The Citroen C1: A Vehicle with Choice to Abound

The Citroen C1 is currently available for purchase, offering drivers a wide range of options to suit their needs. With so many variants on offer, it's no wonder that this vehicle has become a staple in families and salesmen alike.

In contrast, the Vauxhall Insignia has been criticized for being "spoilt for choice". To address this concern, Vauxhall has given its flagship model, the Insignia of the XR, a significant facelift. The result is a car that not only looks good but also performs admirably. With 20-inch alloys and bespoke bumpers, this car is sure to turn heads on the road.

But what sets the Insignia of the XR apart from its competitors? For starters, it boasts an impressive price point, with a starting price of £31,000. This makes it an attractive option for those looking to upgrade without breaking the bank. But it's not just about looks and affordability – performance is also on par with that of premium brands.

Under the bonnet lies a 2.8-liter V6 turbocharged engine, producing 320 brake horsepower. While power delivery can be a bit rough around the edges when the turbo kicks in, this car truly delivers in terms of speed. The Insignia of the XR sprints from naught to 60 miles per hour in just 5.6 seconds – rivaling that of BMW's esteemed 335.

One feature that sets the Insignia apart is its adaptive four-wheel drive system. While most would hardly notice this capability, it undoubtedly provides an edge on the road, particularly when cornering. However, drivers can opt for a more comfortable driving experience with standard mode suspension – ideal for daily commutes.

But for those who crave more, Vauxhall's VXR system offers an extreme driving experience. With stiffer dampers and sharper throttle response, this setting turns the Insignia into a true performance machine. Even the exhaust note takes on a new level of sophistication in this mode.

However, it comes at a cost – literally. When not utilizing the VXR mode, fuel economy falls significantly short of that of its rivals. With a mere 24 miles per gallon, this car is hardly the most eco-friendly option available.

Despite these drawbacks, the Insignia of the XR boasts an impressive interior. The steering wheel, in particular, features premium materials and controls, while the cabin itself has been well-appointed with modern amenities such as electronic parking brakes and touchscreen interfaces. Even the humble Recaro seats deliver a level of comfort and support typically reserved for more expensive vehicles.

Ultimately, the Insignia of the XR offers something for everyone – from those seeking an affordable yet stylish option to performance enthusiasts who crave speed and aggression. With its sleek design, impressive features, and formidable capabilities, this car is sure to turn heads on the road. But, as with any choice, it's essential to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.

A Comparison with the BMW 335: The No-Brainer

For those seeking sophistication and an unparalleled driving experience, the BMW 335 is undoubtedly the superior option. While the Insignia of the XR boasts impressive performance, it can't compete with the BMW's refined engine and rear-wheel drive layout. With a starting price just £1000 higher than the Insignia, the BMW offers an unbeatable package that few will be able to match.

A Conclusion: 7 out of 10

In conclusion, the Vauxhall Insignia of the XR has proven itself to be an impressive contender in the world of compact cars. With its striking design, robust performance capabilities, and advanced features, this vehicle is a must-consider for those seeking an affordable yet stylish option.

