Vauxhall Insignia Elite 2.0 CDTi (160ps) Auto 4dr Car Review - March 2012

The Vauxhall Insignia Elite 2.0 CDTi (160ps) Auto 4dr's 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine produces 158 bhp at 4000 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque low down in the rev range. This translates into a 0-60mph time of 9.0 seconds and a top speed of 134mph which is perfectly adequate for a car like this.

The Insignia handles with a great deal more panache than the dreadful old Vectra and offers plenty of grip and responsive steering. It's not the most involving car to drive but it's a good all-rounder. It also has a very smooth and comfortable ride.

The Insignia is a very handsome proposition indeed. Not only is it classy and understated on the outside but its interior is also a model of good taste with high quality plastics and neat little touches.

Power steering, central locking, stability control, climate control, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, cruise control and an advanced stereo system with CD and MP3 connectivity all come as standard.

In addition to this, alloy wheels become a standard feature at this trim level, as do rear parking sensors and leather seats. Bluetooth connectivity and a built-in sat nav are still only available for an additional fee, costing £220 and £855 respectively.

There interior of the Insignia is very spacious with plenty of legroom for both front and rear passengers, however rear passengers may find that headroom is at a premium. When the seats are in place there is a moderate 500 litres of boot space on offer whilst folding down the rear seats expands this to 1,015 litres.

The Insignia should also be extremely safe and scored the full five stars in the Euro NCAP safety tests. Reliability shouldn't be an issue either as the Insignia feels robust and is offered with an impressive 100,000 mile warranty.

At £29,135, this is one of the priciest models in the Insignia range although it does offer a good amount of standard kit. However, at this price range, buyers are going to be temped away by Beemers and Audis. Fuel economy is fairly low for the range at just 49.6 mpg, making the 2.0 litre ecoFLEX model far more efficient with fuel efficiency of 64.2 mpg.

On top of this, road tax and insurance premiums are also higher than some other models, being priced similarly to the Insignia SRi VX-Line 2.0 CDTi model. Green credentials are not great, with carbon emissions of 149 g/km pushing the model into tax band F. Although this is not expensive, it is more expensive than some of the other models in the range.

For those who want a combination of performance, comfort and economy, this model is a great option. However, buyers looking for larger savings should consider the ecoFLEX model instead.