Summer 2009
SPORTING HERO
Words: Rod Mackenzie, Images: Simon Childs
COMBINING DYNAMIC GOOD LOOKS AND POWERFUL PERFORMANCE, THE NEW INSIGNIA SPORTS TOURER IS THE PERFECT CHOICE FOR A FOODIE’S LONG WEEKEND IN CORNWALL. AND THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF WAYS TO WORK UP AN APPETITE.
Friday
Cruise control, climate control, traction control . . . mind control. Among all the features packed beneath the stylish curves of the new Insignia Sports Tourer, is there a hypnotherapy function? Perhaps I triggered it when inputting the address of our rented cottage into the satellite navigation. Why else am I feeling so calm on this drive?
Cornwall, you see, always gets my heart beating faster, and generally more in panic than pleasure. This dates from an Easter holiday here aged four when, during a lull between soggy cagoule-clad walks and interminable games of I-Spy, I almost drowned. OK, that’s a slight exaggeration. I slid off a quayside during a picnic, momentarily torpedoing beneath the surface before my dad, still chomping on a Scotch egg, dragged me back up by my flimsy hood. The effects of this impromptu dip ran deep, putting me off swimming and eggy picnic snacks for years.
Now, several decades later, I’m heading out West again and, with watersports and food firmly on this weekend’s agenda, it’s a chance for me to tackle those mental demons. I might have excused myself from this jaunt had there not been the prospect of a great drive. Surely if Vauxhall can stick its neck out to create a car as progressive as this, the flagship of its range, I can face up to my childhood memory. The new Insignia was voted European Car of the Year 2009 and this Sports Tourer incarnation oozes class and quality. Sitting low on the road with deep scalloped sides and a tapered roofline, it strikes a dynamic, sporting pose that grabs my attention from every angle. And, rare for a big estate, it gets all the proportions just right – both outside and inside.
The smart cabin is impressively roomy, and the boot swallows up to 540 litres of cargo with the seats up (and a massive 1,530 litres with them down), while headroom and rear legroom are excellent too. This means I can easily carry everything for a family weekend getaway while leaving heaps of space for bulky purchases bought along the way. And as I’ve got an SE Nav model, the versatility of this car goes up another notch as it features a nifty remote controlled power tailgate with variable height adjustment.
Yet while the car’s looks, spaciousness and premium interior make me feel reassured, it’s the ride and handling that impress even more. Powered by a quiet 160bhp turbodiesel engine, the new Insignia Sports Tourer moves effortlessly from supremely smooth motorway cruiser to agile country lane negotiator, reaching 0-60mph in 9.3 seconds, with a frugal thirst that sees an average return of 47.1mpg. Big cars aren’t supposed to do that. It’s truly mesmerising.
We sweep down into Padstow and peckish after the journey, there’s no debate about the first stop: fish and chips. But this isn’t just any seaside chippie, this is TV chef Rick Stein’s chic, white-tiled outlet. I’m aware that Cornish cuisine has been on the rise in recent years thanks to lashings of PR served up by Mr Stein. Padstow is his foodie HQ and with four restaurants, a delicatessen, patisserie, gift shop and cookery school all under his wing, you can see why some have renamed this pretty fishing village ‘Padstein’. Yet while his empire has kept expanding, the quality of his simplest offering hasn’t been diluted. Fried in beef dripping and served with creamy tartare sauce, he delivers Britain’s takeaway staple in deliciously faultless style.
Unable to ignore it any longer, my eyes are finally drawn out to sea where the inky waters glare back. Time to sink back into the comfort of the new Insignia Sports Tourer’s orthopedic seats for some further therapy!
