April 2009 witnesses the introduction of a stylish estate to Vauxhall's line-up.

The Insignia ranks among the best cars in its class for quality of construction and materials and the Sports Tourer echoes the elegant styling of the saloon and hatchback version.

However, Vectra estate owners who have appreciated the unrivalled practicality of their cars might be a little disappointed that the Insignia Sports Tourer does not offer any great advance in practicality.

With the rear seats in place, the Insignia offers a minimum of 540 litres of luggage space - 40 litres more than the Vectra estate offered.

But with the rear seats folded the Insignia provides a maximum of 1510 litres - 330 litres less than the old Vectra estate. It is also less than estate versions of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat.

No Insignia model comes with a fold-flat front passenger seat - unlike many versions of the Vectra estate, which provided a flat load floor of 2.85m (9ft 4in) on one side of the car.

So people who regularly use their estate car for shifting large items, the Insignia Sports Tourer would seem to have less to offer than its forerunner.

But is should be more than adequate for most people who need to rely on an estate car. The sides of the load area are vertical, with extra small storage compartments hidden in the car.

As the rear lights are wholly included in the tailgate, a set of secondary lights have been designed into the storage area should the Sports Tourer be on the road at night during loading or unloading.

The deep, wide tailgate helps the Insignia swallow larger loads, but it means the bodywork is at risk of contact with low ceilings in multi-storey car parks. On versions with an electric tailgate mechanism (standard on SE and Elite), there is an intermediate setting, which should prevent any damage.

The 2.0-litre diesel engine is offered with a choice of two power outputs: 130bhp and 160bhp. Both offer decent performance, but are noisier units than the 1.9-litre diesel engines in the Vectra.

New to the insignia range with the Sports Tourer is a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine boasting 180bhp and 170lb-ft of torque. This engine, despite having a 40bhp advantage over the entry-level petrol 1.8-litre, fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions are virtually identical.

Customers can also choose from turbocharged 2.0-litre or 2.8-ltre petrol engines, both available with four-wheel drive (standard on the 2.8T V6).

Driving enthusiasts will not find much pleasure in the Insignia. Its steering and chassis are less responsive than the Ford Mondeo and Mazda6, while doesn't offer the same level of composure as many other large estate cars.

Versions fitted with 18-inch wheels always feel fidgety on any less-than-perfect road surface, although this is less of a problem on models with 17-inch wheels.

Top versions are available with Flexride electronic damping control with comfort and sport settings for the suspension.

Prices for the Insignia Sports Tourer start at just under £18,000 at launch to just under £30,000 for the range-topping 2.8T 4x4 Elite, although it shouldn't be too difficult to negotiate a reasonable discount or find a low-price deal at a car supermarket.

Labels: Estate, Ford, Insignia, Mazda, Mazda6, Mondeo, Passat, Under £20k, Vauxhall, Volkswagen