VAUXHALL has revealed the first images of the all-new Insignia, the brand’s flagship large saloon, which has been given a refreshed design and a wide range of improved technology features.

Its makers are looking to add to the success of the 1.2 million Insignia models delivered to customers (over 300,000 to UK customers) since it was first introduced 10 years ago.

The new design re-imagines the Insignia’s front and rear styling, reshaping the exterior appearance of the car to accommodate class-leading new technology and equipment.

The front of the car has a new look to house the impressive next-generation IntelliLux LED headlights, with 84 LED elements in each dipped beam for added efficiency, also improving visibility for night driving.

The slim, horizontal lines of its exterior design continue into the interior, with precisely placed chrome accents adding to the stylish ambience in the top-of-the-range model.

As a first for this flagship model, the Insignia features a new rear-view camera that improves rearward vision. Safety in reversing can be increased with the optional rear cross traffic alert, which uses radar sensors to detect objects 90 degrees to the left or right behind the car, up to a distance of 20m away. The driver is warned by acoustic signals, and on the display screen.

Further driver assistance technology includes forward collision with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, side blind spot alert, adaptive cruise control with emergency braking, traffic sign recognition, advanced park assist and head-up display.

For driver convenience, infotainment options are compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, from the basic seven-inch colour touchscreen Multimedia Radio to the Multimedia Navi Pro unit. The top-of-the-line version features an eight-inch touchscreen and a number of Connected Navigation services.Journeys can be made easier with real-time traffic information, online map updates and predictive navigation for route planning, while new symbols give the navigation display a fresher, more modern appearance.

Pricing and UK spec will be released ahead of its launch.

No early present for car industry

THE UK new car market fell -1.3 per cent in November, with 156,621 models registered, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

However, for the second consecutive month, total alternatively fuelled vehicle (AFV) registrations reached a record market share, with more than one in 10 cars joining UK roads either hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure electric – equivalent to 16,052 cars.