2015 Vauxhall Insignia SRi 2.0 CDTi Review

Matt Hubbard drives the overly long named Vauxhall Insignia SRi VX-Line Nav 2.0CDTi 16v (140PS) ecoFLEX Start/Stop

The Vauxhall Insignia is not a bad looking car. It looks like a saloon but is actually a hatchback, albeit one you wouldn't want to consign your dog to travelling in the boot of. He wouldn't be able to see out.

The upside of that diminished practicality is that the Insignia's profile is a good one. Unfortunately the effect is spoiled somewhat when you look directly at the front or rear of the car and encounter the acres of chrome that embellishes it.

You may be a fan of chrome but I'm not so the sight of a fully chromed grille and chrome lines under the fog lights at the front and a big chrome strip at the rear tend to lead to chrome overkill.

Which is a shame because otherwise the Insignia is a perfectly reasonable car who's only other crime is its ubiquity. When you drive one you notice them everywhere.

The 19" wheels on the test car are standard fit and look pretty snazzy (if a little 'busy').

The Insignia is a long car and has a vast boot and rear seats with plenty of leg room. It uses the space well but a lack of a rear view camera or parking sensors make reverse parking a bit hairy - especially as the rear hatch window, when viewed in the rear view mirror, is tiny.

The interior is dark but tasteful. Buttons are few and well laid out and the overall design is easy on the eye with a single line that runs from each door and across the dash (similar to that in the Jaguar XJ). The dials and knobs feel quality and are simple to use, the screens are big enough and feature nice graphics and everything feels more refined and premium than you'd expect in a Vauxhall.

I shot a video the very first time I drove the Insignia and guessed the price would be edging towards £30k.  I was wrong, it costs £23k.

Once you study the specs and drive it for a few days you realise why it's not a £30k car, but the shortfalls between it and a Volvo S60 or Merc C-Class are not obviously apparent from behind the wheel.

It has leather seats that are comfortable and part electrically adjustable. It has sensibly placed and sized storage binnacles, USB points, Bluetooth, digital radio, satnav, cruise control and a screen in front of the the driver.

It's let down by confusing menus on both screens, a digital radio that is sometimes easy to tune but sometimes you cannot find the station you want and a satnav that is found wanting in terms of speed and ease of use. It defaults on top down 2D view and the 3D view just tilts the screen a bit. It doesn't have traffic and instead the traffic reports on the local radio station suddenly cut in on top of whatever you're listening to at maximum volume.

The steering feels good - it's predictable and precise - and the ride is both smooth and reasonably supportive when going round corners. Push hard round a fast bend and you can feel the edge of its limitations. The Insignia is no sports car but it is possible to drive it in a spirited manner and enjoy doing so.

Driving at night is aided by some super bright lights - that automatically come on as dusk arrives. The windscreen wipers aren't automatic though.

The engine is a modern 2-litre diesel that lacks in bhp but makes up for it in torque. Once you get above the point the turbo kicks in it will carry you along on a wave of grunt, which means you can be cack handed with the light and easy to use gearbox and still carry a decent turn of speed.

As with other saloon/hatchbacks in the sub-premium class the Insignia has a bit of an image problem (few will be bought as private purchases) but if you end up with one as a company car you'll not be disappointed when you drive it.

It is spacious, practical, drives well, efficient, costs little to run, has a good sound system and looks good but you will miss a reversing camera, a decent satnav and the image of other saloons. But if you  ignore the lack of a premium badge the Vauxhall Insignia SRi CDTi is a thoroughly good car.

Stats

Price - £23,204
Engine - 4-cylinder, 2.0, turbodiesel
Transmission - 6-speed manual
0-62mph - 10.5 seconds
Top Speed - 127mph
Power - 138bhp
Torque - 258lb ft
Economy - 76.3mpg
CO2 - 98g/km
Kerb Weight - 1,538kg

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Power Is Not Always The Answer - Why A Light Car Is A Good Car

Fast cars are brilliant, powerful cars are enormous fun. But you can experience just as much of a thrill in something with not much power.

Speed is generally equated with outright pace in a straight line. Take one car, give it fat tyres, fit a huge lump with oodles of power under the bonnet and hey ho let's go! That's the recipe for a good time, isn't it?

