• Frugal diesel engines including 110hp 1.6-litre Turbo D
• All-new 1.5-litre petrols also return 40+mpg
• Cheap servicing packages and a comprehensive three-year warranty

Predictably, the Insignia Sports Tourer’s diesel engines give you the most miles to the gallon. Opt for the 110hp 1.6-litre Turbo D and average fuel economy stands at a claimed 65.7mpg, dropping to 61.4mpg for the 136hp version of the same engine. Spec the automatic gearbox on the latter you can expect 54.3mpg.

The 170hp 2.0-litre Turbo D, meanwhile, returns a claimed 53.3mpg average.

If you’d rather a petrol engine, the most economical offering is the 140hp 1.5-litre Turbo unit, offering up a claimed 47.1mpg, slipping slightly to 46.3mpg for the 165hp derivative. Finally, the least economical engine in the range is the 260hp 2.0-litre Turbo which is capable of a claimed 32.5mpg.

Predicted residual values are strong across the board, with a 136hp Turbo D SRi Insignia Sports Tourer retaining a projected 44% of its value after 36 months and 30,000 miles. This compares favourably with a similar spec Skoda Superb Estate (45%), and manages to better an equivalent offering from Ford’s Mondeo Estate (36%).

A wide range of service plans are available from Vauxhall main dealers – some costing from just £15 a month. Benefits include discounted wear-and-tear repairs, 50% of all MOTs and free Vauxhall Accident Management cover.

The Insignia Sports Tourer’s insurance groupings are competitive with its rivals and ranges from group 13E for a 110hp 1.6-litre Turbo D Design, to group 25E for the 260hp 2.0-litre Turbo 4x4 model.

While nowhere near gas-guzzler territory, the Insignia Sports Tourer’s emissions levels could be better. While the 110 and 136hp 1.6-litre Turbo D engines emit 112 and 119g/km of CO2 respectively, the automatic version of the latter sees this rise significantly to 137 g/km. The 2.0-litre diesel meanwhile, produces 139g/km of CO2.

Petrol models are worse still, starting at 136g/km for the 140hp 1.5-litre Turbo and topping out at a whopping 199g/km for the 260hp 2.0-litre Turbo. The 165hp 1.5-litre turbo sits in the middle at 139g/km of CO2.

• Vauxhall has reasonable reliability record in the UK
• All new models come with three-year, 60,000-mile warranty
• Vast expanse of UK dealers to fix any faults that may occur

No matter which engine you go for, service intervals are 20,000 miles or every one year (whichever comes soonest). Once your car does need a service, you shouldn’t be too far away from Vauxhall dealership, thanks to a network of 338 outlets across the country.

As for the engines themselves, while the 1.5-litre petrol is new, the diesels have been tried-and-tested in other Vauxhall vehicles and should be reliable.

Build quality on the 2017 Insignia Sports Tourer appears solid even if the materials used aren’t always of the highest quality. The switches and buttons feel solid, plus Vauxhall knows how to make a family friendly car, meaning there’s nothing that feels like it could be prone to breaking after repeated exposure to children and/or animals.

We ran a Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer for six months and had two problems which you can read about here – it kept misting up and the electronic parking brake needed attention. Both issues were quickly fixed.