I worked on this project. I redesigned the chromed interior door handles for a plastic part. You can tell if the handles are the early ones because they are die cast metal. The later one I designed is plastic and you can feel the stiffening ribs on the rear surface when you operate the lever. It was part of the ironically called "cost cutting" which they start immediately after bringing in the firt version, instead of designing an optimised product in the first place. It's all internal poilitcs and the way the car industry works. I also designed the rear centre console (known internally as the Travel Assistant, but later changed to Travel Assist, I think). I created all of the concepts and packaging for it, including extra features that never made it into production. I even designed the base and did my own styling for it, which Opel accepted without even changing (I believe their stylists were overworked at the time) despite me not being a designer. I still have some of my sketches from before it went into development. The Signum wheelbase was I think 190mm longer (maybe 170mm?).

If you don't try driving it from the back seat I'm unsubscribing lol

Replacing the Omega with a car that looked like an Astra seemed a very odd decision by Vauxhall / Opel. My mate had one and it was pleasant enough but I’m not surprised the concept never really took off.

Signum, Vel Satis, Citroën C6, Peugeot 607, Skoda Superb. What an era

I bought a 2.0T petrol second hand from the dealer less than 8 months old, with 9,000 on the clock. I still have it. She's 18 years old. A dream to drive. Huge luggage space with the back seats down. I love it.

Colour is 'peacock' I believe. One of my favourites Vauxhall colours of the time. I had a Vectra C back when they were fairly new. They're often maligned but I thought they were built pretty well and I found them a nicer drive than the Mondeo of the era. Quite liked the Signum. A car that no one asked for but was a nice looker. Nice engine options too.

It’s cars like this that make me miss my dads 1998 omega 3.0v6 elite estate so much.

I was going to buy one many moons ago but the wife pooh poohed the idea. Bought a Vectra C 2.2 Elite instead. It was the rear end that had put her off. PS, the second cd slot is the sat nav

It is obviously a well-loved vehicle because it is in amazing condition considering its mileage!

Is there something wrong with me that I get excited when you're reviewing an estate? Such a welcome change from the SUVs everywhere

If I am correct, the slider between the window switches is made to use the rear windows with the same buttons. As always, love your content!

Wagons (Estates, Shooting Brakes, Stationeers, whatever you call them) are my favorite body shapes but I really dont know what to make of this. It's really more a 'very long hatchback' yes? Reminds me a little of the Saab 9-3 'hatch' and a weird Fiat I saw somewhere a long time ago.

These are built on the long wheelbase version of the epsilon platform, same as the Vectra estate. However the estate is actually about 8" longer overall. The overall length of the Signum was actually close to the Vectra saloon / hatch.

I think it’s a shame GM are not in Europe anymore. We won’t see any oddities like this either now.

When I first saw this before production, I was seriously wondering, 'what were they thinking.' I knew from the get-go, based on how popular the Renault Vel Satis was(n't) this was never going to sell.

One thing I've noticed with Vauxhalls is their insanely accurate speedometer, when it says you are doing 60 you are definitely doing 60 according to the satnav. I've seen that twice now in an old clapped out Corsa (c?) an my current clapped out 166000 mile Astra.

It always reminds of an oversized Astra. They should have made more of a Omega / Senator type car to replace the outgoing Omega. Vauxhall’s solid little cars but criticised by many and the media , unduly criticised in my opinion, had many different ones over the years and like the wife’s current Astra great cars, reliable not bad to drive and comfortable.

My dad had one of these as a company car for a while. It's amazing how much of an oddball it was deemed to be just for the four seat thing.

They only sold around 17,000 Signums over 5 years. Had the actual Vectra estate in Exclusiv trim and it was far more basic than this. I ragged that car something chronic.

We took a 3.0 cdti from the dealer to test 24h, as a posible company car. The understearing was crazy in corners if you where driving a little more agresive since the car had 400Nm torque and fwd. But still a nice car.

I actually went to look at buying one of these when they were new. The salesman was so desperate to impress on me that it was an exclusive vehicle and would therefore hold its value well that I smelled a rat and took it no further. Financially, I dodged a bullet there, but I reckon they'd have been stonking value second-hand. Looks like the interior trim hasn't aged well on this one.

The Bentley ASMR reference isn't lost on me 😂!

I remember John the Chauffeur for the vauxhall CEO at the time Nick Reilly getting one. He didnt hate the car but said it looked embarrassing alongside other CEO vehicles. To be fair he had a point the day before he was driving a top spec Omega.

I had to have a butchers at the Malibu Maxx and it's even more hideous than I could imagine. One the photos on the Wikipedia page has one of my favourite captions; "2006 Chevrolet Malibu MAXX SS, trying its best to evade my lens".