Yes it is. But only some of the time. In fact only a small amount of the time.  Humungous power is great at the drag strip or on a wide, open track but on a normal road, in normal (British) weather you can't use most of the power at your disposal.

A Porsche 911 Turbo has 520bhp, four wheel drive and four wheel steering. Driving it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, but on the road you'll only ever drive it at 50% and even then you'll be flouting the law.

Step down a few rungs and the 336bhp, rear wheel drive Cayman GTS provides more useable thrills on the road. But it's still overpowered for day to day driving.

The Cayman GTS, 911 Turbo, Jaguar F-Type V8, Audi R8, Mercedes C63 AMG and other cars with a decent amount of feel at the wheel and truck loads of power at the wheels are frankly over endowed for everyday driving on normal roads.

The reason for this is the disconnect that comes from too much power, too much weight and too much  size for roads with speed limits, hedges, SUV-run mums, kerbs, pot holes, hopeless taxi drivers, pensioners in Skodas, mud in the road and all the other crap that's thrown at us whilst we're minding our own business whilst pushing our car to the limit.

And that's just the point. The limit of all the above cars is way higher than normal road conditions allow.

Instead you need something smaller, lighter and less powerful.

You need enough power to overtake a Jazz but not so much power you can't slam your foot down immediately post the apex of a corner without end up 100 yards into a field.  You need enough feeling at the wheel that you know the leaves your front wheels are riding over are oak and not sycamore. You need to know if your rear tyres have slid 10mm, 6 inches or 3 feet.

Even if your V8 powered supercar has four wheel drive you can still overdo it quite easily, four wheel drifts into a jagged kerb are relatively straightforward when enough power is applied at the wrong point in the rain. Or between October and March.

I want to be able to make a complete hash of it and know that if the car cuts loose it does so slowly enough and with enough warning I can correct the slide before I end up embedded into the 44 tonner coming the other way.

What are these mythical cars we can drive to the limit without fear of damage or injury to ourselves or the car itself?

You won't be surprised to hear that you can drive pretty much any hot hatch as hard as you like and still have enough control to throw it with enthusiasm around the lanes, down an A-road and down that gravel track that leads to the local woods that you're not meant to go down but sometimes you do.

The Golf R is the apex predator of the hot hatch world but for sheer chuckability any of the recent Renaultsport Meganes, an Astra VXR or Fiesta ST have the perfect blend of power, grip, balance and poise to make that grimace turn into a grin.

But you don't even have to splash out £25k on a hot hatch to experience the thrill of flinging a motor vehicle around the Queen's highway in such a fashion as you enjoy the experience and don't end up eating hospital food at the end of the journey.

All you need are enough brake horses to pull the skin off a rice pudding, less weight than two race horses and a steering system that transmits the specification of tarmac the council ordered up your finger tips and through your bum to your brain. Oh, and suspension that means the car won't fall over when you turn a corner.

What you want is to be able to lose the front, lose the back, catch the skid, and gain enough experience of your car on the road that you have enough data in your grey matter that you know that next time you can get within 99% of the car's limit.

And you can do that in a lot of differing, and quite cheap, cars. Mazda MX5, any old Porsche (the front engined ones have perfect 50/50 balance), Golf GTi Mk2, Mini Cooper S, Clio 182 - all will give you all you need.

Lotus have known this all along which is why the venerable Elise is still bought by enthusiasts who know their onions but aren't bothered about having somewhere to put their weekend bag. Toyota cottoned on to the idea too which is why the GT86 is so good. Caterham haven't ever stopped making cars that are perfect for people who like to drive with a degree of finesse.

Fast, loud, powerful cars are brilliant but small, light, not quite so powerful cars can be just as entertaining on the real roads we drive on every day.

By Matt Hubbard

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Battle Of The Hot Hatches

Hot hatches are back with a vengeance. After years in the doldrums we're now awash with them.  Here are my fave five.

If you're in the market for a hot hatch here are my thoughts on my favourites. The links take you to the written reviews and the video reviews are below. They are the Volkswagen Golf R, Vauxhall Astra VXR, Audi S1, Renaultsport Clio 200 Turbo and Volvo V40 T5.

