page 23_Layout 1 24/04/2019 16:35 Page 23 Y TIR


by Huw Thomas, vice chairman,Welsh MotoringWriters


CURRENT Insignia was General Motors’ last big European project before it sold Opel‐Vauxhall to PSA (Peugeot Citroen) in 2 0 1 7 . ‘Grand Sport Tourer’ (hatch) and ‘Sports Tourer’ (estate) arrived that year and the ‘Country Tourer’ late last year.


Hatch and estate 4x4 s are 8 ‐speed auto 2 .0T


2 6 0ps petrol or 2 .0BiT 2 1 0ps Diesel. But the Country Tourer 4x4 can be had with a 2 .0TD Diesel 1 7 0 engine andmanual 6 ‐speed gearbox. Otherwise it’s the 2 .0 Bi‐Turbo 2 1 0 auto again.


Overall the Insignia’s (asking) prices* are


keen. Hatch from £1 9 ,9 4 0 , estate from £2 1 ,5 0 0 (smaller engines) topping off at £3 9 ,7 2 0 for the GSi 4x4 auto. Country Tourer seems good value for money: £2 8 ,4 7 0 for the 2 .0TD 1 7 0 4x4 manual (£2 7 ,1 5 0 front wheel drive); 2 .0 BiT 2 1 0 4x4 auto at £3 0 ,0 8 0 .


Not too badly equipped either. SatNav of


course (7 ” touchscreen) and the usual connectivity‐infotainment assets together with ‘FlexRide’ drive‐mode (Normal‐Sport‐Tour). A front‐mounted camera complements the park sensor function with auto‐emergency braking and traffic sign recognition, etc.


This can be enhanced by extra cost drive‐


assist packs. There’s also a heating pack (front seats, steering wheel, windscreen) at £6 6 0 . Power tailgate and towing pack cost £6 8 0 and £6 8 5 .


Despite front and rear skid plates serious off‐ MOTORING & MACHINERY


road work is beyond its remit. Ground clearance is only slightly greater than the standard car (but does mean ‘grounding’ the front overhang on a car park pavement kerb is much less likely) and there’s no hill descent control or 5 0 ‐5 0 front‐rear drive lock. The GKN‐sourced 4 x4 system however is


sophisticated. Rather thanmerely have the rear axle kick in as slip‐sensor induced, it includes ‘torque vectoring’ which allows the rear‐ mounted clutch set to vary the drive between each wheel benefitting not only off‐tarmac response and but also on‐road handling, cornering etc. Regular Insignia’s ride/road‐holding trade‐off


is nicely judged, body control good and steering direct. The Country Tourer is not quite as sharp and drivemode best set for ‘comfort’ except at full load/towing to add stiffness and ‘weight’ to the ‘dynamics’. Based on GM’s E2 platform (Buick Regal and


others) the Insignia is a spacious car in terms of passenger comfort and load‐space. At 5 metres it’s not far short of Audi’s A6 or Volvo V9 0 . Roomier than VW’s Passat or Ford Mondeo it yields marginally to Skoda’s Superb. Audi A4 Allroad and Volvo V6 0 Cross Country its other rivals. As with most cars in this category securing a


high‐spec vehicle at a (very) tight transaction price will mitigate the inevitable depreciation. That done this relaxed yet muscular yet aptly named 4x4 estate should please. An impressive motor car.


Facts & Figures: 2 .0 BiT 2 1 0 4x4 ; 1 4 2mph; 0 ‐6 0mph 7 .7 secs; 3 2mpg brim‐to‐brim; Trip computer averages 3 4 ‐3 9 ; Newofficial 3 6 .7 ; CO2 1 8 8g/km; Road Tax £1 4 0 (1 st Yr £1 ,2 4 0 included*); Ins Grp 2 4E; Braked Trailer Wgt 2 ,2 0 0kg. (2 .0TD 6 ‐speed manual: 1 3 5mph; 6 2mph 9 .3 secs; 4 3 .5mpg official combined; Ins Grp 2 0 .)


