Vauxhall is offering the Insignia Hatchback and Sports Tourer models with its most powerful diesel engine ever.
Producing 192bhp and 400Nm of torque, it is available with two-wheel drive or adaptive four-wheel drive. With the engine in the Insignia Hatchback front-wheel drive model, it will cover the zero to 60mph sprint in 8.2 seconds.
However, while the performance is the major talking point, the economy and emissions are also impressive. The front-wheel drive Hatch version emits just 129g/km, meaning you’ll pay £95 per year in tax. Fuel economy is also surprisingly good at 57.6mpg.
Dubbed the BiTurbo, the engine is based on the top 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine currently used in the Insignia, Astra and new Zafira Tourer, but produces 35bhp more power and 50Nm added torque.
All BiTurbo models come with FlexRide adaptive damping as standard, normally a £790 option on front-wheel drive Insignias. The system reacts to driver inputs and adapts settings for the throttle, steering and suspension accordingly. Drivers can select between Tour and Sport settings.
In four-wheel drive models, FlexRide is integrated with the car’s Torque Transfer Device (TTD) and the electronically controlled Limited Slip Differential (e-LSD). This allows torque to be automatically transferred between the front and rear wheels, and between left and right wheels, in order to get the best traction.
In common with other models in the Insignia range, the BiTurbo has the option of Vauxhall’s new Front Camera System, with traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning and Adaptive Cruise Control.
This new engine is available in both the Hatchback and Sports Tourer models in SRi, SRi Vx-Line and Elite trims. It’s on sale now and starts at £27,120 for the SRi Hatchback, rising to £33,320 for the Elite automatic Sports Tourer.