Volkswagen Golf R - Crushingly capable

Audi S1 - By god it's quick

Vauxhall Astra VXR - Manically insane

Renaultsport Clio 200 Turbo - Frantic and fun, deserves a better press than it has

Volvo V40 T5 - Proof that you can have speed as well as comfort

By Matt Hubbard

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Vauxhall Creates The World's Largest GPS Drawing (With A Little Help From Speedmonkey)

Speedmonkey recently drove the Vauxhall Corsa at its UK launch and helped draw the largest GPS drawing in the world, a giant Halloween themed mural

Vauxhall has revealed this piece of GPS art, created by a Corsa. It's was dreamt up and largely completed by US artist, Jeremy Wood. GPS art is created by placing a GPS unit in a car, driving and recording the data trail.

The World's Largest GPS Drawing

The previous record was 4,500 miles long but Vauxhall's 6,080 mile GPS drawing was validated by Guinness World Records as a new record.

I drove the Corsa around Gloucestershire with a GPS unit in the test car, so would have created some of the Ls and part of the cobweb.

For the record the new Corsa is a great little car with a brilliant ride and handling to match that of the Fiesta. Check out my Corsa review here.

Here's a video about the drawing:

By Matt Hubbard (Guinness World Record holder)

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2015 Vauxhall Corsa Review

Matt Hubbard reviews the new Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 SRi VX-Line

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

The Corsa is hugely important to Vauxhall. The company shifted 84,000 Corsas in 2014 and 70,000 so far in the first three quarters of 2015. One third of all Vauxhalls sold are Corsas and it generates the most revenue and profit for the company.

So the new one is a big deal. It had better be good.

It's not a brand new car, Vauxhall describes it as an evolution but that's not being very fair on it. Every body panel is new, the engines and gearboxes are new, in fact everything fore of the A-pillar is new, the interior is new, the steering is new and the chassis is new. Oh, and the centre of gravity is 5mm lower than in the old Corsa.

The Corsa starts at £8,995 and ends at £15,380 but most of the range is around the £12k mark. Prices are £3k lower than the old Corsa, which makes it sensibly priced (finally) and much cheaper than the Fiesta.

Does this mean Vauxhall is not confident in the new Corsa? Not at all, Vauxhall thinks it has a great little car and wants to micturate on Ford's rug.

It comes with a host of standard kit and some reasonably priced options. Of interest to people who want an everyday run-around is the heated windscreen and winter pack which comes with heated seats and steering wheel.  LED DRLs (Daytime Running Lights) are standard on all but the base model. Bi-Xenon lights are a £395 option.

DAB and Bluetooth are standard but satnav is not, you have to buy a £50 app called BringGo which streams it to the info screen. I do not like this - either fit a satnav or not.  Rain sensitive wipers, auto lights and cruise control are fitted as standard on all but the base model.

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

Lots of trim levels are available - Life, Sting and Sting R, Design, SRi, Excite, SE, SRi VX Line and Limited Edition - and lots of engines, all new and economical and clean. The newest is the 3-cylinder 1.0 EcoTec in a variety of power outputs.

The green car in the photos is a 1.4T SRi VX-Line. It has a new petrol engine with 98bhp and 148b ft of torque. The gearbox is a new 6-speed manual and the colour is Flaming Green. It costs £14,230 and is right at the top of the Corsa range.

So, does Vauxhall have any right to be confident in the new Corsa? Is it any good? Is it as good as the Fiesta?

Damn right. It's a superb little car.

Let's start with the looks. OK, not everyone likes them. Despite all the panels being new it's visually similar to the outgoing car but with a new front end - similar in appearance to the Adam's.  The C-pillar, by the way, is quite different in the 3-door (sharp) than it is in the 5-door (rounded).

The interior is well designed with buttons and dials well laid out and perfectly placed so you'll find them in the dark. The info screen is functional and easy to use (although I had to look in the manual to find out how to adjust the bass and treble on the stereo) but its buttons are annoyingly vague (press lightly, has it actually registered? Press it hard, I think it has?).

The driving position is great for a small hatchback - deepish footwell, lots of adjustability in the chunky steering wheel, leather clad gear knob close to hand. The twin A-pillar impedes visibility though.

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

The seats are comfortable and provide plenty of support but the seat squab (the bit that goes under your thighs) is too short and doesn't provide quite enough support.  The rear seats are fairly spacious, a six footer will fit in but their knees will brush against the back of the front seats.

