VAUXHALL has just released the first official pictures of the new Insignia's interior ahead of its world public debut at the British International Motor Show, London, at the end of July.

The car replaces the Vectra, and it goes on sale in both hatchback and saloon forms throughout the UK in October.

There will be five engines offered at launch, three petrol and two diesel, plus an all-wheel drive version.

But it's the interior space, fixtures and fittings that will come under close scrutiny from fleet buyers, and Vauxhall has set out to impress. John Puskar, head of interior design at GM Europe, said: "We wanted to create interior environments for all our future vehicles that are warm, inviting and sporty. The Insignia is the first evidence of this philosophy."

This translates into a high quality cabin with a warm and inviting interior.

Vauxhall's designers have added an amber-coloured ambient light to enhance the night driving environment. The instrument cluster is illuminated white, but, on pressing the Sport button, the lighting turns red to match the surrounding illumination.

Cabin practicality will also raise the bar in Insignia's market sector, said Mr Puskar.

"The centre console offers flexibility and intelligent design solutions, such as a space-liberating e-brake and separate multi-function control on certain models.

"Both the steering wheel and front seats have a huge range of adjustability to suit all shapes and sizes, while adjustable armrests, ergonomically-placed controls, a multi-use storage box, and MP3 connectivity will reinforce Insignia's appeal to private and business drivers," added the GM design chief.

Vauxhall says the Insignia's cabin design and rigging-out will provide the DNA for future Vauxhall designs.

The Insignia's driver and front passenger are surrounded by a bold, wrap-around fascia that flows into the glove box and door handle areas to give a feeling of greater space.

Replacing a model is a big step for any car maker, but the Insignia's inside job will raise benchmarks even further in the big family car market.

SEAT, meanwhile, has unveiled the SportCoupé version of the new Ibiza five-door hatchback that goes on sale on July 16.

The SportCoupé is three-door only, and has more aggressive styling than its supermini sibling. It looks sleeker, too - it is a full 17mm lower than the five-door.

This is the model on which future Ibiza FR and Cupra variants will be based - probably with the current crop of 1.9-litre diesel and 2.0-litre petrol engines - and it will come with a supermini world first, a slick-shift seven-speed double-clutch automatic gearbox on 1.6-litre petrol variants.

While pricing, trim, and engine choices have yet to be fully revealed, SEAT believes the sporty three-door will go down well with British buyers.

Steve Robertson, the firm's head of marketing in the UK, said of the Ibiza addition: "Traditionally, a significant part of our business has been built on the success of three-door Ibiza, so the unveiling of the stunning new SportCoupé is a key moment for us. Existing Ibiza owners, as well as sports-orientated supermini buyers generally, will be thrilled at what they see," he said