Vauxhall's 321bhp, 165mph Insignia VXR Is A Seductive Super Estate And One Hell Of A Bargain

Once upon a time, the letters V, X, and R on the boot of a Vauxhall meant lunacy. It meant big power outputs - usually thrown through the front wheels - unwieldy handling and loud styling. More recently, though, things have calmed down. The Astra VXR looks fairly restrained on the outside, and it now puts its power down tidily with the help of a trick limited-slip differential. The Elise-related, hardcore VX220 has been gone for years - a consequence of Lotus’ split with General Motors - and the mad old Vectra VXR has been replaced with this: the subtlety-styled, four-wheel drive Insignia VXR, available in saloon or ‘Sports Tourer’ estate form.

Save for a few chunky intakes in the front bumper, some big alloys - optional 20-inch rims were fitted to our Sports Tourer test car - and a lower rear bumper with integrated exhaust trim bits, there isn’t a whole lot to set this apart from the normal Insignia. But I like that it’s tastefully restrained.

That theme of restraint continues inside. Sure, you can’t ignore the imposing, high-backed Recaro bucket seats, but once you slide into those comfortable and very supportive chairs, there’s not much giving away this car’s performance, except for the ‘VXR’ button on the dash which sharpens the throttle slightly. And it has a huge amount of performance that it’s not shouting about: 321bhp and 321lb ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.8-litre V6.

And it has decent handling to go with that poke. Despite weighing over 1800kg and being absolutely massive, the Sports Tourer is remarkably nimble considering its barge-tastic dimensions and mass. It will roll if you really give it some stick in a tighter corner, and it does take some time to get used to sheer size of the thing, but on the whole, it’s impressive.

What’s less impressive is how easy it is to make it understeer under power in the dry. Abnormally good weather during our Insignia loan meant we never had a change to try it in the wet, but I can imagine overly-exuberant roundabout exits in rainy conditions being a little hairy.

The steering is decent, with a little - but admittedly not a lot - of feedback, and just about the right amount of weight. It’s not the quickest so you do need to chop away at it aggressively at times, but it all adds up to a fun driving experience.

But the Insignia could be so much more entertaining to drive, because that V6 - an evolution of the General Motors ‘High Feature’ engine found in the old Vectra VXR - is disastrously underwhelming. The Insignia VXR has a claimed 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds, but it just doesn’t feel as fast as that. The boost builds up gradually as the engine speed rises, but it never has the sort of wallop you’d want from a turbo’d six-cylinder. It leaves you frustrated every time you put your foot down. Planting it in third gear gives a little more urgency - because the torque is limited in first and second gear - but by that point, you’ll be punching yourself into license-losing territory very quickly.

It’s also just a bit too refined for its own good. You’re too separated from the outside world with all that sound deadening, which makes the already rather weedy-sounding V6 very muted inside the cabin. You want this sort of car to be a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde affair; restrained when you’re not in the mood, and an absolute hooligan when you are. With the Insignia, Mr. Hyde does eventually arrive, but when he does, it’s as though he’s hungover and his heart’s not really in it.

It’s a shame, because there is much to like here. As it’s so big, there’s masses of space on the inside, and a huge boot. The interior is very well put together (even if the sat nav isn’t great), it’s fantastically comfortable and has a cosseting ride. Also, the whole car exudes a satisfying sense of butchness, with its meaty six-speed gearchange, weighty pedals and solid interior. It this car were a chocolate bar, it’d be a jumbo-sized Yorkie. Made from lead.

The only comparable package to the Insignia VXR is the Audi S4 Avant, which will set you back over £40k

While the Insignia VXR Sports Tourer could really do with a little more excitement from under the bonnet, I can see the the car being a tempting proposition for those who have bought hot hatches in the past, but who perhaps now have family commitments and want more space and more comfort without compromising performance. And if you think about it, the only comparable package to the Insignia VXR is the Audi S4 Avant, which will set you back over £40k compared to the Vauxhall’s £31,124 price tag.

Even though the Insignia will suffer more in the depreciation stakes and won’t be all that cheap to run (you’ll generally average 25mpg) you have to admit, that’s a substantially lower price than the supercharged V6 Audi. If you’re not a badge snob, you could even call it a bargain.

It’s a likeable thing, the Insignia VXR; I found it to be a pleasant car to drive whatever the circumstances, and I genuinely was a little sad to see it go once the loan was up. It’s a handsome, charming and very quick machine, but it’s a pity there isn’t a little more spice from that V6, as then it’d be a brilliant car, rather than just a good one.