Fire it up and the 1.4 4-pot is quiet. The gearbox is better than in any Vauxhall I've driven before (better than the 6-speed in the Cascada and Astra VXR) and snicks into gear without notchy encumbrance.  The ratios are sensibly spaced for the roads rather than track, 2nd gear runs out of puff at around 60mph.

The engine produces most of its torque at low and medium revs and feels like it doesn't really want to go past 5,000rpm but nevertheless has plenty of grunt. The car feels quicker than the stats suggest.

On the road is where the Corsa really stands out. The chassis is incredibly good. The Corsa was tuned on UK roads, the theory being if it'd work on our crappy roads it'd work anywhere. The SRi VX-Line had the sports chassis but was not firm at all, in fact it would glide over poorly paved roads in the manner of a bigger, more expensive car.

But turn it into a corner and the Corsa doesn't roll, instead the steering is sharp and precise with good feedback. It's quite the hoot, in fact it's as good as anything else in its class.

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

The Corsa weighs about 1,100kg (the test cars were pre-production models so Vauxhall doesn't have a precise figure yet) and with its sharp steering, fantastic ride and decent gearbox and engine it will be enjoyed by anyone seeking some serious thrills. Yes, you heard that right. It's jolly fine to drive.

Turn onto a motorway and it's also a good cruiser. The controls have a light touch (steering weight is adjustable), interior noise is more than tolerable and the sound system is loud and clear.

Over recent years the Vauxhall Corsa has been hiding in the shadows of the competition, particularly arch rival Ford's brilliant Fiesta. This new iteration has proved itself a worthy competitor, and with pricing that seriously undercuts the Fiesta it deserves to do well.

After the 1.4T I drove a 1.0T EcoTec. The new 3-cylinder feels like a bigger engine. It has a balancer shaft which makes it quiet and smooth, it's got plenty of grunt (113bhp and 170Nm/125lb ft) and is just as quick as the 1.4T. It returns 57.6mpg and produces 115g/km of CO2. Up a hill it sounds like it's struggling but it still pulls pretty hard for a little 3-pot. It's a cracking engine.

Stats:

Price - £14,230

Engine - 1.4 litre, inline-4, turbocharged, petrol

Transmission - 6-speed manual

0-60mph - 11 seconds

Top Speed - 115mph

Power - 98bhp

Torque - 200Nm/148lb ft

Economy - 53.3mpg

CO2 - 123g/km

Kerb weight - approx 1,100kg

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

2015 Vauxhall Corsa

The 2015 Vauxhall Corsa's 1.0 EcoTec engine

By Matt Hubbard

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Five Alternatives To A VW Transporter

The Volkswagen Transporter is massively popular, but what alternatives are there? Mike Armstrong investigates

Petrol heads and ordinary civilians alike cannot deny their admiration and love for the Volkswagen Camper. Particularly the T2, which has seemingly managed to cross genres and win the hearts of everyone on the planet. Even later T25 and T4 models are appreciating in value at a rate which will exclude the majority of those seeking a budget camper.

Many specialists exist across Britain who will convert just about any form of commercial-ish vehicle into a dayvan or fully blown camper conversion. Let's set ourselves a budget of £10,000 and see which vehicles would be a better alternative for the average lover of the great outdoors. Hopefully we can encourage a few readers to begin projects for next spring/summer!

1 - Mitsubishi Delica

A rather overlooked potential conversion in the UK. The Delica is a robust Japanese van/people carrier with attitude. Firstly, it will go just about anywhere thanks to the world renowned four-wheel drive system, which will be equally as effective in sub-Saharan Africa as a muddy field in Cornwall. £3,000 will buy a MK3 Japanese import with around 100,000 miles and a diesel engine. Sources suggest that a firm in Wigan provides the basic conversion starting from £4,000. In total, this reliable and indestructible Delica will cost as little as £7,000.

2 - Mazda Bongo Friendee/Ford Freda

Another dayvan/camper from Japan joins the list. The Bongo has been a grey import hit in many countries, including: the UK, New Zealand and Russia. Not many vans of the late 90's offered electric sliding doors and air conditioning as standard. Some were even specified with cooking units as an option from the factory, making one of these earlier examples preferable for a budget conversion. Furthermore, they came available in either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive formats, with the engine situated in the middle. A mid-engine sports car it is not, however with prices around the £4,000 mark, you would be foolish not to consider a Bongo.

