Say hello to the track-tuned new Vauxhall Insignia GSi - the sportiest offering in the car’s range and the only Insignia that comes with all-wheel-drive.
The long-running Insignia saloon has been given a refresh for 2021, replete with a sleek new exterior styling, fresh engines, and tech improvements.
But the most eye-catching revision to the line-up comes in the form of a new GSi trim which Vauxhall says has been ‘put through its paces on the legendary Nordschleife track at the Nürburgring in Germany’ in order to fine-tune the chassis for maximum grip.
Styling wise, it features 20-inch alloy wheels, a sporty bodykit and eye-catching twin tail pipes.
And the GSi has also been handed a powerful turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine with power of 230 PS, making it capable of sprinting from 0-60mph in just 7.0 seconds. Top speed is 147 mph.
With Vauxhall’s famous ‘VXR’ performance badge not due to make a comeback until next year, the GSi is the quickest Insignia you can currently get your mitts on.
Lease customers would also enjoy uprated Brembo brakes with red calipers, as well as an electro-hydraulic ‘braking by wire’ system - which not only reduces fuel consumption (because braking is assisted by an electric motor, not the engine itself) but it also improves overall braking feel.
The new Insignia GSi also comes as standard with ‘mechatronic FlexRide’ suspension, which adapts the dampers and steering in fractions of a second, according to the road conditions. This clever system also alters the accelerator pedal response as well as the shift-points of the nine-speed automatic transmission that comes as standard.
Considering how much fun the GSi should be to drive, it also boasts a decent fuel economy of between 30.3mpg and 35.3mpg.
There are some other things to note about the overall Insignia upgrade.
As well as the powerful engine in the GSi, there’s a new 2.0 litre petrol engine with 200 PS, which offers good performance and fuel economy of up to 37.7mpg.
And a new 1.5 litre diesel engine also looks particularly tempting for those who want a bit of a jack of all trades. It offers power of 122PS , fuel economy up to 61.4mpg, and just 121g/km of CO2 emissions, making it attractive in terms of Benefit in Kind company car tax implications.
It’s also fairly responsive, able to shift from 0-60mph in 10.7 seconds.
Improvements to the car’s aerodynamics have also been an important consideration for Vauxhall, as the firm attempts to reduce road and wind noise while making the cabin a more pleasant place to spend time during long journeys.
Meanwhile there’s a raft of driver assistance tech, from forward collision detection with automatic emergency braking, to adaptive cruise control and a head-up display.
The new Insignia is on sale now, with prices starting at £23,795 on the road.
