“Don’t make the
  mistake of dismissing
  Vauxhall’s Signum
  2.8 V6 on the basis of
  the badge on its nose
  — get behind the
  wheel and you’ll find
  that it’s a genuine
  Executive Express...”

THE SIGNUM'S PLACE IN THE NEW CAR MARKET is an exten-sion of the second-generation Vauxhall Vectra range, but is aimed directly at executive car users. It has a five-door hatchback body but is based on the longer wheelbase Vectra Estate, so the result is a very roomy sports hatch. The rear legroom is almost limousine class, plus there's a huge boot to match.

The Signum is sold almost exclusively in the business car sector and only really enters the retail market as a used car. At which point it becomes a real bargain — big in size; big in specification; and relatively low in price as the residual values for the Signum have never been really very strong.

The problem with the Signum is that — despite the fact that it offers superb refinement and is a very comfortable and roomy, has a sporty design and fuel efficient engines — in the executive business sector hatchbacks are not generally liked. Users prefer instead a saloon or an estate. The result has been that Signum residual values are pretty poor, retaining between 30 to 35 per cent of the new price over the industry's 'norm' period of three years/36,000 miles.

This means that private customers buying a used Signum get a really good deal — a lot of car for the money, and one that should last for years and with minimal further loss in value. Vauxhall does not sell many of these, so they are relatively scarce. If rumours are true, then in 2008 the Signum will be no more and then there'll be a new Vectra range. We assume that, within that range, there will be replacement 'executive' models.

The Signum was first introduced in 2003 as a hatchback to replace Vauxhall's well liked Omega executive saloons and estates. The trouble was that business customers generally were not attracted to the hatchback design. If you are a big manufacturer in the business-user and fleet markets you need to be able to offer an executive model to customers who are, say, moving up in status from a Vectra. And Signum is that vehicle.

However, customers with executive status have switched instead to models from Audi, BMW, Mercedes — and even Jaguar.

So much for the Signum's 'potted history'. It would be easy to dismiss the car as a 'no hoper' but for a used car buyer, especially for the diesel-powered models, it offers a fine opportunity.

The latest Signum models are priced from £18,200 to £28,525, but expect to get a big discount. They have all the latest styling and tech-nical tweaks of the volume-selling Vectra range of saloons, hatchbacks and estates with Elegance, Exclusiv, Design and Elite levels of specific-ation. Depending upon the trim level chosen, there are 1.8, 2.2, 2.0-litre turbo and 2.8 twin-scroll turbo petrol engines and 1.9 and 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine options.

With its longer wheelbase and sleek five-door hatchback body the Signum looks a large, sporty and ideal touring car. The rear legroom is exceptional. Ideal for the chauffeured business executive but equally handy as family transport where rear seat passengers in their teens can sit comfortably without being cramped. However, it really is only
a four-seater.

The Signum also benefits from Vauxhall's innovative rear FlexSpace seating system. The comfortable and contoured twin rear seats
can slide back and forth individually, and the seat backs can be re-clined separately, so providing the same level of comfort and space as the front seats. There is a wide centre armrest providing generous elbow room and also a built-in centre console with drink holders and storage space. On occasions, this central location can double-up as a slim seat for a younger child. The rear seats split 40/20/40, adding to the car's versatility as a passenger or load carrier. And with all the rear seats folded down a large flat load floor is created and provides 1,410 litres of carrying space.

The specification of all Signum models is very high — even the base model has electrically-operated windows, air conditioning and a satellite navigation system!

My test car was the Signum 2.8 V6 Design model with the new turbo-charged petrol engine and a six-speed manual transmission. It costs £23,175. With a few desirable options added — including adaptive for-ward lighting with Xenon headlights, high pressure headlight washers, Vauxhall's automatic damping suspension control system, larger (19-inch) alloy wheels and roof rails — the total nudged over £25K. By precisely £25.

Design specification for the 2.8 V6 model has the items already listed plus six airbags, eight-way adjustable driver and front passenger seats, trip computer, remote control alarm and central door locking, stereo radio/CD system, electronic stability programme, lowered and uprated sports suspension, sports front seats, rain sensitive wipers, automatic lights, tinted glass and front fog lights.

The one item I needed — but one that was missing — was parking sensors. Surely they now have to be standard on executive class cars! At 4,651mm, the Signum is a long car with not particularly brilliant visibility to the rear quarters, despite the large tailgate window. So go for the parking sensors from the options list. A slight disappointment, even though this Signum model has all the kit and excellent seating, is the fascia panel, which looks pretty ordinary — very much a Vectra in that respect.

With the high torque engine, this model is the 'motorway express' of the range. The Signum has all the space and refinement to be a long-legged cruiser but this engine adds the performance to really give it the 'sports' edge.

Maximum speed is electronically limited to 155mph; and it gets from zero to 60mph in a pretty sharp 6.7 seconds. The average fuel econ-omy is quoted as 26.6mpg but my test car returned a commendable 29.8mpg overall, for a long journey through France and back.

This all-aluminium 24-valve engine offers, for a petrol unit, huge amounts of torque over a wide power band — something usually only found with diesel engines. Whilst power output is a solid 247bhp at 5,500rpm, torque is a plentiful 258lb ft from only 1,800rpm right through to 4,500rpm. This is down to the use of a twin-scroll turbo-charger that takes its air via an intercooler and which provides boost at both low and medium engine speeds.

Whilst the aluminium engine construction does not absorb noise as effectively as an iron block motor — nor is it as smooth — it is never-theless impressive. Although a six-speed manual gearbox is standard fit, auto is an option. In fact, there is so much torque you really only need first, fourth and sixth gears. It is a joy to drive in town or on
the motorway; really responsive and with good fuel economy.

With drive going through the front wheels and with the amount of torque and power available, it does create huge amounts of torque steer during hard acceleration when overtaking slower traffic, espec-ially on A and B type roads. It's not a problem as such, but you just need to be aware.

Most other Signum models tend to have a soft and floating executive car ride, but with its sports suspension the Design variant gives a very firm ride indeed. This is made worse by the larger alloy wheels and low profile tyres. Long journeys over poor road surfaces, including concrete section motorways, can be very wearing on the passengers. The levels of audible road noise intrusion are also high because of the hard sus-pension and low profile tyres, and this noise resonates throughout the interior.

The Signum is not a popular car — I think it's underrated — and it is only going to appeal to a small number of people. It is no mass-selling model but it is well priced, goes like a greyhound and looks pretty good as well. The downside is the residual value, high road fund tax and
the already mentioned tyre and road noise intrusion. Compensating for that is the Signum's interior space, refinement, performance, fuel economy and the fact that it makes a good secondhand purchase. And if you need to tow, it has a useful braked towing capacity of 1,700kg.

Overall it's a pity it will not be appreciated by more new executive car customers, but I can recommend it as a very good buy secondhand if you want a good sporting, luxury large hatch with plenty of power and all for for a good price. — David Miles

Vauxhall Signum 2.8 V6 Design | £23,175 Maximum speed: 155mph | 0-60mph: 6.7 seconds Overall test MPG: 29.8mpg | Power: 247bhp | Torque: 258lb ft CO2 254g/km | VED Band G £300 | Insurance group 15E Visit Vauxhall's website