3 - Vauxhall Vivaro/Renault Trafic

Surprisingly overlooked amongst the camper scene. Rather unfortunate that is as these vans drive very well, are plentiful and are fairly modern for the price you pay. Conversion specialists are plentiful too, offering various different types of flatpack and custom designs. Due to their modern credentials, spare parts are cheap and specialists common. Furthermore, the diesel engines will return better MPG on a long run than the Delica or Bongo. Not bad for a van which can be obtained from around £3,000 plus conversion costs.

4 - Chrysler Grand Voyager

No, we haven't gone crazy! The Grand Voyager would make a superb camper, and this is why. Unlike most other conversions, the roofline is lower, meaning that campers can park their Voyager in regular sized car parks or travel with regular vehicles on the Eurotunnel. Also, the width and length of the interior is nigh on identical to a T4 VW Transporter, only costing a fraction of the price. Early examples can be had for under £1,000. We'd obviously recommend spending around £2,000 for peace of mind. Conversion costs may be less too, as the Grand Voyager already has windows, therefore the law does not require any extras fitted for re-classification. Similar projects could feasibly be done with the Renault Grand Espace and Kia Sedona to the same effect.

5 - Ford Transit

Britain's best loved work horse certainly makes the list. Price conscious members of the camper conversion society forever rant about how much better the Transit is than the Transporter. Indeed, with a lower starting price, the argument appears to have weight to it. Not to mention, Transits are far more common, cost less to repair and drive pretty well. With prices starting from £1,000 and rising as to your requirements, the Transit will offer a lot of camper space for your money.

So if building your own camper this winter is the ideal project for you. Take these five vehicles into account, and sleep on it to decide which you'd prefer to sleep in. Also feel free to suggest any other vehicles or feedback on your experiences via Twitter or in the comments section below.

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10 Motoring Anniversaries in 2014

The current year has certainly been buzzing with anniversaries from the motoring world. Seemingly every other day, a manufacturer has inflated the party balloons, wrapped the presents and indulged in too much birthday cake. Gather round, light the candles and get ready to sing, for here is a list of ten vehicles and manufacturers celebrating an anniversary in 2014.

Vauxhall VXR - 10 Years

Vauxhall's VXR range has become synonymous with epic performance and giant slaying capabilities. The Australian Commodore badge engineered Monaro became the stuff of legends, outperforming many major German premium offerings. All of this began in 2004 though, with the upgraded Vauxhall VX220, the VXR220. Ever since, the UK has been offered the likes of the Astra VXR, Corsa VXR, Zafira VXR, Insignia VXR, Vectra VXR, Monaro VXR and the VXR8 to list a few. An exciting future still lies ahead for the Vauxhall brand.

Mazda MX5 - 25 Years

Mazda's MX5 has always enjoyed affection from the motoring press and owners alike. Providing superb handling at a relative bargain, the little Japanese sports car has definitely made a hefty impact on our shores. Launched back in 1989, the cute little sports car caught the world's imagination with the inclusion of quirky pop-up headlights, amongst other traits. Many would go so far as proclaim the MX5 as providing the thrills of a true British sports car.

Land Rover Discovery - 25 Years

Also born in 1989 was a best-seller from Land Rover. Originally based on the contemporary Range Rover, albeit at a lower spec and price, the Discovery was designed to compete with many Japanese offerings at the time; i.e the Mitsubishi Shogun/Pajero. Ever since though, the Discovery has sold tremendously worldwide and became one of the best off-roaders that money could buy. The modern equivalent appears increasingly upmarket as the years progressed, however be sure that the current ownership will take this model to new and greater heights.

Seat Ibiza - 25 Years

Quite frankly, the saviour for the Seat brand, who had previously only really offered rebadged Fiat technology. The Seat Ibiza sold strongly due to its Porsche engineered engine. Originally a unit destined for the Volkswagen Golf, the brand was coincidentally later commandeered by the Volkswagen Group. Hence all future models were based upon the contemporary Polo. Ever since, the Ibiza has become Seat's best-selling model, vaguely keeping the Spanish Catalan state afloat financially. Cupra models have continued to excite the motoring world throughout each generation, leaving high hopes for the brand's future.