I have a Pontiac G6 convertible which rides on the same long wheelbase Epsilon platform as this Signum and it actually surprises me how dissimilar the 2 cars are. You'd think there'd be a ton of switchgear and other interior components in common but aside from the stiff, hard-wearing leather and the elephant hide plastic there's nothing. Even the steering wheel is different which really surprised me.

A Limo ? This comedian has been aerosol sniffing again. The Signum is a foot shorter than an Omega.

I recall getting one of these as a hire car back in the CM days. I did enjoy it a lot more than the usual base-spec Vectra we’d usually get. Apart from being comfier, the 3.0 v6 oil burner was ten times better than the underpowered Ecotec in the Vectras.

I just don't understand it? Its a nice car but for me I'd just buy a Vectra or Astra. Doesn't feel special enough although the extra space is good. Not knocking this generation of Vauxhall though. Ive driven and been a passanger in my friend's 2006 Astra and its brilliant. Not exciting but decent drive, nice design and feels very well made. On the motorway it is a fabulous cruiser. Extremely quiet. 😊

That “lockout” slider is actually the control switch for front or rear windows

Ah yes, the Signum. I remember when it came out, the first time I saw one was inside VW where I wrote my thesis at the time. It should be pointed out that the Signum came out well before the Vectra that was based on it, the old Vetra was still around at the launch of the Signum. It definitely had a very new look, especially the back had quite a bold look. A curious move, nobody at the time was really sure what to think of it. Part of its appeal was certainly its very modern looks, but that didn't count anymore when the Vectra was launched looking absolutely identical.

had a vectra around 2003 and considered the signum at the time but thought re sale would be more difficult. as pointed out I wasn't sure who would pay Merc / BMW money for a vauxhall later on . Vectra was boring but faultless and cost peanuts to run for the 4 years I had it .

Re rear electric windows, I think what you called the 'Lock out Slider' on the drivers door panel, slides so rear windows can be controlled by what is usually the front window controls? Amazingly a VW Phaeton has the same cinfusing system.

It was a great vehicle, practical, roomy, comfortable, and quite nice too but the public didn't know what to make of it and it didn't sell well which is quite surprising.

Always had a bit of a soft spot for Vauxhall's. My mate had a K reg Cavalier 1.8i back in the 90's as his first car. It was really sophisticated compared to my much older (but comfier) Renault 18... Try finding one of those!

Nice car, with the great FIAT common rail diesel.

I've seen a few Vectra based hearses back in the day because I'd love my last ride to be in a Vectra! Although not as ironic as going out in a Volvo, one of the most safety focused cars... a bit late to worry about safety after the fact

Wow, I learned a lot of new stuff today. Always thought, it was just a funky looking Vectra. Even tho I am really into these cars, I have not looked deeper into them yet. Now I want one, but with my Saab 9-3 SportCombi, I already have a car from this plattform. I have seen a Vectra C estate facelift with electric trunk, so it was around at that time. Thx for sharing this brilliant video!

Strange indeed. A friend swapped his quite nice Omega estate for one of these. I never understood why. Neither did his son who bought the Omega from him. Odd thing.

The twin cd is one for music and one for the sat nav cd

I've seen a few of these around badged as Opels (GM owned Opel during the production run of this car), and they're good looking in person.

Always fancied one but I was put off when I saw only 4 seats but I later made aware that you could have five. My Brother bought a 2008 Vectra SRi 1.9 Turbo Diesel with 150 bhp and that six speed box. It was very comfortable and roomy and loved the fast lane while returning 56 mpg. Loved that car so much torque. My other Brother had the same engine in an Alfa 156 and which was a very quick car. Fast forward to today and the Vectra has been replaced by a SAAB 93 with the same engine and an Auto box. Guess what ?? The automatic doesn't blunt the performance one bit. I will own a Signum one day.

I assume the big problem with cars like this is that if people want premium then they go to a premium brand for the "cache". Telling someone that you've got a fancy new Vauxhall doesn't have the same ring to it as telling them you have a fancy new SAAB. That's why the likes of Toyota and Hyundai have been successful with their posh cars, they're under a completely different brand, it's not look at my fancy Hyundai it's look at my fancy Genesis.

Who remembers when Jeremy Clarkson tried to drive a Signum from the back seat in Series 2 of Top Gear in 2003?

I had a 2.2 direct elite back in the day. Quite a nice drive. Not engaging but you could just sit back in that thing. It rode miles better than my Vectra SRi of a similar age too. The slider in the window switches is to toggle between the buttons controlling front and rear windows. Mine had the 5 seat option and they all slid fore/aft individually. The only things I didn't like was the interior trim where its painted wore in a few places making it feel old and the high pressure fuel pump decided to give up which was quite the bill. I don't remember it making so much road noise as this one. On the motorway it was quite relaxed.

