Vauxhall Has Brought Back The Famous GSi Badge And It's Not Just A Styling Exercise

GSi is back! Vauxhall has relaunched the badge everyone wanted a piece of during the 1990s and 2000s with a new Insignia GSi… although things aren’t quite as all-new as they seem.

The GSi will sit near the top of the range as a long-legged, sporty family car that takes things further than the aesthetics-only SRi trim grade. Think of it as a halfway house between SRi and full-bananas VXR.

It’s a rebirth of a label that always denoted something a cut above the average, and will come with upgraded suspension, four-wheel drive, an eight-speed automatic gearbox and torque vectoring. Unlike brake-based systems, the Insignia will actually accelerate the outside wheel to give better turn-in and a more rear-biased handling feel. Nice.

If those specs sound familiar, though, it’s because there’s already a range-topping Insignia Grand Sport that has four-wheel drive, an eight-speed slushbox and the exact same 256bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot that’s slated for the GSi. The GSi will ride 10mm lower, though, adding special shock absorbers and Brembo brakes. A boot lip spoiler is actually functional, too, neutralising an as-yet unspecified amount of high-speed lift.

There will be adjustable driving modes that even allow the driver to customise the gear shift points in Standard and Sport modes. Fuel economy is 32.8mpg, which is the same as the existing 256bhp Insignia Grand Sport.

The GSi’s sports seats will be bespoke to that car, and there will be GSi badges here and there inside the cabin to remind you you’re in something a little warmer than ordinary. Grip is taken care of by Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres on wheels ranging from 18 to 20 inches.

Vauxhall has used the GSi tag since the early 1990s on the Astra and Vectra, when OTT styling met OTT engines like, in the final Vectra GSi’s case, a heavy 3.2-litre V6 with 208bhp and a thirst for unleaded. Launched in 2002, the car lasted until 2005 before being canned. The Insignia GSi marks the first time the much-loved old badge has reappeared since then.