BARCELONA -- Opel will add a high-end car that will be positioned at the top of its current lineup but below models from General Motors siblings Saab and Cadillac.

The new car will be launched before 2010, Carl-Peter Forster, GM Europe's president, told the Automotive News Europe Congress here.

GM Europe sources say the car likely will be a crossover or "multi-activity vehicle." They weren't more specific about what that means. Most crossovers being built by automakers combine characteristics of a minivan, SUV and station wagon.

Today, the upper-medium Signum station wagon is Opel's most exclusive model.

The Signum is a high-end version of the Vectra wagon with a higher roof line than the Vectra plus special interior features such as a small refrigerator.

The new model may have a premium version that features all-wheel drive, while less-expensive variants will come with front-wheel drive.

GM Europe's German subsidiary has been discussing its strategy for a new flagship model since 2003 when it retired its previous top-of-the-line model, the Omega. Opel showed the Insignia concept at the 2003 IAA in Frankfurt. But the project has since been quietly abandoned, although GM executives say that the next top-of-the-line Opel will include some elements from the Insignia. They would not be more specific.

Opel has traditionally had a strong presence and a good reputation in the upper ranges of the volume segment. GM Europe believes a new flagship model will help increase earnings, boost Opel's image and ease the transition for some Opel owners to Saabs and Cadillacs.

Opel's next top model will be based on GM's next-generation Epsilon architecture, for which GM Europe has the global r&d responsibility.

Shared architecture

Epsilon also will be used for the next-generation Saab 9-3 and the next Opel Vectra upper-medium car. Both are planned for 2008-2009. If the soon-to-be-released entry-level Cadillac BLS is successful, that car's replacement also will use the new Epsilon architecture.

Epsilon will continue to feature transverse -- or east-west -- engine installation, and fwd or awd. "We will concentrate on east-west engine configurations in Europe," Forster said.

During the Congress, Forster also said that Opel will launch a two-seat roadster in Europe in 2006. The car will be a version of the Sky from GM's US-only Saturn brand. The rear-wheel-drive roadster will be built in Wilmington, Delaware.

The concept version of the Sky was designed by GM Europe's UK studio, under Simon Cox, and developed as a production car for Saturn and Opel/Vauxhall with much styling input from GM Europe's studio in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

It is based on GM's Kappa rwd architecture.

It's big, it's bold and it's going to break new ground for Vauxhall. In a world exclusive scoop, Auto Express can reveal the firm's secret plans to make inroads into the executive class for the first time.

And the Luton firm isn't planning to take a conventional route to large car success. Despite the early indications of concept models such as the four-door Insignia, company bosses instead plan to build a truly unique all-wheel-drive five-door with a spacious, MPV-like cabin and an angular, distinctive appearance. A top executive for the firm explained: "We won't do another Omega-style car. It's almost impossible to succeed in that market unless you have a prestige badge, and Saab fills that slot nicely for General Motors.

"That doesn't mean we couldn't do something a bit different at the executive end of the market, though. The Signum proves Vauxhall is always thinking of new and interesting alternatives to the traditional saloon and estate, and we're likely to be even more radical in future." This could mean following the trend set by Mercedes with the B-Class and R-Class to carve ever tighter niches in the new car market.

Our insider went on: "We are looking at several different concepts for a new large car, and a selection of alternatives has been - and will continue to be - tested at customer clinics with current and potential buyers." The picture seen in this week's mag has been produced from information gleaned at these clinics, leading to an accurate view of what Vauxhall has in mind. Many cues are familiar from other recent models, but stylists have made an effort to pen an eye-catching design.

Based on the next-generation Vectra platform - codenamed Epsilon two - the new model will be enormous, with dimensions expected to be larger than a full-sized MPV. Rivalling the forthcoming Ford Galaxy, and the still to be revealed replacement for Volkswagen's Sharan, the as yet unnamed model will replace the Signum, and the discontinued Omega, mixing car-like driving dynamics and a huge cabin capacity.

For now at least, the new Vauxhall is only known as the FLV - Future Large Vehicle - and firm technical details are scarce. What has been confirmed is that the car's power will be fed to all four wheels via a system similar to that featured on the new Frontera. Chassis engineers are expected to ensure that the emphasis will still be on tarmac-friendly handling. The extra traction will allow drivers to tackle some 'soft-roading', but the new model will have a comparatively low ride height, meaning its abilities would be best compared to Volvo's XC70 rather than the XC90.

The 4x4 transmission will be mated to a range of Vauxhall's most powerful engines, including a V6 diesel and the 250bhp 2.8-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine from the Vectra VXR. Inside, comfort and luxury will be the main priority. The newcomer's generous dimensions mean there will be room for seven adults, and Vauxhall will use its Flex7 folding chair system to make this one of the most practical cars in the executive class. Standard equipment will set new standards.

With the launch of the FLV not scheduled until 2007, prices are still being kept very firmly under wraps, but our sources inside Vauxhall have revealed that even entry-level models are likely to cost around £22,000.

Opel is about to develop a new crossover model that will be used around the world by different GM brands.

The newcomer will be bigger than any other Opel model before, even larger than a full-size MPV, and it will also be available with four-wheel drive. Three rows of seats provide seating capacity for up to seven passengers.

The new vehicle will fill the gap the Opel Omega left when it ended production in 2003. The crossover also will replace the Opel Signum. Based on the platform of the next-generation Vectra, in Europe it will compete upon its release - possibly as soon as 2007 - against the likes of Ford Galaxy and the next VW Sharan.



The crossover has no name yet and only a few details have been gleaned. One of these is that the new model will not only come on the market under the Opel/Vauxhall badge but also as a luxury-oriented Saab version.



The Opel-badged vehicle will be equipped with engines including a diesel V-6 and 2.8-liter and 3.4-liter turbocharged V-6s delivering 250 and 325 hp.