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The kick-off engine is a 140bhp, 1.8 petrol, and then a 180bhp, 1.6 turbo, then a 220bhp, 2.0 turbo, which I drove. Top of the petrol heap is the 260bhp, V6 auto. On the diesel side, it’s a pair of 2.0s stretched from the old 1.9s, giving 130 and 160bhp, with a 190 twin-turbo to come. At the moment, everything comes with a six-speed manual or six-speed auto, though a twin-clutch is in the works.

In fact, lots of fancy stuff is in the works. BMW has been making a song and dance about the new 7-Series having a camera that can read speed-limit road signs as well as nudge you into lane. Well, the Insignia will have that too.

The parking radar doesn't just beep - it tells you how to move the steering wheel to wriggle into a spot. The Bluetooth can stream tunes direct from your music phone.

I'm in the 2.0 turbo 2WD,and, sure enough, the drive is something of a revolution - at least, compared with the Vectra. Are we in Mondeo territory?

Close. The Insignia feels like a thing of precision and strength. All its motions are well-damped and predictable. Yes, there’s still a bit of softness to the first motion of the steering and brake pedal, but in a car designed to do a zillion miles in the hands of business drivers (OK, reps), any nervousness would be punished. It sits on a motorway at 90 like it’s barely moving.

It feels heavy in a good way, then ¬ solid. Unfortunately, it is heavy in a bad way. Model for model, it’s gained about 140kg over the old one, putting the turbo towards 1,600kg. Gulp. Small wonder the engine, strong and sweet though it is, has to work for its living.

The test car was self-assured around corners, but the steering had an odd self-centring weight. Turns out the chassis settings are being tweaked for us fussy British drivers, so I won’t say more yet.A sports button on the dash givesa giddy-up to the adaptive dampers and the throttle, and loosens the ESP. On 4WD cars, it even changes the torque distribution. But its most immediate change is to change the instrument lighting from white to red. A small touch among many that imply the Insignia has been designed by people who actually like cars.

General Motors is in deep poo in the US because its trucks are too big and its cars too dull.In Europe, on the back of thefine Corsa and Astra, GM has been flourishing. Yup, it’s asimple message, and it seemsto be getting through. Don’t underestimate us. If you want to survive as a corporation, make cars we want to buy.