ESTATE cars are great. They have stacks more carrying capacity than a saloon or hatchback, cost very little more and if you’ve got one with that dark tinted privacy glass it can even double-up as a hotel room when needs must. So, why don’t we all own one? The simple answer is that they have the same sort of image as a pair of comfy slippers. And most don’t like to be seen out in our furry, old slippers. Whether it’s sound judgment or not, we see ourselves as a tad trendier and a shade more cool. All of which is the reason why the Vauxhall Insignia calls its estate car a Sports Tourer. And it has to be said, it’s a fine looking vehicle with bold sweeping curves, a strong frontal presence and a rakish rear. Just as smart as the hatchback variant and noticeably more commodious. Of recent times Vauxhall has been climbing up the ‘cool ladder’ with some real racy new models that deliver sharp performance and look the business – latest in the line of mean machines is the Astra GTE which rivals the Scirocco. But the insignia Sports Tourer EcoFlex 2.0 CDTI, to give it its full title is more family holdall than couples’ coupe and does a worthwhile job of melding solid practicality with appealing lines. Powered by a frugal diesel 2.0-litre engine, it has commendably low emissions of 134g/km and meagre thirst of 55.4mpg while knocking out 158bhp. In real life terms these stats give the five-seater a top speed of 134mph and acceleration to 62mph in just over nine seconds and everyday driving results of around the 45mpg mark. The fuel tank holds 15 gallons so the potential range between visits to a service station is an amazing 700-miles or more. The Vauxhall has a well-screwed together feel about it, with tightly fitting panels and an overall impression of quality and longevity. Yet despite the Sports tag in its name, there’s little sporting about the driving characteristics – while the handling is perfectly safe and secure, it lacks the sensitivity and communication that some keen drivers may demand. The six-speed gearbox has well-chosen ratios for economical cruising but the change is a bit notchy. Noise levels at motorway speeds are commendably low as the Insignia ticks over at little more than 2,000rpm and it pays not to hang on to the revs too long when the engine note becomes more harsh. The attractive hind-quarters slope quite severely but this does little to reduce luggage capacity and around 540 litres of cargo can be swallowed up before the rear seats are folded when this grows to 1,530 litres. The version I drove – price £27,315 – came with sat nav, climate control, MP3 connectivity and front and rear electric windows. But you must pay extra for rear parking sensors (£395) and bluetooth (£220). So Vauxhall proves it is possible to be trendy and practical at the same time...even if everyone knows you are still really driving an estate car. FAST FACTS Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer 2-0 CDTI ecoFLEX Price: £27,315 Mechanical: 158bhp, 1,998cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox Max speed: 134mph 0-62mph: 9.3 seconds Combined mpg: 55.4 Insurance group: 22 CO2 emissions: 134g/km BiK rating: 19% Warranty: 10yrs/99,000 miles | 
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