New sports saloons
Irmscher Insignia and SEAT Exeo set to do battle
The saloon market has faced stiff competition from the increasing number of SUV and MPV niches of recent years, but manufacturers have kept the faith - and this pair of four-doors are the latest entrants to the market.
The Vauxhall Insignia showed its face a while back, but this Irmscher iteration has awoken our interest in the Vectra-replacement. A honeycomb grille, a smattering of spoilers and side skirts, quad exhausts and 20in alloys inject some muscle into the saloon. Irmscher has been a partner of Opel and Vauxhall for 40 years, so knows a thing or two about smartening up their cars. The kit will command a small premium over the Insignia's £15,935 starting price.
SEAT's Exeo hits the road looking fairly smart in standard-trim - although if you have a keen eye you'll see that it's mostly Audi A4. The previous-generation A4, at that. It's SEAT's novel idea of getting a conventional saloon quickly to market with an established and respected interior, exterior and drivetrain. The only noticeable changes involve the front and rear lights, plus SEAT grilles and wing mirrors. Prices are expected to kick-off at around £17k. It's unlikely to challenge the Insignia or Mondeo's sales figures, but could provide a new 'Audi' to people normally shut out by premium pricing.
