The upcoming Vauxhall all-wheel-drive Insignia VXR is set to benefit from the handling-improving torque vectoring technology used in the Ford Focus RS.

We won't know the full details of the 2017 VXR until well into next year but we’ve had a chance to try out a prototype put together by GKN, the company responsible for the Focus RS’s all-wheel drive system, and the early signs are good.

The prototype is a current-model VXR with GKN’s Twinster module on the rear axle. If the Twinster finds its way onto the production VXR, it would have full torque vectoring at the rear. Drive to the front wheels would be controlled by a standard electronic differential lock, which applies braking force to wheels that are slipping under power.

During our tests of GKN’s prototype at German’s Aldenhoven test centre, we did find that Twinster enhanced the Insignia’s adjustability on the throttle, though with a relatively inactive front-drive setup the prototype did eventually transition into understeer.

Insiders reckon that the next Insignia VXR could be around 200kg lighter than the current model’s 1825kg. If true, that would certainly help in the process of optimising the handling.