Nice one 👌 another Signum lover 😆💚

My parents had 4 of the V6 Signums when I was growing up. It was a great school run car from my perspective of the back seat!

Loving the eclectic mix of cars and review style; excellent stuff 👍

Excellent Review Matt, a friend had one of these when it was not much to buy and ran it for a couple of years. Looked good in red as well as this shade of Peacock.

Years ago I had a 54 reg Signum 3.2 V6 petrol auto. It was pretty rare in that spec then so i'd be surprised if any left now. It was pretty fast in a straight line but not great in corners. I loved it though. The engine was upgraded a few years later to a 2.8 turbo. Also rare now. Mine had been converted to run on lpg so pretty cheap to run to.

A brave attempt by Vauxhall Opel. Shame it never took off, however it doesn't look as classy as a decent specced Omega on the inside. Expected to see some wood on the dashboard. I wonder how the Signum performed against the Renault Vel Satis?

Had a 2.0 turbo. Absolute sleeper. Unassuming rocket ship and the gear change was short and slick. Full of little tricks which you notice when you no longer have them. Roof pockets for sunglasses etc. slide blinds for the rear windows, and the rear wash wipe was linked to the front windscreen wipers. If they stopped, so did the rear. If they were intermittent then so was the rear, and if they went on constant, it did the same. So practical.

4:45 with optional whoopee cushion......I remember the Signum in my local Vauxhall dealer and it being quite a big car back then. A forerunner to today's crossovers

How does the back seat fold with the fridge being there?

I had a couple of these and loved them - they were different and less well known, all the space of the estate but much more stylish at the back, the floor went completely flat with the rear seats down, and the back seats were two individual ones. It's a shame they never made a version based around the Insignia.

As with mid-top spec Vectra The electric window switches are front&rear from drivers door select by sliding central switch in said direction so yes it has front/rear electric windows

Nice car, lovely colour. Improved by the facelift but ruined by the stupid indicator and wiper stalks. Same stalks as the Astra g, when I used my brothers Astra g it was a good car but the indicator stalk was infuriating

Always wanted one of these but they’re super rare where I live I think I’ve seen 1 in 22 years of being alive

I had the prefacelift signum 2.2 dti elite with the travel assist and also had alot of storage in the head lining had the car for 5 years was really a under rated car

I had a 1.9 this elite which had sensor faults, and swapped it for the 3.2 diesel.. which again suffered from electrical gremlins. Damn shame as it was pretty rapid, economic, sporting but still comfortable and looked pretty slick... but folks seemed to think it was a custom Vectra where I live. If it had been built and marketed properly it would have been one of the best out there for the time.

Was wondering about the twin CD slots! Glad you mentioned later on

The vectra is a solid car. Reliable, practical and still looks sharp in the right spec. The VXR is perfect on the motorway as well and can take a few ponies under the bonnet

Good review. I've only ever seen a couple of them, never really knew what to make of them

I remember the irmscher ones having 2 vauxhall senator 24v style exhausts (letterbox). Haven't seen a signum for a little while now

Its not a twin cd player, the bottom is for the navigation disc

I had a 3.0 litre V6 derv , in black , looked nice but.... understeered a fair bit , noisy, went back to the garage to replace the infotainment which had shorted out due to water ingress also water ended up in the passenger footwell . A vectra problem too ,due to a drainage channel blockage ( below the windscreen ) with leaf debris , curable in seconds ,( found out too late on t,internet) not part of the service schedule apparently

Nostalgia Alert! I had a 56 plate Signum Elite diesel auto, bought ex-demonstrator at a year old. Fully loaded, satnav, leather, auto lights and wipers, everything. I'd actually gone to the showroom to see a 3-year old MB C-class estate that I didn't actually like much, when this caught my eye. Vastly superior to the driving experience of the Merc, bought it immediately and kept it for three years. I had been very fond of the Omega, and had both saloon and estate versions, but it went out of production. The Signum was supposed to fill this gap in the range, which it most certainly failed to do. Fine enough car in its own right though. The indicators were bloody annoying though, both to me and the poor drivers around me as they flashed with a mind of their own. I think you'll find the car does have rear electric windows, with a rocker switch selecting between front and back.

The marketing for the 2.0petrol version made special mention that it had Trionic, SAAB's Engine Management system

Omg I was only thinking of this car a few days ago and how I'd love to see you reviewing it. Mad! I think the Signum was ahead of it's time. Imagine a stunted S-Class now! That would be wild.

Great video Matt. I quite liked the Signum but could never really understand why it was made given Vectra already had an estate version. I guess this was the non-rattle alternative!

Ive been looking at a Signum 3.0 v6 diesel automatic for sale near me. Does anyone know what mpg you can achieve with careful day to day driving?

