Spotted: an Opel Signum

Filling niches, or trying to create new market segments, is of all times. Today, this is done with SUV-like models of all shapes and sizes, but in the years after the turn of the century you saw an even greater diversity of body shapes.

Opel Signum: new market segment?

In 2003, Opel introduced the Signum. Although it was an additional body variant of the Vectra, the Signum was positioned as a separate model. Remarkably, the Signum was positioned above the Vectra. With the roughly simultaneous demise of the Omega, the Signum thus became the brand’s new flagship model. He had to create a new market segment: that of the D-segment hatchback. Consequently, the Signum was comparable in equipment to the highest trim levels of the Vectra.

Opel Signum is spacious and luxurious

The Signum also had the slightly extended wheelbase of the Vectra Station Wagon, rather than the standard wheelbase of the other Vectra models. The focus on (relative) luxury was also reflected in the rear seat. The Signum was more of a 4+1-seater than a full-fledged five-seater, with the idea that the two passengers in the back were as spacious and comfortable as the occupants in the front. If you had to do it sometime, five of you could get in.

Opel Signum not a success

However, the market did not appear to be waiting for a very large and relatively expensive hatchback. Rationally, you would have been better off buying the much more practical Vectra Station Wagon for less money. So they did. The Opel Signum has always remained quite rare. Still, he lasted until 2008. However, a direct successor did not materialize. However, the Insignia was positioned a bit higher in the market as the successor to the Vectra, more or less in the place that the Signum occupied.

The spotted specimen

In Hoorn, we saw this 2006 Opel Signum. An original Dutch example, which has only been with its current owner for just under a year. It is also notable that with this year of registration, it really should have been post-facelift. Perhaps it has been in stock for a while? To our surprise, this is one of still 475 remaining copies on Dutch registration. So where are all these cars driving? It had really been quite a while since we last encountered a Signum….