Holden Insignia VXR 2015 Review

Holden's new Insignia VXR, travelling the coarse-chip highways and by-ways of New Zealand at touring speeds proved to be no place for quiet conversation. Where the new car's 20-inch Pirelli P-Zero hoops met the road a constant, roaring cacophony issued forth. The road noise drowned out the engine noise, which we know from the VXR's Opel-badged Insignia OPC predecessor to be an aural treat.

So a clearer assessment of the new Holden's NVH suppression and general refinement will have to wait for the Insignia to reach local roads. As it was, the strong twin-turbo V6 under the bonnet faded into the background on our brief drive.

There's no denying however, that it gets up and goes. Acceleration is linear, building steadily until it's really pressing you back in the seat from around 4500 to 5000rpm. Over a brief drive we saw the trip computer post an average figure of 14.5L/100km, which was not a bad number for a car like this getting a hiding as it was.

The engine drives through a six-speed automatic transmission to an adaptive all-wheel drive system featuring an electronic rear differential lock. Shifting was generally smooth, and the ratios appeared to be well chosen to match the engine's power delivery. Underpinning the Insignia VXR are two HiPerStrut units at the front and a multi-link independent system at the rear. Brembo brakes sit inside the 20-inch alloys for dependable stopping.

A system labelled FlexRide offers the driver the choice of three modes – Standard, Sport and VXR – to adjust the ride/handling, all-wheel drive traction, steering, throttle and transmission shifts. For the drive programme in New Zealand, the Insignia delivered a very fine balance of ride and handling. At no point did the VXR ride harshly – even in the hardest of hard-core modes, VXR – but equally it was always pinpoint-sharp in its steering and delivered neutral handling on a trailing throttle. Even with power applied out the other side of the corner the Insignia's front end clung on for dear life. The only thing I could find to criticise about the car, dynamically, was some rack rattle present in a tight right-hand hairpin.

As part of the drive programme, the Insignia was tested on snow and ice at NZ's Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground. The VXR, running on 19-inch alloys and snow tyres, was unfazed by the conditions. It's probably of little consequence in Australia, but it did provide a glimpse of the sort of conditions Insignia VXR drivers might encounter in Europe.

As I recall, the Insignia OPC came with excellent headlights. The Insignia VXR should build on that, if anything, although there was no opportunity to try out the new lighting system. Bi-xenons are retained and the headlights operate automatically. New features comprise LED DRLs and adaptive (dynamic and static) cornering lights.

In addition to the new active safety features now offered in the Insignia – autonomous emergency braking, lane change alert, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control – the sports sedan gains a new instrument cluster. While a marked improvement on the Opel original, the high-resolution display of the trip computer located within the confines of the speedo and little datapoints dotted around the binnacle make it look a little busy at times. There's a vehicle icon just to the right of the VX legend to indicate the adaptive cruise control is operating. And the transmission mode and gear is presented in a smaller font to the lower left of the binnacle. It takes a little while to learn where everything is.

Switchgear scattered around the centre fascia and dash betray the Insignia's older design origins, but they work effectively nonetheless.

Other than all that, the Insignia's driving position proved comfortable and commanding. The relationship between seat, wheel and pedals was flexible enough for a wide range of physiques and preferences. Key to that were the excellent Recaro seats in the front. It was remarkable how well they would envelop and support blokes of differing sizes and shapes – all wearing thickly padded snow gear for the drive.

If one thing marks the Insignia as a European design, it's the relative lack of storage bins, bottle holders and such like in the front. Packaging generally is a little on the stingy side, with the glovebox not well shaped for street directories – assuming anyone still uses those in hard copy. Rear-seat legroom was fine with the front seats adjusted back far enough for adult occupants of average size, but headroom was nothing outstanding, as reported in the past.

With its rounded styling fooling the eye, the Insignia looks like one of the smaller mid-size sedans in the segment. In point of fact, the Insignia shares its wheelbase with the Malibu, which does cost both cars some rear-seat accommodation, but the Insignia is only slightly shorter in overall length than the Mazda6 sedan and Honda Accord.

Being chockers full of drivetrain components, the Insignia can be forgiven for its shallow load floor in the boot, but the luggage capacity still measures 500 litres, and the boot aperture is sufficiently large to squeeze in most bulky objects likely to fit in the boot at all. Holden has specified an inflator repair kit for the Insignia, and this resides under the boot floor, within a well for a spare wheel, but the 20x8.5-inch alloys on the car would be too wide to fit underneath. Smaller wheels wouldn't clear the brakes, we're told, so Insignia buyers are stuck with this sort of set-up.

The latest iteration of the sporty Insignia is not, then, a perfect package. But priced more accessibly now, and boasting some advanced technology in its safety arsenal, the all-wheel drive sedan is much more appealing.

Its capable, sporty dynamics in a compact, functional package, will remind some of Ford's Mondeo XR5 from several years ago. But the Insignia musters point-to-point performance even the well-regarded Ford couldn't match. The Insignia is distinct enough that it won't rob sales from V8 Commodores, but it also builds another step in Holden's scaffolding to reposition its brand upmarket. The Insignia could be the start of something big.

2015 Holden Insignia VXR pricing and specifications:
Price: $51,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.8-litre V6 turbo-petrol
Output: 239kW/435Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 11.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 264g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP (as Opel Insignia, 2012)