Peugeot GTI - 30 Years

In 1984, Peugeot created a monster. One of the pioneers of the traditional hot hatch was born, and what a marvellous piece of technology it was. Even 30 years on, teenagers still lust after an original 205 GTI on equal levels to the rivalling Golf GTI. Peugeot had a few greatest hits with the 309 GTI and 106 GTI. For years though, the GTI label has remained little more than a trim level, with lacklustre offerings in the form of the 206 and 207 GTI. Worry not, for the spirit is back with the 208 GTI, which finally handles like a true Peugeot GTI should.

Mitsubishi - 40 Years

Believe it or not, the Mitsubishi brand has existed in the UK now for 40 years. With such famous models as the Colt, Galant, Shogun/Pajero and Lancer, Britain has received the Japanese brand well. Most associate the brand with the Lancer Evo series, which took the rally driving scene by storm with its heated rival, the Subaru Impreza.

Ssangyong - 60 Years

The Korean brand which no one seems to know how to pronounce is now 60 years old. Launched in 1954, the brand manufactured army jeeps and trucks for many years. British consumers only became aware of the brand in the early 90's, following a partnership with Daimler-Benz which created the Ssangyong Musso. Ever since, the brand has earned a reputation for quite questionable styling. Despite the obscure offerings, the brand continues to grow and offers competitive off-road and MPV vehicles.

MG - 90 Years

Of course, MG may not have existed for much of the past decade, however the lads at Longbridge are thrilled to celebrate their 90th anniversary. Following the brand's resurrection, the amount of dealerships is ever-expanding. The brand's history, although rocky at times, is one of the most colourful in the history of British motoring. Many Brits remember fondly the MGB, MGF, MG Metro, MG Maestro, MG ZT and various other offerings. Although current offerings lack the passion of the past, we can only wish the best for the future of the Chinese owned British car manufacturer.

Bentley - 95 Years

One of the best luxury car manufacturers in the world is now celebrating its 95th birthday. In 2013, one in every four luxury cars delivered was a Bentley, impressive despite the limitations of handmade methods of manufacturing. Bentley cars have established themselves firmly throughout history. Bentley models were used as off-road vehicles during World War One, as well as other winning multiple 24 Hour Le Mans races and amongst the ownership of the world's most rich and famous. Since ownership was earned by the Volkswagen Group, sales have risen from strength to ever-growing strength. Expect even bigger things for the Bentley brand

Maserati - 100 Years

Not often in the motoring world do we experience a centenary celebration. But when we do, little more can top the history of the Maserati brand. Started in 1914 by three brothers; Alfieri, Ettore and Ernesto, the story began with the First World War. As luxury racers became their pedigree, the brand became synonymous with providing only the best combination of performance and luxury.

By Mike Armstrong

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Living With - Vauxhall Insignia Elite Nav TDCi 163

Mark Turner of Blacktop Media reviews his Vauxhall Insignia

I have to be honest - I didn’t take to the Vauxhall Insignia.

When it was revealed in 2008 I was indifferent at best. The shape was generic and the car was forgettable.

I recently saw a press release about one of the ‘new’ Insignia models which caught my eye. A rather naughty, provocative little number.

The wheels had grown in diameter and the old tweed jacket had been replaced with a sharp, Saville row suite.

My curiosity challenged me to look deeper.

The delivered car was an Insignia Elite Nav 2.0TDCi. It is a very handsome car. The elegant, flowing lines are adorned in thick, luxurious, black metallic paint, accentuated by the suave chrome window surrounds.

The Insignia had a plethora of toys, Bluetooth, navigation, leather, electric everything and the list goes on. It really is a well specified car.

Now, I’m not a fan of unnecessary electronic ‘aids’ and like most modern cars, unfortunately the Insignia has plenty.

Everything you want to use seems to need a physics degree to work out and the traction control and ESP make sure you don’t try and enjoy yourself. Fortunately, the Bluetooth is simple and works very well but the Touch-pad controller for the Touch R700 IntelliLink infotainment system is hopeless. It isn’t fluid and the display looks dated.

