Vauxhall Insignia (2008): first pictures

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

17 April 2008 23:43

You’ve seen the leaked images and the scoops, but now the wait is finally over. These are the first officially sanctioned photographs of the new Vauxhall Insignia – marking the end of two decade of the Vectra, which replaced the Cavalier back in 1988.

It’s immediately apparent that the Insignia is way more stylish than today’s dowdy Vectra. Where that car is achingly sober and sensible, the Insignia actually lets its hair down and has a bit of fun. Check out that delta-wing detail on the flank (a design touch due on most future Vauxhalls and Opels). The Insignia is the latest in a long line of debutants to take the wedge to a new height (think Jag XF, Ford Mondeo et al), but it looks impressively slick with it.

In fact, if you want the Insignia design distilled to an uncomplicated metaphor, try this: it looks like a shrunken Jag XF, with a better resolved front end. Not bad considering it will cost from just £16k when sales start in November 2008.

Woah there. How can you be so sure the Insignia’s a looker?

We’re not just heaping praise based on these first pictures. We’ve spent a morning poring over the car with its designers – and it really does look promising in the metal. Sharp enough, in fact, to make it the best looking car in its class by some margin. I have no particular fascination with any current Vauxhall/Opel product, but I was impressed by this newcomer.

Okay, so design standards haven’t exactly been high in the D-sector of late, but recent arrivals such as the Citroen C5 (Gallic flair!), Ford Mondeo (grown-up!) and Honda Accord (Audi wannabe!) suggest that there’s life outside the straight-laced Passat approach. But the Insignia beats them all, to these eyes at least.

Click ‘Next’ to read the full lowdown on the Insignia

For a full preview of the new Vauxhall Insignia, buy the new June 2008 issue of CAR Magazine, out 30 April 2008

By Tim Pollard