But it's not without its flaws – particularly when it comes to fuel economy and environmental considerations. Nonetheless, the Insignia of the XR remains a formidable force on the road, one that will undoubtedly leave onlookers in awe of its capabilities.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: encoming up in this edition of this fear web TV gram shakes up the office again to meet up with American rally driver Ken Block welcome to fifth gear Web TV the best place on the web for both sensible automotive advice and useless car facts first up here's the news Land Rover has announced that its long-awaited lrx concept will go into production the baby Land Rover will be built at the company's Merseyside plant Sal has an on sale date for 2011 there are no details about engines just yet and the firm won't confirm whether or not the production car will remain as a three-door but Land Rovers design director has announced that it will remain true to exploting roof concept design and will be sold alongside the current lineup rather than replacing an existing model you Gotti has released details about its stunning new gonna be a concept car it's a four-door 4 seater super saloon that could go on sale in 2013 it shares the same aluminium w16 engine as the Veyron but comes equipped with two superchargers instead of the Veyrons four turbos it's also got eight tailpipes apart carbon-fiber body and a luxurious yet minimalist dashboard with a clock that can be removed and attached to a wristwatch strap the boss of beauty has pointed out that the colibri a may not even go into production at all but is one of several possible design for the next model however if response is good enough then something strongly resembling the gala ba will become a reality and finally American company Fisker Automotive has secured a half a billion dollar loan from the US Department of Energy to create affordable plug-in hybrid electric cars as part of a government scheme to get 1 million electric cars on American roads by 2015 visca which seems set on world domination already has a model in development set for production in 2011 it's called the Karma a four-door coupe which produces 403 horsepower and is expected to have a nought to 60 time of around 6 seconds it'll be powered by lithium ion batteries and a petrol engine capable of a range of 480 miles this is said it can theoretically get through just one tank of fuel per year if it's driven fewer than 50 miles a day the Karma is priced at around 40 thousand US dollars and Fisker will also be using some of its newly acquired half a billion dollar budget to make a family-friendly plug-in hybrid for 2012 American rally driver an all-round action sports legend ken Block has recently been throwing some shapes around Silverson in a car so we judy dispatched Graham from the office and told him not to come back until Ken was his new best friend ken block has been a professional snowboarder skateboarder and motocross rider more recently he's turned his hands to rally driving at he's American his definition of rallying is a little bit more extreme the most probably why he holds a record for jumping a rally car which by the way is 1km nice video AJ thanks you put this down first of all tell us why we're here this weekend is the launch of dirt too so we're here at Silverstone to have a little fun with the car and you have everybody come out and try out the game so what kind of involvement did you have with the game as it was developed our Codemasters brought me in about a year ago to our being a test driver to make sure that you know from my expertise and we could get the dynamics of the car and the game to feel about the same because it came from Colin McRae Rally which I can remember playing on earth I think a Playstation one or a Playstation 2 which I used to love it was kind of really good blend between an arcade game which was a bit easygoing but actually with a little bit of skill as well that's a thing they've got the racing dynamics of the car down very very well it's very simliar it's it's very much like real life I always thought when Colin McRae is around racing and rollin cars crashing cars I thought that was pretty exciting but now you seem to be doing jumps Jim carnism getting millions of hits on YouTube so you kind of consciously taken rally in a new direction or just doing what you enjoy well I I grew up skateboarding and snowboarding and riding dirt bikes and 99% of the time I was doing that I was not competing it was out having fun yeah and rally for me it was really kind of the opposite I'm a competitor at heart but the car is just so amazing that I want to use it other places than just in the rally stage it's just a matter of having a lot of fun and and really at the base that's what Colin love too you know he and I but you know before he passed away a good banter about that type of stuff and when I did my first jump for stunt jockeys I emailed him a photo and his email response was that if that's real you know talking about the photo yes that's real I'll eat my driving boots so I said well I get ready to eat those boots yeah I'm lucky enough to be in smashing loads car earlier this year and Goodwood Festival of Speed in the passenger seat lucky you yeah very lucky with the two most kind of well renowned rally drivers of the moment in one year I'm doing my putting me next and Sebastian Loeb how do you write your driving competitive snow completely different style nowhere near no veneer got a lot more years of experience to catch up to that guy yeah he's really the best rally driver ever so I think he has quite as much fun as you either he's cool calm and collected in Europe doing Johnson are your way well yeah my Avenue is the one that's open to me right now and