WALES LONGEST AND LARGEST SUPPLIER OF 4 DOOR PICK-UPS


FAMILY OWNED & RUN FOR OVER 50 YEARS


66 SSANGYONG TIVOLI


ELX 1.6, ONLY 13,000 MILES WITH SERVICE HISTORY, STILL UNDER MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY, £30 A YEAR TAX.


LAND ROVER COMMERCIALS 15 DEFENDER, XS, 90, HARD TOP, GREEN, ONE OWNER, 23,900 MILES. 15 DEFENDER, 110 XS, LWB, ONE LADY OWNER, ONLY 23,000 MILES, RED IN COLOUR, IMMACULATE. 64 DEFENDER,110 COUNTY, TD, D/C, ONE OWNER, NO AGRICULTURAL WORK, ONLY 40K. 63 DEFENDER,90 HARD TOP TD, LOCALLY OWNED MINT CONDITION, 34,000 MILES 63 DEFENDER,90 HARD TOP, ONE OWNER+ DEMO 26,800 MILES, NAVY IN COLOUR. 11 DEFENDER,90, HTOP, X-TECH LE TD, ONE OWNER, 32K, FSH. LAND ROVER 12 FREELANDER XS SD4 AUTO, GOLD IN COLOUR. 09 RANGE ROVER SPORT,HSE TDV8 AUTO, LOCALLY OWNED, LOW MILES, SERVICE HISTORY, PRIVATE PLATE. 57 FREELANDER 2,GS TD4 BLUE, LOCALLY OWNED, SERVICE HISTORY, MINT CONDITION. TOYOTA PICKUPS - SUPPLIED BY US 65 HILUXINVINCIBLE D-40 DCB 3L TOWING CAPACITY, 3.5 TONNE, ONLY 38,000 MILES WITH SERVICE HISTORY, ONE OWNER + OUR DEMO 13HILUXHL3, 2.5 IN GREY, ONE OWNER FROM NEW. 13HILUXINVINCIBLE, 3L, 37K MILES, LOCALLY OWNED. 62 HILUXINVINCIBLE, 3L, LOCALLY OWNED, ONLY 57,000 MILES. 10HILUXINVINCIBLE, 3L, IN BLACK, LOCALLY OWNED.


16 NISSAN NP300 NAVARA


TEKNA DCI, ONE OWNER FROM NEW, 3.5 TONNE TOWING CAPACITY, STILL UNDER MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY, TEKNA IS THE HIGHEST SPEC IN THE NP300 RANGE.


4 DOOR PICK-UPS WITH VAT @ 20% NISSAN NAVARA, NP300’S, AVAILABLE IN VISIA, ACENTA, ACENTA+ AND TEKNA MODELS, SELECTION OF COLOURS, 3.5 TONNE TOWING, 5 YEAR WARRANTY. 65 ISUZU YUKON, 27,000 MILES, BALANCE OF 5 YEARS WARRANTY, CANOPY ETC. 16 FORD RANGER, XLT 2.2 ONE OWNER FROM NEW, 32,000 MILES, BLUE IN COLOUR. 15 ISUZU DMAX,UTAH, ONE OWNER, BALANCE OF 5 YEAR WARRANTY, 28,000 MILES. 14 VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK CANYON A32 SPECIAL EDITION 28,000 MILES, ONE OWNER, SERVICE HISTORY. 14 MITSUBISHI L200,TROJAN, ONE LOCAL OWNER, LOW MILES, IN RED. 63 ISUZU DMAX,UTAH, 2.5 AUTO, LOCALLY OWNED. 62 NISSAN NAVARA,TEKNA, LOCALLY OWNED. 09 FORD RANGER THUNDER,LOCALLY OWNED, SILVER IN COLOUR. 06 MITSUBISHI L200,WARRIOR, LOCALLY OWNED, IN BLACK.


