Saturn Unveils New Astra; Arrives in 2007

Early this morning, Saturn announced it will add the Astra to its lineup. The compact hatchback will come in two and four-door body styles and is identical to the 2007 Opel Astra, currently on sale in Europe. The picture above is the Saturn vehicle, but below we have photos of the Opel versions because, besides a different emblem on the hood, they should look exactly the same. That level of platform-sharing allows the Astra to come to market fairly quickly, with Saturn saying it will hit dealers late next year.

The Saturn Astra will make its official debut at the Chicago Auto Show in February. There is no word yet on where the Astra will be built or what engine choices will be available. We’d guess the vehicle will share the same four-cylinder engine found in the Chevy Cobalt and Saturn Sky, with a high-performance turbocharged version almost a certainty.

This Astra is a marked step-up from the aging Saturn Ion and will probably cost significantly more. We’d guess that prices will compete with the Mazda3 and Honda Civic in the $15,000-$25,000 range.   

GM seems to be listening to automotive pundits and enthusiasts who have been suggesting for years that the company make moves like bringing in the higher-quality products from GM’s global brands to the U.S. Now, we’ll just have to see how well they’ll sell. 

Comments

Is it just me? I am seeing Aura's headlight and tailights.

similar yes, but that's what they call a "Family Resemblance" in car talk. They aim for them to share some overall look between models within the brand.

Finally! Saturn at last will have a nice looking small car! Let's hope they keep the good Euro driving dynamics and don't soften up the handling too much. Too bad about the sharply higher price, though. Affordability used to be a Saturn strong point.

the price is just a guess from a low end Mazda 3i type base level to a turbo charged Red Line version. The fact that they're going to be built in Europe pretty much guarantees it won't be Ion pricing.

As someone who bashes GM for sport, I think GM is finally making a step in the right direction... the styling's awesome, despite being directly inspired by the Aura sedan. It's good to see a navigation system on the car of this class, if this was a Hyundai, forget about it.

It's about time GM actually listens to what people want. Let's hope they don't leave out the Euro characteristics.

Didn't Mazda3 offered navigation system since its launch?

I like what I see...I'd definitely check this out when the time comes. . .I prefer the 2 dr liftback, but I speak for myself on that. I'm vaguely reminded of the discontinued 2 dr Benz liftback upon viewing certain angles of the Astra.

I do hope this is a good sign of better things to come from Saturn.

Peace!

Why is it,every time GM brings in a European "Captive import" I am reminded of the Buick/Opel,Pontiac/Vauxhall fiascos of the 1960s?

Pontiac/Opel LeMans
Cadillac Catera (the Caddy that zigs)
Saturn/Opel L-series

I bet if this car isnt that well recieved the plug will be pulled in a couple years (a'la GTO).

Why GM would only leave Cobalt and HHR as the only vehicles using that particular platform is beyond me.ION was the only other and now its gone.

boon or bane of global platform sharing??
have to wait & watch