I’ve seen lots of integrated systems that look almost beautiful. The Insignia's isn’t one of those.

It was functional, but I couldn’t help thinking that in a couple of years it will look like an antique, a bit like those massive TV’s we all laugh at now.

The sat-nav is virtually pointless. It wore me down and I reverted to using my phone it was so dire.

While I’m kicking the old girl, the electrically adjusted seats need a swift kick.

When you turn off the ignition the plush leather drivers seat is supposed to quietly slide back just enough to make exiting the car easier. (I can honestly say I have never needed to slide my chair back to get out of a car. Clearly, the Insignias target audience do).

Upon entry, the chair returns to it’s previous position…….sometimes. In my experience 50% of the time it did what it was supposed to, the other 50% of the time it slid all the way back, trapping the legs of rear seat occupants, then just defiantly stayed there.

The maniacal drivers seat didn’t annoy me as much as I expected, mainly because I was busy playing ‘electronic handbrake roulette’. It’s quite a common game these days and can be played in most executive cars.

You stop and flick the handbrake button, then see what, if anything, happens. If you are lucky the handbrake engages, leaving you wondering if it will randomly release or you will have to burn the clutch out trying to pull off while the ridiculous, pointless, electronic handbrake reluctantly submits.

On the plus side, it drives well. It’s very comfortable, very well appointed, well put together and didn’t falter all weekend.

The cabin does a great impression of a luxury executive car. It’s distinguished, chic and somehow feels familiar, closing the gap between mid-range saloon cars and their revered luxury cousins.

The Insignia performs well, handles well and if I had a slight criticism about the driving dynamics, it would be aimed at the brakes. They are fine, but not great. After a spirited 10 minutes I pulled up at a junction to find the front brakes smoking. There was a hint of fade and vagueness when you put some heat in to them.

I would seriously consider an Insignia if I was a rep with a company car budget around the £25k mark. Mine would be in this exact spec and colour.

Then again, £25k is Mondeo Titanium X Business Edition territory. That’s a tough battle to win.

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This is the 2015 Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall has released these images and some information about the fourth generation Corsa ahead of its Autumn launch.

This Corsa is an all new model.  The chassis, all body panels and the vast majority of the interior is new.  It's the first Corsa to have been penned by Mark Adams, Vauxhall/Opel's design wunderkind, who has already designed the Adam and Cascada.

As such the Corsa gets a similar front end to the Adam, which didn't go down too well when I published photos of it on the Speedmonkey Facebook page.

Post by speedmonkey.co.uk.

Thing is, though, Corsa buyers tend not to be petrolheads. It's consistently the second best selling car in its class, behind the all conquering Fiesta which has been praised to the heavens for it's handling, engines and dynamics - if not its looks.

Across 2013 83,000 Corsas were sold. Over the past 32 years more than 12 million Corsas have been sold, although that figure includes its old UK nameplate - Nova.

The new car is the same size as the outgoing model.  It gets a range of new engines, including the 3-cylinder 1-litre ECOTEC petrol engine which Vauxhall hopes will rival Ford's Ecoboost in terms of popularity and sales.

Vauxhall aims to target the Fiesta in terms of the Corsa's ability to go round corners.  The chassis has been designed with "...an emphasis on exceptional rolling refinement, ride quality, precise handling and stability," and, "Understeer has been reined in and friction dialled out of the system, allowing drivers a smoother, yet more precise command of the car’s steering."

Speedmonkey readers may not have been impressed with the Corsa's looks but it does look OK when compared to its rivals and if it handles like Vauxhall say it does, and the engines are amongst the most efficient, and if Vauxhall prices it sensibly (and doesn't rely too much on discounting) it should be a success.

On a final note it's worthwhile pointing out that the 5-door will be made in Spain and the 3-door in Germany.  Make of that what you will but if I bought one it'd be the 3-door.

By Matt Hubbard

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2014 Vauxhall Cascada Review

Matt Hubbard reviews the Vauxhall Cascada Elite 1.6i 16v Turbo 200, a premium four seater convertible

The Vauxhall Cascada is a big, four seat convertible with a classy interior that Vauxhall reckons rivals the Audi A5 convertible.  Those of you of an anti-Vauxhall disposition may not want to read any further, but you should.