SUZUKI 10 GRAND VITARA, SZ5 DDIS, SILVER, SERVICE HISTORY. LOW MILES MITSUBISHI 65 SHOGUN, 4 WORK SG2 DI-D SWB AUTO (COMMERCIAL) ONE OWNER FROM NEW, 29,000 MILES, IMMACULATE CONDITION. 65 SHOGUN, BARBARIAN, 3.2 DI-D SWB, AUTO, HIGHEST SPEC, ONLY 26,000 MILES, IMMACULATE CONDITION. 06 SHOGUN,WARRIOR 3.2 DID SWB AUTO, LEATHER, SERVICE HISTORY. 55 SHOGUN,EQUIPPE LWB, 7 SEATS, ONE OWNER FROM NEW, GREY IN COLOUR, LOW MILES. CARS & VANS 10 FORD TRANSIT, CONNECT 75, T200 DIESEL. 04 AUDI A3, 2.0 FSI SPORT MANUAL, IN BLACK. OTHER 10 TOYOTA RAV4, XT-R D40, SILVER, SERVICE HISTORY. 57 JEEP PATRIOT, LOCAL, LOW MILES, BLUE. 56 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER, LC5, MANUAL, LOW MILES FOR IT’S YEAR. 55 HYUNDAI TERRACAN, LONG TEST, LOCAL. COMMERCIALS 06 SSANGYONG REXTON. 03 NISSAN TERANO, SWB. 03 MITSUBISHI SHOGUN, CLASSIC, LOCALLY OWNED, SSANGYONG 18 REXTON, ELX, AUTO 2.2 SILVER, ONE LOCAL OWNER, LOW MILES. 15 REXTON,W SPECIAL EDITION, 1 LOCAL LADY OWNER, SERVICE HISTORY. 15 KORANDO, ELX4 26,000 MILES WITH SERVICE HISTORY. 14 REXTON,W 2L, ONE LOCAL LADY OWNER, 7 SEATS, MANUAL, S/HISTORY, SUPPLIED NEW BY US. 07 REXTON RX 270 SE 5, LOCAL SILVER. 56 REXTON 270 S, LOCAL, 7 SEATS. 06 REXTON 270 SE, 1 LOCAL OWNER, MANUAL. 06 REXTON 270 SX AUTO, LOCAL


High Noon Garage Whitemill Carmarthen Carms SA32 7EN


OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK (CLOSED SUNDAYS) 5 MINUTES FROM CARMARTHEN


WWW.GERAINTJONES4X4.CO.UK WE OFFER


01267 290 900


• SALES • SERVICING • PARTS & ACCESSORIES


FLYING THE SSANGYONG FLAG SINCE 2003


NEW KIOTI MECHRON, 4 DOOR & 6 SEATER 4X4 WITH TIPPER, DIESEL, IN STOCK. 2 YEAR WARRANTY ON ALL NEW. NEW KIOTI MECHRON, 2 DOOR.


INDEPENDENT TOYOTA HILUXSPECIALIST


Models portrayed for illustration purposes only. Details correct at time of going to press. All commercials +Vat @20%.


VAUXHALL INSIGNIA COUNTRY TOURER.


Jep Wra 2 0 1 9


e 23 Sp ace an d p ace in 4x4guise ngle r JEEPWRANGLER.


‘Sahara’, ‘Overland’, ‘Rubicon’; £4 4 ,8 6 5 ‐£4 6 ,8 6 5 (£4 8 ,3 6 5 top 4dr LWB); 2 .2 Multi‐Jet II 2 0 0 Diesel or 2 .0 GME 2 7 2 petrol; 8 ‐speed auto. Further to last month, this is the 2 ‐door short wheelbase. Detachable roof panels/doors, fold‐down wind‐screen and split tailgate imbue both 2 /4dr with credibility. On road, SWB’s ride‐ handling is much improved if not equal to the 4 ‐dr LWB ‐ but it’s nimbler on difficult terrain. All are “Trail Rated” (Traction,Wading, Ground clearance,Manoeuvrability, Articulation). Rubicon is “full‐house”: enhanced ‘Rock‐Trac’ H/L Ratio 4x4 ; heavy duty axles; ‘Tru‐Lok’ differentials front/rear; 3 2”Mud‐Terrain tyres; front anti‐roll bar disconnect for ‘in extremis’ suspension articulation. (Rear diff‐lock a cost option other two.) Atrocious weather on the preview route brought phenomenal 4x4 ability of this new Jeep into sharper relief ‐ only the high price and auto‐only UK spec detract.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24