Vauxhall Insignia 4x4 2.0 CDTi review (2010 onwards)

Model: Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer 4x4 2.0 CDTi SE NAV
Bodystyle: five-door estate
Engine: 2.0 CDTi diesel
Transmission: six-speed manual
Date of test: October 2010

Gallery: Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer 4x4 CDTi
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What is it?

Unless you cosy right up to a Vauxhall Insignia 4x4 and inspect the tiny badge on its tailgate, you'd never know this ample family car directs power to all corners instead of just the front two.

In recent times, we've seen an improbable number of front-wheel-drive cars hell-bent on looking like 4x4s but the all-wheel-drive Insignia turns that on its head. In keeping with this low-key approach, it's now offered with a sensible diesel engine option too.

Where does it fit?

All-wheel-drive models are nothing new in the Insignia range. Customers have been able to get Vauxhall's Adaptive 4x4 system with lively 2.0-litre and 2.8-litre turbocharged engines for a while. The technology is also found in the hot VXR performance model where it helps deploy no fewer than 321 horses. These are all petrol cars though. Before this 158bhp 2.0 CDTi model came along, you couldn't have an Insignia 4x4 with a diesel engine.

So the Insignia 4x4 2.0 CDTi is a bit of a landmark car for Vauxhall. More Southend Pier than the Taj Mahal, I grant you, but the manufacturer still thinks it can sell a fair few of them, boosting the Insignia's already healthy sales figures. Prices kick off at £23,115 but the Sports Tourer estate model we tried had SE Nav trim, Bluetooth, parking sensors, the Towing Pack and a £29,670 sticker price.

This Insignia 4x4 will have to out-manoeuvre other large family cars with four-wheel-drive and diesel power. There aren't very many of those about these days so most prospective buyers will also have considered the likes of Subaru's Legacy diesel or the rather more impressive Skoda Superb 4x4.

The Audi A4 2.0 TDI quattro is within a similar price band as well but its compact executive dimensions can't match the Insignia's carrying capacity. In this company, the Vauxhall is also the only car to be offered in saloon, hatchback and estate bodystyles.

Is it for you?

The stereotypes say Vauxhall's D-segment stalwart is favoured almost exclusively by high mileage company car drivers. So is this the version for the sales exec or area manager with a caravan, a horsebox or an extremely slippery driveway?

Not quite. Vauxhall points out that 35% of Insignia sales go to private buyers, so the car is less reliant on CO2-fixated fleet customers than its tedious Vectra predecessor was.

We're also informed that Insignia 4x4s are a relative hit. As many as 21% of all 2.0-litre petrol models are ordered with four-wheel-drive. That strong demand is what prompted Vauxhall to make this diesel version available.

On that basis, the rep-mobile tag the Insignia inherited looks unjustified. Fleet sales remain a vital part of the mix but the car has broadened its appeal beyond that of a low-cost motorway mile-muncher. It will still do that job but a 4x4 version of the big Vauxhall could also serve as an understated alternative to a compact SUV, a towing tool or a family car with added security in wintery weather. That's the theory anyway.

What does it do well?

The basic Insignia package impresses with its size and easy road manners. Models equipped with the 4x4 system get Vauxhall's FlexRide adaptive dampers thrown in and these can be switched between Standard, Sport and Tour settings. Standard gives the best compromise between ride comfort and body control in most situations but a switch into comfy Tour mode pays dividends on motorways.

The Insignia 4x4 travels in front-wheel-drive most of the time, only sending power aft when there's a loss of traction. The all-wheel-drive tech doesn't get much of a workout on dry roads, the Insignia griping in an assured manner and keeping its extra capability in reserve. Push a bit harder on loose or slippery surfaces and the 4x4 system kicks in smoothly, maintaining forward momentum with little fuss.

What doesn't it do well?

The Sport mode on the FlexRide adaptive suspension firms things up, improves the body control and makes the instruments glow red. That's all very nice but it can't transform the Insignia into a sporty drive. The steering isn't responsive or accurate enough for that.

The 2.0 CDTi diesel engine is generally strong with 158bhp in this guise and enough torque (258lb/ft from 1,750rpm) to get the big-boned Insignia shifting. A less than electric 0-60mph sprint of 9.6 seconds can be partly attributed to the 1,768kg kerb weight, which is 110kg up on an equivalent front-wheel-drive model.

Refinement isn't a strong point. Despite 2011 model year improvements to the Insignia's NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness) levels, it still lags behind the best in the class. Better sound insulation may have taken the edge off engine noise at cruising speeds but the top of the rev range brings a tuneless roar from the engine bay - another reason to take things easy.

What's it like to live with?

The interior is unadventurous in design but well up to class standards in terms of quality. The cluster of buttons on the centre console may not be particularly well-ordered but they are large and easy to prod when on the move. Rear passenger space is generous and the boot is a big one, ranging from 500 litres in the saloon to 540 litres in the Sports Tourer.

People who tow things form a big part of the Insignia 4x4's target market and Vauxhall is offering a Towing Pack with them in mind. Offered with the Sports Tourer models for £580, it includes a retractable towing hitch, self-levelling rear suspension and Trailer Stability Assist. An extension of the car's ESP Plus electronic stability control system, TSA can detect a trailer that's swinging out of control and automatically use the brakes and throttle to stabilise it.


How green is it?

The 4x4 Insignias are £2,280 more than the front-wheel-drive equivalents. That's a significant leap but the fuel economy penalty should be easier to bear. Combined cycle economy for a front wheel drive Insignia SE Nav with the 158bhp 2.0 CDTi engine is 50.4mpg and an otherwise identical 4x4 model manages 45.6mpg. Emissions of CO2 are measured at 164g/km, compared to 149g/km for the front-driver.

Would we buy it?

You don't know the Vauxhall Insignia's all-wheel-drive system is there most of the time and the car's comfort-focused setup doesn't encourage the kind of press-on driving which would bring it to the fore on dry roads. That said, there aren't many alternatives that do what the Insignia 4x4 can.

If we wanted 4x4 capability for towing security and extra grip in bad weather, but didn't want to drive a full-blown SUV, this Insignia would be an attractive solution. Comfort, equipment and space go in the plus column but the refinement and the cost of the 4x4 system may make us think twice.

Gallery: Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer 4x4 CDTi
Read more Vauxhall car reviews

Also consider:
Skoda Superb Estate
Audi A4 Allroad
Subaru's Legacy
Volvo XC60

More pictures of the Vauxhall Insignia from Bing

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