Herein I shall tell you why the Cascada as a premium car, a properly good convertible, a motorway mile muncher, a driving machine and as a style statement is an unqualified success.

Vauxhall seems to have alienated petrolheads, which means the vast majority of our readers, Twitter followers and Facebook audience immediately cry "boring", 'dull" and "uncool" when I mention the name.

Vauxhall has never been the coolest brand but how has this petrolhead anti-Vauxhall feeling come about?  I would suggest that several generations of humdrum Astras, workmanlike company car Insignias, a lack of mainstream motor sport activity and Clarkson's pointed, short and vicious review of the Vectra are probably the main contributors.

Does Vauxhall care? Probably not to a great extent. As long as the cars are selling brand coolness isn't  a major issue.

The thing is, though, I've driven the Astra VXR, which is a brilliant hot hatch, the ADAM, which is a good, if flawed, supermini and now the Cascada which is simply excellent.

I'm not an ambassador for Vauxhall but the product I've tried is good, and the Cascada is probably the best thing it sells in terms of its place in the market.

Why?  For a start it looks good with the roof up or down.  Roof down and it looks fine from any angle with the full size rear seats enveloped by the roof mechanism.  It's possibly more conservative than exciting but then again buyers are likely to be older rather than younger and in that segment ultra-modern design cues don't sell cars.

Roof up and it's obviously a convertible rather than trying to look like a hard-top.  It's stylish and elegant, although I'm not a fan of Vauxhall's twin A-pillars and shallow angled windscreen which may reduce drag in the wind tunnel but also impede visibility.

The roof folds up or down at up to 30mph.

The boot is vast but its practicality is reduced when the roof is down by dint of a protruding section, something most convertibles suffer from.

It's a four seater with two doors. The rear occupants have good access but the downside is very long doors which means getting in and out in a tight car park can be difficult.

The interior is top notch.  The seats in particular look great and are electrically multi-adjustable.  The overarching design of the interior has been well thought through and integrated. The curved dash, the swooping line from the door handles to the arm-rest, the dials, the gear knob and the arrangement and size of storage spaces are all triumphantly stylish and practical.

The materials and colours used are not what you'd expect from Vauxhall.  Leather, aluminium and chrome are mixed with plastics to create an interior that, if the badge was missing from the centre of the steering wheel, most people would imagine to be from one of the German big three.

In fact the only let-down is the mess of buttons beneath the info screen.  The info, satnav and sound system are all perfectly suited to a 20-odd grand car but the buttons are not.  Play with them a while and they are fairly easy to work out but the arrangement is awful and too many are confusingly labelled.

The test car came with a 200hp, 1.6 litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The chunky steering wheel feels nice to the touch and the driving position is quite sporty, with deep-set pedals.

The engine is quiet at idle and never gets noisier than a low thrum.  It's a competent, refined unit that produces good power but that could do with more torque right at the bottom of the rev-range.  But that's what you get from modern turbocharged engines that are built more for reduced CO2, increased mpg and a handful of power.

The gearbox is slick, better than in the Astra VXR, and the clutch and controls light and easy going.  The steering is as good as you'd expect, but no better, with decent feedback and control.

The Cascada's outstanding feature is it's ride.  The suspension is a softened version of the Astra VXR's HiPer strut system.  As well as aiding cornering this gives the car a truly outstanding ability to soften the bumps and smoothen the road.

Being front wheel drive it's never going to light my fire in terms of driving thrill but it doesn't torque steer to any great extent and it grips well and can be driven enthusiastically if that's what you want.

The Cascada is roughly £9k cheaper than the equivalent Audi A5. In terms of looks, refinement, and ability it is very nearly on a par with the Audi.  If you're in the market for a convertible and need four seats and a large boot you would be daft not to at least test drive a Cascada.

Take a look at my video review of the Vauxhall Cascada for more info.

Stats

Price - £28,315

Engine - 1.6 litre, inline-4, turbocharged, petrol 

Transmission - 6-speed manual 

0-60mph - 8.5seconds 

Top speed - 146 mph 

Power - 200 bhp 

Torque - 206 lb ft 

Economy - 42.3mpg 

CO2 - 158 g/km 

Kerb weight - 1,733 kg 

By Matt Hubbard

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