Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer review

Despite obvious in-house improvements, Vauxhall hasn’t quite kept up with the best of its rivals in dynamic terms, still falling short of the Ford Mondeo particularly. Steering is a bit vague and disconnected, meaning the car feels hard to place confidently in quicker corners. The estate doesn’t differ from the hatch-cum-saloon in this respect. It’s a stable and relaxing motorway car – certainly a significant attribute when you consider the number of fleet sales the Insignia will take – but it’s not a great car to hustle across country roads.

Engine choice is fairly crucial here. The Sports Tourer will benefit from a decent bit of torque so a diesel is essential. There is a wide selection of flavours to choose from, all 2.0-litre CDTi jobs with a reasonable balance of performance and economy. Be wary of the turbocharged 2.8-litre VXR. Yes, it looks racy, 325bhp is tempting and it drives well, but the residuals.... Choose the 195bhp BiTurbo instead.