Always like the Signum. dunno why just did/do.. Put an Irmscher style grill on it though.. Thing is ..The general public have no imagination so buy what everyone else buys.. just look at the numbers of boring SUV's on the roads.. if they didn't have badges on them they would all be the same ..

When I hear Vauxhall I can't stop thinking about my neighbours 2litre Calibra he had. Would let me drive it IF I washed and vacuumed it. Still love the front of car and seats interior....

I've had two of these. And I loved them. Especially like the reclining rear seats I think it looks like a bigger Astra

Got a lift in one from a colleague in Germany and was quite impressed back in the day.

Love these and the Renault vel satis, preferably in V6 diesel guise. Been a subscriber for quite a long time, congratulations to soon 100k!

I had a 12 month old one in a blue/grey colour 2.0 turbo.Great family car but for me it was too slow for the poor mpg but too powerful to get good mpg 170bhp I think good bargain though

My mate had one, nothing but trouble. Not sure if that was the norm Sometimes he couldn't even get in due to a door lock fault I liked them tho

I always thought of these as a "shooting brake" vectra and never gave them much thought. Just now finding out they were supposed to be a luxury car. Our neighbors back then were huge vauxhall fans. Their elders had a gold one of these and they had a zafira, both diesel. You could always hear them leaving because the engine sounded like a tractor, my dad always called them "vibrating plate compactors" because of the clanky sound lol

I had a mk 1 vecra gsi 3.2 v6 it was a rocket ship and handled amazing with good kit inside

I love the Signum. Had many Vectra C’s, still have one now, but never owned a Signum. Trying to find a decent one now is getting tough.

I really miss old Opel/Vauxhall indicators. They were more exciting than snap-on ones (up to how exciting indicators can be) and allowed you to make quite an agile indicator shift from left to right. Once I bought my Insignia I hoped for it to still have them, but I wasn't that lucky.

Nice video, i have always been curious about the Signum

They could also be specked with a DVD Player in the back as well 😊

If you remove the fridge, you have a small seat which wasn't much use as it had weight and height limits. I also have the feeling Vauxhall tweaked the trim levels and options quite a lot for a car that only had a 5 year run.

Lovely color for a awesome looking wagon

I saw a few of these back in the day as I don't live far from the Astra factory in Ellesmere Port, I knew someone who worked there so I guess alot of the employees had them on "The scheme" available to staff.

What was the sliding thing on the roof in the rear?

The cd slots on the stereo system . Top slot for sat nav update disc and bottom for normal cd.

I had a 3.0 V6 diesel one of these. It went well, but was difficult to fall in love with. Tyres were prone to wear on the inside. Very roomy with rear seats folded. It was an interesting concept, trouble was it was based on the Vectra, not the most inspiring car.

My Dad was offered a Signum back in 2006 ish, ( dont know the spec, but it was auto)by the garage that he used. He said no as it was far too big for him, so he bought a Rover 800 instead! I like them, but it is a bit of a strange recipe. Loved the video Matt.

I have one of these had it for about 14yrs . Although I’m a classic car owner I didn’t really think of this as a classic too ! Mines 2004 2.2 petrol 70.000 miles extremely practical but tends to feel like it hops at the back around corners sometimes. The indicators wind me up

The most luxurious Vauxhall Vectra you could buy WAS a Saab 9³. [/coat]

It's overall a cool concept....there weren't many fridges on the market that came with a car.

I remember someone asking a paper's weekend motoring section for advice on four cars they were considering buying, ranking them 1 to 4 with the Signum fourth. The advice given was to move the Signum further down the list.

A lovely looking car! Pretty sure they were sold here, in Ireland, too; not just the UK & Continental Europe... From the side, I think it looks very like the BMW 1Series & the rear reminds me of another car (I'm pretty sure, anyway...) but I don't know what; maybe a Corolla h/back, from the early 2000's..

I had an Elite trim with the 3.0 V6 diesel engine. It was an absolute bargain second hand. I really liked it. Good car.

Why did you have the rear wiper on. ?

The Malibu Maxx wasn't as obscure because they were cheap.

I bought one in 2009, a fairly rare 2.0 turbo with a 6 speed manual in Design trim. It was only 4 years old and it looked quite stunning. Quick for such a heavy car, the engine was smooth and responsive but very thirsty - I rarely saw anything over 25mpg. Kept it for 4 years but moved it on because of the high running costs.

Fitted with the XP2 alloys. Very sought after and look better on the Astra H 5dr with XP kit. It's not a dual CD player on the MP70. The other slot is for the satnav disc. The car is a strange spec. Tbh. No self dimming rear view mirror or auto headlights and wipers. I suspect some of the kit has been added later from other cars and not from factory.