickly. Once at cruising speed the car really is in its element – eating through the miles effortlessly. Drive with a light right foot and you’ll barely notice the fuel gauge fall.

Read the full Vauxhall Insignia 2.0 CDTi ecoFLEX Exclusiv road test

RoadTestReports.co.uk provides road tests reports written by members of the Guild of Motoring Writers. These reports are complemented by car reviews submitted by the members of the public who drive the vehicles day in day out.

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