Most cars can be pressed into action as fishing vehicles – but some are simply born for the task.

Rods with 7ft long sections, holdalls, rucksacks, nets, shelters, clothing and a mass of tackle all effortlessly disappear into the back of the luxurious top-of-the-range Insignia Country Tourer.

Add increased ground clearance, all-round black protective cladding, silver front and rear skid plates and here is a car clearly made for a bit of outdoor adventure.

Priced from £25,635 on-the-road, the Country Tourer is first and foremost hugely practical.

To make loading as easy as possible, the tailgate can be opened without touching the car. In combination with keyless open and start, a £380 option enables a kicking motion under the rear bumper to open the powered tailgate. A vehicle silhouette is projected on to the ground to show the correct area, with another kicking motion required to close it.

To increase loading space to 1,665 litres, 135 litres more than the outgoing version, the new Insignia Country Tourer, which is available with all-wheel-drive, comes with optional split-foldable rear seats. Standard roof rails also allow the car to carry roof loads of up to 100kg.

Front seats are large, comfortable, multi-adjustable and heated, and like its Grand Sport and Sports Tourer siblings the Country Tourer also has heated outer rear seats, heated windscreen and heated steering wheel. The wheelbase has also been increased to give an even more spacious cabin.

Instrumentation is clear and the steering wheel carries buttons for audio, phone and cruise control while the eight-inch colour touchscreen, mounted high in the centre console, controls everything from satellite navigation to Bluetooth telephone link.

Power on the test car came from a 170 horsepower 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission that delivers effortless high-speed cruising however heavily loaded the car is. Over 500 miles I managed an average of just over 45mpg, not far off the claimed consumption figure. A 210 horsepower Bi-Turbo diesel is also available.

The car rides on a chassis that can be flicked between standard, sport or tour, with the electronics adapting the dampers, steering, throttle response and shift points.

As you would expect on a flagship model technology is key, with a high level of safety equipment including lane keep assist and automatic emergency braking.

The test car also came with the £1,000 optional LED headlights that use 32 LED lenses to improve long-range visibility. When taking a curve with the full beam on, the light intensity automatically rises based on the steering angle to help you see the road ahead. Each headlight also features a high-beam spotlight for more illumination up to 400 metres ahead.

Other systems available range from a head-up display and adaptive cruise control, to warning systems that make reversing out of driveways or parking spaces safer and easier and another that warns if the car approaches a vehicle ahead too quickly.

Parking is easier too, thanks to a set of ultrasound sensors on the Insignia’s front and rear bumpers that can identify suitable parking spaces and detect possible obstacles. When the parking spot is calculated, the system automatically parks the vehicle without you needing to touch the wheel.

All in all if you have the need of a big, capacious car with rugged looks, the ability to tackle a bit of rough stuff and not a little luxury, the Country Tourer must be on the list to look at.

Auto facts

Model: Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer 2.0 Turbo D

Price: £31,840 as tested

Insurance group: 20E (1-50)

Fuel consumption (combined): 47.1mpg

Top speed: 135mph

Length: 498.6cm/196.3in

Width: 186.3cm/73.3in

Luggage capacity: 19.7cu ft

Fuel tank capacity: 13.6 gallons/62 litres

CO2 emissions: 157g/km

Warranty: Three years/ 60,000 miles