They call it in Germany, on poster sites all over the place, 'Dei Signum Klasse'. But in looks, it could at first be mistaken for a Vel Satis in Opel drag. In fairness, Opel's Signum is more than that, because the latest Opel variation on the Epsilon 'Vectra' platform is more than just a luxury car.

A brief sojourn with a car that 'is not a replacement for the Omega' left me with a very positive feeling for the Signum. Partly because I like bigger cars, more so because there are things which it seems this car does very well close to its brief in business and luxury terms.

The entry-level 1.8-litre will be priced at E33,120 when the car goes on sale in Ireland in June.

I didn't get a chance to drive that one. It doesn't happen that way on international launches, when we generally get keys to more upper level versions. In this case, we travelled in the 3.2-litre petrol and the 3-litre turbodiesel.

That first engine is familiar enough from the Vectra GTS in Ireland, although not the best seller in the model range because of the heavy taxation which we in the green isle of Europe are required to bear.

And the 3-litre turbodiesel will only be available in Ireland on special order, because we're going to have mainly a brace of oilburners of lesser capacity: 2- and 2.2-litre.

That shouldn't be a problem, because both are, in this writer's experience, very decent power units. The 3-litre otherwise is already part of our driving portfolio from the Saab 9-5, though I have to say that in this particular application the engine seems to be much quieter. It was controlled by an autobox which managed the not inconsiderable torque in a very civilised manner.

Now, there's a very real question as to who this car is aimed at. In Germany, where they expect to sell a third of the total output of the next 12 months, it is a mixture of business, family, and leisure-oriented owners. In Ireland, where some might look a little warily at the Vel Satis-like styling, there could well be a question mark.

The Signum is a variant of the Vectra. Which already has the saloon and GTS fastback, and will by autumn also have what looks like a very handsome wagon in the fold.

It has Vectra all over the place. The nose, the dashboard, the bloody awful direction indicator stalk which can have even professional drivers being made look like the crassest learners when it gets ornery.

And then, at least in my first view of the car, there are the other bits that make it more than just a hatchback Vectra. Or even more than a Vel Satis (which, I must mention, has been one of the top nicest cars I've driven in the last two years).

As somebody said to me in Berlin: 'you get into a Vel Satis and all you can do is sit there'. What he meant - and he had a direct interest, because he was one of the designers - was that the flexibility of use of the Signum adds value in a way that no other car in the class has.

So, if you simply want to take the 2+3 family to the movies, it will work as a 5-seater, though the middle back person should be on the small side. If you want to bring a couple of business colleagues - especially the boss - to an important meeting, perhaps Punchestown, you can add the Travel Assistant which divides the two luxurious seats in the back lounge and provides a multitude of gidgetry, including a pair of tables, a fridge to keep the champers at the right temperature before being decanted, and which will even hold a DVD player steady so a form disc can be reviewed.

Should those in the back feel a tad tight in their armchairs, they can be pushed back 130mm (exactly the distance which the Signum's wheelbase runs longer than the ordinary Vectra), and their backs reclined individually, allowing one to snooze and the other to work the laptop, for instance.

And then, when stuff like the lawnmower has to be brought for service, or you want to bring the mountain bikes up the hill far enough so that your exercise isn't excessive, the rear seats all fold down to leave a completely flat load area, carpeted in the best of such material.

"It's all about versatility," an Opel spokesman told us yesterday. "We see the Signum as breaking the conventional segment barriers. We believe it is destined to be the next trendsetter in cars. It has the elegance of a business sedan and the dynamics of a sports car."

Maybe that's overstating things. Because the 'all things to all men' idea is a road strewn with many failures and travelled successfully by very few.

When the car comes into Ireland in June, there will be four petrol and two diesel engines. And the price will range from E33,120 to E47,720.

The 2-litre petrol is from the engine range used in the Saab 9-3, is light pressure turbocharged and outputs 175bhp. It may well be the best option outside one of the diesels, because the power and progression is the kind of performance that this car needs to be credible.

That is midrange pricing, at E40,270 in 'Sport' designation here.

Add more than another two-and-a-half grand for auto trans and you are right into the Saab 9-3 with the same drivetrain configuration. You can even go for a basic Beemer or M-B.

Which is why we'll have to wait and see just what kind of a gamble this is for Opel, who expect that 40 per cent of its future production will be of such 'niche' cars.

The track record is good. The company managed to 'out-Scenic' the Renault Scenic with its relatively late-comer Zafira, to win an equal share in the compact MPV segment as the French 'original of the species', by being innovative with its unique FlexSeven seating system.

Opel has since pushed the challenge further with the Meriva, Corsa based but much larger in capacity and something of a segment crossover. And too soon yet to see if it conquers its own market area in such machines.

And now, almost indecently quickly, they want to collar some fresh owners in the Vectra class.

Not quite so indecently, mind you. Signum and its concepts have been in gestation since 1996.

So has it now finally rolled out in its right time? We'll see. And Renault will also be watching with interest.