| First Drive | Milan, Italy | Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer 4x4 |

It might come as something of a surprise, but Vauxhall has never fitted a four-wheel drive system to a diesel-powered road car. Until now, 4x4s with the griffin badge have only ever been propelled by petrol engines, which is unusual considering how heavy four-wheel drive systems are prone to sapping fuel.

From September, the Insignia Sports Tourer (estate to you and me) will be available with power to all four wheels and a 2.0-litre CDTi diesel powerplant.

In the Metal

Visually there's virtually nothing to differentiate this Insignia from the standard Sports Tourer - apart from a discreet 4x4 badge at the rear. The red car that you see in the pictures is sporting one or two minor new features. It's the Vx-Line, which is a unique trim level, only available on the SRi model that adds a VXR style leather steering wheel and gear gaiter and 19-inch five-spoke alloy wheels.

Though it wasn't fitted to any of our test cars, a new trim level known as Indian Summer will be available when the 4x4 goes on sale in the UK. It comprises light brown pastel shades of leather on the seats and other areas inside the car with matching stitching on the steering wheel and gear stick leather surround. It will sit on the options list and cost more - about £1,400 according to Vauxhall's European arm, Opel, but that has yet to be confirmed for either the continental or the UK market.

What you get for your Money

Prices for the UK market have yet to be announced, but Vauxhall hinted that the 4x4 will cost around £1,750 more than the existing Insignia. That sounds expensive, but the fact is that trick, electronic 4x4 systems don't come cheap. However, the Insignia still makes a compelling case, especially as a towing tool.

It's smaller, innocuous and more affordable than the majority of antisocial SUV-style 4x4s that are the default choice for anyone with a caravan or boat to heave along. Vauxhall reckons that 21 percent of all petrol powered Insignia estates (already available with four-wheel drive) have been sold as 4x4s. There's no doubt that the diesel will be a more popular choice, so it has the potential to do well, especially with fleet buyers.

Driving it

The Insignia is predictable and sure-footed on the move. You'll struggle to notice the benefits of an all-wheel drive system in dry conditions on the public road, but the grip reserves are obviously high. The Adaptive 4x4 system is similar to what most manufacturers offer with four-wheel drive estates - it operates via a Haldex clutch (heavily used by the Volkswagen Group) and automatically sends torque to the wheels that need it most at the time.

Vauxhall's Flexride chassis is also pretty similar to the normal adaptive system - it allows the driver to select Normal, Sport or Tour modes and adapts the vital settings accordingly. As you'd expect, Tour softens it up and Sport does the opposite. Normal is fine for general use but we actually preferred Tour for A-road driving. The Insignia rides very well, even on tall 19-inch alloy wheels, but Tour made it even more comfortable during a long motorway trip and it seemed to suit the Insignia's big, laid back nature. Sport just spoiled the ride a bit, so it's best avoided.

Sore points include the noisy 158bhp 2.0-litre CDTi engine, which is prone to diesel clatter under acceleration. It's punchy enough (it will hit 62mph in 9.8 seconds) but needs a little encouragement to get the car moving, which is probably partly down to the heavy four-wheel drive system. The six-speed manual gearbox is quite tough, too. Finding second gear proved really tricky on occasions, but this varied between test cars, so it could be a pre-production niggle.

Worth Noting

All Insignias - not just the 4x4 or the Sports Tourer - have undergone a series of minor modifications under the skin to improve quality and general running. These include tweaks to the ECU and an improved turbocharging system (only on turbo models, obviously). They're just ongoing updates and nothing to do with the introduction of the 4x4, but it means that a new Insignia is a more attractive and dependable ownership prospect than an older model.

Vauxhall also knows that a 4x4 diesel estate will appeal to customers with caravans, boats etc, so it has developed a TSA (Trailer Stability Assist) system that is integrated into the ESP. This intervenes if the caravan/trailer starts snaking after a swerve and applies the brakes or cuts the power when and where it's necessary.

Summary

Considering the market conditions and demand it's a wonder that Vauxhall hasn't produced a 4x4 with a diesel engine before. The Insignia is a worthy first effort though, and it's sure to do well, especially with company car types who enjoy their weekends by or on the sea.

The fact that 55,000 Insignias have been sold since the start of 2009 suggests that the company got something right. Granted, the bulk of those will have gone to fleet buyers, but the Insignia 4x4 is a fine all-round package. It's roomy, comfortable, well built and has a huge boot (540 litres seats up, 1,530 seats down). Factor in the relatively frugal diesel unit and it makes a lot of sense.