The Vauxhall Insignia is, by most people's standards, a large car, and until quite recently the idea that it might emit so little CO2 on the EU test as to be exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty would have given rise to suspicions that whoever made the claim had been spending too much time in the company of their opium supplier.But here we are. Insignias fitted with the 138bhp two-litre ecoFLEX diesel engine are rated at just 98g/km, and for as long as there are such things as tax discs you'll be able to get one for free if this is the car you own.Even more splendidly (since keeping a car fuelled involves much greater expenditure than taxing it does), the ecoFLEX has an official combined economy figure of 76.3mpg. It's fair to say that matching this in real life would require considerable self-control and no small amount of patience, but I had no difficulty averaging around 60mpg during this test, and very happy it made me too.There were a couple of reasons for this. First, the Insignia ecoFLEX is not a fast car. If you're at a standstill and you suddenly discover that you need to be travelling at over 60mph in the next ten seconds, forget it. Not going to happen.And even if you could, there's little temptation to drive quickly. It's not that this Insignia rides or handles particularly badly as such, but it's slow-witted old dear for which the phrase "built for comfort, not speed" might have been invented. If you're driving it along interesting country roads you'll have a more enjoyable time admiring the scenery than exploring the dynamic limits of the chassis.That said, it's comfortable enough on a long motorway cruise, and round town it has a stately quality which you might not immediately associate with a car wearing a Vauxhall badge. I actually felt quite special (in a good way) driving it through the streets.Not when parking, though. The Insignia's rear window is far too small, and as a result visibility is scandalously bad. The stylists need a sharp talking-to about this.Full marks, however, for the interior design. It's much more interesting than what Ford provides in the Mondeo, and better than what you'll find in almost any BMW.Tech Line is one step up from SE in the Insignia league table. For your £21,844 (with this engine) you get 17" alloy wheels, satellite navigation, climate control air-conditioning, Vauxhall's IntelliLink system, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth connectivity, USB and aux sockets, cruise control, automatic headlights and wipers, LED daytime running lights, heated door mirrors, a leather-covered steering wheel and, most unfortunately, an emergency tyre inflation kit, which means you'd be wise to buy a spare wheel and carry it around with you. Engine 1956cc, 4 cylinders Power 138bhp Transmission 6-speed manual Fuel/CO2 76.4mpg / 98g/km Acceleration 0-60mph: 10.5 seconds Top speed 127mph Price £21,844 Details correct at publication date
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