I'm making the most out of it so all this talk of computer games I'm meeting to have a go yeah have you played it yet I've played it yet ah ropes not a q1 yes very good once go do that that's good chat over we headed next door where some Xboxes had been conveniently set up could I be Ken at his own game so he'd be played any other rally drivers of this yeah just me oh yeah did you beat him we didn't play this stage we played a different stage he played a good wood he actually had it headed down my path I could beat you couldn't beat him clearly the answer was no congratulate but enough pretending to drive like Ken it was time to see him behind an actual steering wheel outside in one of the garages was his specially prepared Subaru Impreza WRX STI which Chuck's out more than 500 horsepower of fortune 50 pounds feet of torque and I had been invited to ride shotgun with the fairground themed course you'd be screwed with chunks of rubber jump a mere walk in the park something I'd only ever done in my bedroom at my computer I tell you I could've prevented it work right now a time for some new car business Vauxhall has unleashed a saloon car upon us it's got 320 brake horsepower four-wheel drive and a couple of bad-boy exhausts it's called the insignia of VXR and I have tried to tame it over the decades voxels have been criticized for being well dull but one thing you can't criticize the manufacturer for is choice this is the list of Citroen c1 currently available for you to buy this is the list of voxel courses on sale see what I mean the same can be said when you compare fors Mondeo tip voxels year old archrival the insignia cross when it was launched in 2008 it came as a welcome relief from the cheap feeling lackluster Vectra that it replaced that with so many variants on offer to families and salesmen up and down the country is it a case that the insignia has been spoilt for choice well in a valiant effort to see the insignia away from becoming insignificant Vauxhall has given it some Sparkle added some steroids and given it a few more horses under the bonnet and come up with this the insignia of the XR this is definitely the best-looking voxel I have ever seen it is a good looking car it's lower meaner and moodier than the rest of the range and these whopping great 20 inch alloys are definitely this Cardwell factor and worth the 1,100 pounds option but don't go anywhere near a curve around the front these vertical vents are new gone are the metallic horizontal slats and then all the way around the back there is a bespoke bumper incorporating two Fatboy matt chrome exhaust and all of that gives it a really really strong look but is it strong enough to outshine the premium brands well for starters it's got the price and the performers to match them 31,000 pounds it gets you naught to 60 miles an hour in a 5.6 seconds so it's just as quick as a BMW 335 and it's a grand cheaper the engine is the same 2.8 liter v6 turbocharged yoona that was in the Vectra but thanks to some ECU and some turbo tweaks it is more powerful at 320 brake horsepower but the power delivery is a particularly smooth until the turbo is bucking spinning and even then it's not as silky smooth as its rivals unusually for a company that predominantly makes front wheel drive vehicles this insignia have an adaptive four-wheel drive system and its the first VXR first car to do so you barely noticed that fact though because it really does drive and feel like a traditional front-wheel drive car it's just that it better grip when you go around corners with the suspension in the standard mode that the excise is a bit stiffer than normal insignias but it is very comfortable on the commuter run however if you do want to toughen things up then just press the sportier sports butter or the really hardcore the XR button which stiffens the dampers sharpens the throttle response and the steering which goes from being poor to being just about decent also in VXR mode the exhaust note sounds rudia and very importantly the back lights on the dash they change color from white and when you want to calm things down with Brembo brakes are big enough to rein little back in all that fun though comes at a price even when you're not in the thirstiest VXR setting this car falls considerably short on fuel economy when compared to its rivals and their more refined engines they'll do about 30 miles per gallon they stink just 24 it doesn't fare very well when it comes to carbon emissions either 268 at g/km of co2 puts this into the top tax bans M so it'll cost four hundred and five pounds a year that's merely 200 pounds more than the competition it does have a pretty well laid out cabin the controller here for scrolling through the computer menus and the electronic parking brake have a premium feel as do the materials used the extra touches include this silver trim in the steering wheel and these deliciously over-the-top Recaro tombstone seats that have been designed to give maximum comfort on all your road trips including any track day antics they mirror this cars character really well which is no shrinking violet if you like to be brash with your cash then the VXR will make a good companion it'll get you noticed and get you from A to B with a little grin on your face if so you like sophistication then the Audi s4 is the better choice but for me the BMW 335 is the no-brainer here it costs a grand more for the same price as these alloy wheels but it uses sophistication and it's rear-wheel drive chassis is a dream I like a try though so I'm going to give the VXR 7 out of 10 that's it for this edition of fifth gear Web TV join us again in a couple of weeks time where we will have a special a two-wheel edition featuring the comedian Ross noble you won't want to miss it\n"