- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.8T, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
239kW, 435Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (98) 11.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Holden Insignia VXR first drive review
Holden's Insignia VXR bears all the hallmarks of a knockabout Aussie. It's a little tubby around the edges, loves a drink and possesses a good amount of grit and determination when called upon.
The Australian connection is pertinent. In a former life, you might remember the Insignia sporting an Opel badge, but in this guise it represents one of 24 models slated for Holden's local range by 2020 - one-third of them European - as the brand goes about transforming its business amid the demise of local manufacturing in 2017. The Insignia follows in the tyre tracks of the Holden Astra VXR as part of that transition.
On paper the Insignia VXR is more than simply a re-badged version of the previous Opel Insignia OPC, with added standard safety technology including emergency autonomous braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning. It is $8000 cheaper than the Opel, priced from a $51,990 (plus on-road costs), and boasts modest styling and interior updates.
Tipping the scales at 1836kg and consuming premium unleaded petrol at a heady rate – with a combined fuel claim of 11.3L/100km – the Insignia VXR has strong parallels with the V8-powered Commodore on paper despite technically falling a size under the national darling.
Its 2.8-litre turbocharged V6 engine hails from Holden's Port Melbourne engine plant, but unlike the VF Commodore, sends drive to the front and rear wheels – a first for a Holden sports sedan.
The all-wheel drive hardware is adaptive; it has a front-drive bias but uses sensors to apportion drive to the Insignia's 20-inch rear tyres as required.
Despite that front-drive bias, the Insignia offers up exciting rear-drive characteristics during a snow driving exercise in New Zealand this week. With all of the driver assistance functions switched off, the car is an engaging performer at a dedicated private 'drifting' circuit, deftly executing the 'Scandinavian flick' and other Hollywood moves.
The snow driving exercise manages to mask one pronounced feature of VXR on the road: its weight, which is particularly detrimental to engine performance.
Despite an official 0-100km/h time of 6.5 seconds, the 2.8-litre V6 struggles to fully harness its 239kW/435Nm outputs from a standstill. In a hurry it feels lethargic below 3000rpm, but musters energy more appropriately once on the move for moderate though not thrilling performance. Weight is again a contributor to the VXR's horrid fuel consumption, which hovered around 12.5L/100km on test but threatened to go much higher.
The six-cylinder is a more suited performer in daily driving, with an effortless power curve and strong refinement attributes.
The matching six-speed automatic is intuitive and well-spaced, though upward gear changes are less than smooth and there is a tendency to push for maximum efficiency in normal driving, which leads to a bit of back and forthing. Spicing up the transmission's gear change pattern are effective 'Sport' and 'VXR' modes which also alter calibration of the car's steering feel, dampers, all-wheel drive system and throttle response.
In all modes electric-hydraulic power steering offers excellent weighting and feel during sporty driving, however it is prone to rack rattle (mid corner kickback) through rougher bends. The same set up is light at car park speeds, but quite noisy.
The Insignia's taut adaptive suspension is equally well suited to New Zealand's mix of road conditions, with a firm yet compliant ride and excellent body control. The bigger test of the hyperstrut front and multilink rear could be Australia's patchwork road network.
Elsewhere, torque vectoring, an electronic limited slip differential (eLSD) and powerful front Brembo brakes complement the VXR's performance bent in sporty driving.
The go-fast goodies are accompanied by an upmarket though ageing interior – the Insignia dates back to 2009 – boasting deeply-bolstered Recaro racing seats (heated and electric up front), a thick flat-bottomed steering wheel, leather trim, an eight-inch display screen and a digital instrument cluster. Front and rear parking sensors, six airbags, sat-nav, dual zone climate control, auto-dimming mirror, digital radio and rain-sensing wipers are also standard items.
The interior feels packaged together nicely but there are some clumsy inclusions: the standard reversing camera lacks clarity, the seven-speaker stereo is a bit dull and the LCD climate control interface is adjusted by touch, which mean it is finicky to operate particularly on the move.
Cabin space is par for the course given the Insignia's 4.84-metre long and 1.85-metre wide proportions. Front space is accommodating, but the rear bleachers are a little shy on head and shoulder space, making two full-sized adults a more appropriate fit than three. There's also a droney exhaust note and noticeable road noise to contend with.
Rear air vents, a 500-litre boot and split-folding seats ensure strong day-to-day practicality, however there is no spare wheel (gets an inflator kit instead).
The Insignia is offered with nine month/15,000km servicing intervals, with capped price servicing offered at $229 each interval – much cheaper than the European rivals it is pitched against.
Ultimately though, Holden's newcomer isn't quite as polished as its price might suggest. The fact that it costs as much as a flagship SS-V Redline Commodore, yet offers less performance and less space and refinement, indicates that the best sporty sedan in Holden's range is still the one hailing from Elizabeth in South Australia.
The Insignia feels like a step in the right direction, though, which is pertinent, because its replacement and the Commodore badge will likely merge in 2018…
2015 Holden Insignia VXR pricing and specifications
On sale: Now
Price: $51,990 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.8-litre turbocharged V6 petrol
Power: 239kW at 5250rpm
Torque: 435Nm at 2250rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic; AWD
Fuel use: 11.3L/100km combined