The Insignia Country Tourer is Vauxhall’s answer to cars like the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, combining four-wheel drive with a raised ride height compared with the regular estate on which it’s based.
It can be a good formula for a tow car, but in Vauxhall’s case the results are mixed. For the most part stability is good, but the relatively soft suspension took a while to settle after any short, sharp steering input or if caught by a gust of wind. In the lane-change test the back of the car was pushed around by the caravan when changing direction in a hurry.
With 195PS (192bhp) to call upon, the 2.0-litre diesel is strong enough to pull from 30-60mph in 14.1 seconds, but it’s a gruff-sounding engine.
All that power proved useful in the hill-start test, and the electronic parking brake held the outfit still on the 1-in-6 slope.
You’d think an estate car of this size would have enough space for a full load of holiday luggage, but there wasn’t enough room for the Aquaroll. The presence of a Trailer Stability Programme and a handy reversing camera boosted the car‘s practicality score.
With a price tag the wrong side of £30k, be sure to haggle hard for a discount.