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New car from GM Europe - while SAAB abandons the hatchback, other brands are moving away from the traditional sedan (article from The Car Connection):
GM Offers More for the Money
GM has announced the Signum, a new car that will go on sale under both Opel and Vauxhall nameplates from next summer. Based on the platform of the new Vectra mid-size sedan, the Signum is a new approach to the family car. Built along lines that are familiar to European buyers thanks to the large number of mini-MPVs currently on sale here, the Signum uses the one-box format not to house up to three rows of seats providing space for up to seven occupants, but extremely roomy accommodation for four. Space and leg room for rear seat passengers is up to limousine standards. Nominally providing space for three in the back, the Signum is at its best when the minimalist center seat is folded. The two remaining seats are individual units that have up to five inches of fore and aft movement and backrests that can be inclined to an angle of 28 degrees, giving the same amount of adjustment and comfort as normal front seats. The cushion of the center seat can be folded forward and flipped over to create a storage console, and its backrest folds down to create an upholstered armrest. An optional unit that fits between the two outer seats provides two fold-out trays, a cold-store box, a refuse bin, cup-holders, an electric power outlet, a holder for a portable DVD player and duplicate controls for the audio system. The roof has the feel of an aircraft cabin, with reading-lights and stowage compartments.
The extra room inside the car is thanks to an extension of the Vectra’s wheelbase by 5.2 inches over the standard car’s 108 inches. Proof that all the space has gone into the interior is the fact that overall length is only 1.6 inches greater than the Vectra, at 185.4 inches. Power comes from the 2.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder used in some GM products in the U.S. It develops 155 hp, and is the company’s first application of direct injection to a gasoline engine. A 175-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four will be an option. Catering for the European taste for diesel engines, the Signum will also be available with a 3.0-liter 177-hp V-6 diesel.
Unlike the family-oriented mini-MPVs, the Signum seems more likely to appeal to customers who want to transport four full-size adults in comfort over long distances. This makes it an entry into a market segment that is only just emerging. Previously, it was necessary to go to the luxury manufacturers for such cars; the Signum will offer the advantages of comfort and convenience in a lower price segment. Together with Renault’s Avantime “GT Coupe for the new millennium,” which offers the same kind of space and comfort in a more sophisticated package, it expands the choice available to European buyers even further.
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