Who can forget that cringeworthy documentary of the mid nineties that highlighted the grotesque pecking orders amongst reps when it came to company cars? " Do you know what the "i" on the back stands for? Important" crowed one polyester-suited berk. These days, attitudes have changed, the Vauxhall Vectra has changed but the berk may have been right in one respect at least. The SRi model is hugely important for Vauxhall and there's more to it than a set of injectors, some alloy wheels and a rear spoiler.

The 'old' Vectra SRi accounted for around one fifth of all Vectra sales, not bad going when there were Envoy, LS, Club, GLS, CD, CDX, Tourer, SXi, and GSi models also snouting the trough. The SRi models are not only significantly different from the rest of the Vectra range but they're also vehicles unique to the UK, developed and built specifically for British driving conditions. The current facelifted Vectra even sports sleeker looks borrowed from the Astra hatchback and the SRi trim is best equipped to make the most of them.

Available as a five-door hatch or an estate, the SRi versions of the Vectra are powered by a choice of a 140bhp 1.8-litre 16v, a 175bhp 2.0-litre turbo, a 2.2-litre 16v and for those who hanker after a diesel, the 1.9-litre CDTi and 3.0-litre CDTi powerplants. The engines we largely know about, familiar friends from the rest of the Vectra range but the SRi package merits further investigation. Yes there is a set of body modifications, but it's subtle. Blink and you'll miss the honeycomb grille, the deeper front and rear bumpers and the colour-keyed sills that run down each side. There's even a rear spoiler that's so small it's almost imperceptible and 17-inch six-spoke alloys are fitted with 50-series low profile tyres.

"The steering feeling nicely weighty and expensively oiled."

Jump inside and you'll spot eight-way adjustable sports seats, a leather covered steering wheel, chrome ringed dials and a selection of chrome and platinum highlights on the fascia, doors and gearshift. You could almost kid yourself that this was a proper sports saloon rather than a Vectra. Then you realise quite how much work has gone into the chassis and suspension set up and you begin to realise that you may have to eat your words.

In developing the SRi, the engineers from GM's International Technical Development Centre had a number of key objectives in mind. Not only must the ride quality and refinement levels be maintained, but the chassis and steering responses had to be sharpened. The car had to sit lower to the road on lower profile tyres yet noise, vibration and harshness needed to be kept to acceptable levels. The steering is a little quicker than the standard Vectra, the ratio reduced from 16:1 to 15:1 but in truth the Vectra's steering was already one of its strongest suits, so only a mild tweak was necessary.

Lowering the ride height by 20mm gave the car a more aggressive stance and drops the centre of gravity. In order to compensate, vertical wheel travel at the front has been cut by 15mm and front spring rates increased by some 20%. Damping was also beefed up. Using the Vauxhall scale to measure the level of damping where the entry-level 1.8-litre model is V1 and the 2.2-litre 16v is V2, the SRi variants have been tuned to the level of V5. Harder bushes were used for the roll bar and suspension mounts. At the back the rear axle, damping and spring rates were also increased and a meatier anti-roll bar was fitted.

Get behind the wheel of a Vectra SRi and it feels right straight away. It's one of those cars that tells you within five seconds of pulling away that it's about to offer up some fun, the steering feeling nicely weighty and expensively oiled. There's a muscularity to the body control too, with no crashing or harshness being transmitted to the cabin, even when negotiating the average scabby British B-road. The 1.8-litre engine offers the least to the keen driver, its 140bhp being delivered willingly and economically, but if you're in the market for a car that handles as sharply as the SRi you really need an engine that can give the chassis some physics to chow down on.

The 2.2-litre 147bhp petrol engine is a good engine - the same in fact as that was once fitted to the VX220 sportscar and, less auspiciously, to Zafira, Omega, Astra and Frontera models. Being 200cc larger than the class 2.0-litre norm, it's not surprising to find this car boasting class-leading performance. You don't necessarily see that in the traditional 0-60mph and maximum speed figures (9s and 134mph) but you certainly do when it comes to a torque output of 203Nm.

The 175bhp 2.0-litre engine that represents the quickest SRi is a surprisingly restrained thing, getting to 60mph in 8.1 seconds without all manner of turbo drama. The CDTi units are better for those who like to keep an eye on their fuel gauge. 0-60mph in 8.8 seconds is possible in the 150bhp version and the 120bhp unit is a little more tardy posting a 10.5s time. Combined fuel consumption of 48.6mpg and 49.6mpg respectively make these powerplants impressively economical. At the top of the range, the 3.0-litre CDTi diesel reigns supreme with masses of torque and decent economy.

A word to the wise for fleet managers. Photocopier salesmen don't need Vectra SRi models. They'd only spill the toner. Standard models will do. A Vectra for the private buyer? You read it here first.

TOP 5 VECTRA DEALS

The results below show the top VECTRA deals on buyacar

	Vauxhall Vectra 2.2i Direct SRi [Sat Nav] 5dr [Exterior Pack II] Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £285	Saving £5,138	Price £14,977
	Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDTi SRi [150] 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £275	Saving £5,043	Price £14,772
	Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDTi SRi [150] 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £297	Saving £5,468	Price £15,797
	Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDTi SRi [150][Sat Nav] 5dr [Ext Pack II] Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £297	Saving £5,556	Price £15,959
	Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 T SRi 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £282	Saving £5,064	Price £14,891

typical 10.48% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000