There can be little if any doubt that currently times are hard, and they are especially hard if you work in the car manufacturing or the car sales business, so a car has to be at the top of it’s game if it is going to succeed writes Bob Hickman.

Back in 2005 the boffin’s, engineer’s, mechanics and marketing people at GM decided that a replacement had to be produced for the Vectra.

The Vectra has been a good selling vehicle but it has never really captured the imagination. Yes it was an important car and over a million have been sold in Europe, so it did have its bonus points but a new vehicle was necessary and Vauxhall were determined to move their goal posts.

• See more pictures of the Insignia in our gallery to your right

The Insignia is the first of a whole new generation of cars for Vauxhall, and probably the most important car they have ever produced.

It is an all-new design from the wheels upwards, the Insignia is, and dare I say it, a sporty, sleek vehicle that has a sort of dynamism and panache about it.

The engineers have succeeded in achieving an extremely aerodynamic shape with a very low drag factor.

The designers suggest that the body is sculpture artistry, I prefer to say, look at the vehicle, look at the lines, look at the side of the vehicle or the rear of the vehicle and this really is an attractive vehicle and a vehicle that you could aspire to owning, gone is the bland Vectra look.

The interior for me is without doubt the best part of the vehicle, the instrument panel and dashboard wraps itself in a continuing sweep of superb lines, it has a quality feel that is I think on a par with some of its German manufacturing opposition.

I do like the detail finish of the cockpit area. Both front passenger and driver’s doors have cleverly designed areas that your arm will fit naturally into as an armrest for comfort, in addition storage facilities abound, but it is the quality and the whole ambience of the cabin that impressed me.

Insignia has a choice of four petrol and two diesel engines, all achieve the 5* Euro qualifications for emissions so they are all clean, economic engines. The petrols range between a 1.6-litre turbo and a 2.8 litre V6. The diesel choice is a 2-litre unit producing either 130 bhp or 160 bhp; the diesel is a completely new unit.

Having made your choice in respect of power train it then becomes a choice of which derivative you want to spend your hard earned cash on, Insignia is going to be available with 5-trim levels, badged as S, Exclusive, SE, Elite, and SRi.

The Insignias themselves all have high levels of equipment as standard, ESP, automatic headlights, driver’s seat with height and electrically adjustable 4-way lumbar support, cruise control, front, side, and curtain air bags and Isofix on all 3-rear seats; in addition ABS, air conditioning, a decent 7-speaker CD system is incorporated, other standard features include a 60/40-split seat and a leather trim steering wheel.

I hope you share my sentiments from looking at the pictures that the vehicle looks stylish, looks dynamic, and does in fact tick the right boxes sometimes Estates or “Tourers” can be bland box-like in appearance.

But what is it like to drive; I had the opportunity to try out the 1.6-litre Tourer during the recent awful weather, and in settling in to the seat I immediately felt comfortable and at ease.

The controls were perfectly laid out, easy to understand, the wrap around dashboard really is artistry in its design and its make-up.

The engine was producing 186 bhp, sufficient to give a top speed of 137mph and a 0 – 60 in 8.7 seconds, Vauxhall claim a combined fuel figure 35.8 mpg and during my sojourn with the vehicle the computer told me that we were averaging more in the region of 39 mpg, one of very few times I have eclipsed the quoted figures.

The 6-speed gearbox was a delight, it felt perfect and adequate at all times, it never felt busy, the ratios always seemed suited to the situation.

An estate or “Tourer” is a buyer choice, you either need that extra capacity or you do not, for me the advantages of a large carrying capacity vehicle was very advantageous with numerous trips to the tip undertaken, I wish I had been able to make all the rear seats sit properly flat to enhance and create even more space.

One feature that was noticeable is that the Tourer is a long vehicle and care must be taken when parking, the parking aids front and rear were very useful but it was still necessary to check the vehicle was correctly in its bay, especially as many over zealous parking attendants are too ready to fine you.

The choice between hatchback, tourer or saloon will be buyer driven, with prices ranging from £17,145 up to a hefty £34,565 for the 2.8-litre V6 24 valve turbo 4 x 4 automatic version, my test tourer was priced at £23,815.