Vauxhall Signum

Is this the car anyone asked for? Basically a stretched version of the Vectra, the Signum is a sort of half-way house between a hatchback and estate car - no more boot space than a Vectra hatch, but with a big bonus on passenger space. It is basically a four seater car, with a fifth seat for occasional use. That means in the rear there are two separate chairs that slide back and forth as well as reclining. Comfort levels here are extremely high, with great all-round support from the seats themselves, good elbow room and masses of stretch-out legroom. It's a fine ambience for chauffeured travelling executives who should be very happy and comfortable. There is also an optional central coolbox/storage box between the rear seats which is neat as it comes with separate headphone outlets. Those in the back can listen to the in-dash CD while those in the front get the radio, or vice versa. Carrying a fifth person is easy enough if you remove that optional box. But the resulting cushion is so high and hard, no-one is going to be comfortable for long. So a four-seater it is.

Even following the facelift, front-end styling has remained close to the Vectra, with only a few bits of chrome differentiating them, though the Signum's fastback-style rear is very appealing. As for the dash, again, it's pure Vectra with a bit of glitz. Comfortable seats, much-improved drive following the facelift and near-faultless ride. The 1.9-litre direct injection diesel engine is a best-bet powerplant. Power is strong enough to feel quite sporting and the Signum is exceedingly refined at speed. Prices are on the ball, particularly considering the extensive standard spec, but heavy depreciation quickly takes its toll. An able car, but did anyone ask for a stretched Vectra?