Is Opel's Astra the next Saturn Ion?
Although the New York Auto Show provided plenty of flash for General Motors' Saturn brand, ranging from the PreVue
concept to the Sky Red Line, the missing link in Saturn's future lineup remains a replacement for its soon-to-depart
Ion entry-level model.
Back in February, rumors had GM renaming the model the
"Evoke" and moving production from Saturn's Spring Hill, Tennessee facility to Lordstown, Ohio-- trading in
the Ion's plastic bodywork for steel in the process. The Evoke was said to be based on the Chevrolet Cobalt platform,
perhaps with European styling based on Opel models, but that plan has been scuttled.
Given the new-found
level of integration between Saturn and Opel championed by GM's product czar Bob Lutz, the latest speculation is that
the Ion replacement will be a rebadged Opel Astra (pictured). The Astra, like the Cobalt/Ion, is powered by GM's
Ecotec engine family. (Read all about the Astra here.)
Given
the delay in making a decision on an entry-level model for Saturn, dealers are already looking at a gap between the end
of Ion production and the availability of its replacement. With time running out to make a decision, we're guessing that
a rebadged Astra is the odds-on favorite to be the next entry-level Saturn.
[Source: AutoWeek]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
David 4:18PM (4/18/2006)
Love the interior, hope they bring over the sporty two-door...
http://www.opel.de/shop/cars/astra/gallery/photo/content.act
(German gallery)
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Bill 4:23PM (4/18/2006)
Yes! Please!
I was in Europe 2 weeks ago, and admired the Astra range, and the Signum. This would be a good car that is big enough and refined enough for American tastes.
GM, make it here, sell it here, but keep it much like it is and don't try to "Americanize" it too much (i.e. a Cavalier hatch). I just bought a new car, but if you sold this car and gave it an exceptional warranty to overcome my fear of buying a "domestic" car, I'd definately have to give it some thought. Sell it with a CDi, and I'd definately be in a Saturn showroom checking it out.
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existonfile 4:23PM (4/18/2006)
Great news for GM and Saturn if they do bring it over!
I never thought I'd consider a Saturn, but now...
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Jeff the Baptist 4:31PM (4/18/2006)
Lutz seems to be doing good work. The Astra is supposed to be a pretty good car, having an unadulterated version to compare with the Cobalt should be interesting.
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Nat 4:34PM (4/18/2006)
If they don't mess with the design AT ALL (also give us the hatchback option), and they leave the sportier Euro suspension setup I will buy a Saturn as my next car. Hear that GM!
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hj 4:39PM (4/18/2006)
Based on the Chevy Cobalt? WHAT DO YOU THINK THE COBALT IS BASED ON!!? THE ION!!!
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JH 4:40PM (4/18/2006)
It'd be nice if 4door hatches actually caught on here, it's such a space efficient, and IMO attractive shape. We really only get the Mazda 3 and the Golf... the A3 is a bit expensive to compete.
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rrudorf 4:44PM (4/18/2006)
I'm in.
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Yaroukh 4:46PM (4/18/2006)
This can partially indicate whether Ford is right or not with not bringing Focus2 in US. Only partially because Focus (and also Focus2) has slightly better image here in Europe than Opel Astra.
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Alex Nunez 4:46PM (4/18/2006)
They just have to do it. The Astra would appeal to a wide group of potential customers. They could sell the wagon to families, market the GTC as a hot hatch aimed at Civic (imagine a blown GTC wearing Saturn's Red Line jewelery).
And if they really had guts, they'd bring over the TwinTop and challenge the VW Eos.
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Ryan S. 4:49PM (4/18/2006)
Sign me up as well GM!!!! Your on the correct path of thinking for Saturn, keep it up!!!
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Tim UF 4:50PM (4/18/2006)
im all for the opels being in the US... so long as they arent too watered down (im ok with not getting the diesels, we dont have the level of refinement in our diesel yet, anyway).
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GCH 4:53PM (4/18/2006)
I agree with everyone here. Bring this car but without much "Americanization" (no offense intended, guys and gals) but given the current Malibu, I would rather have the Saturn looking very much like the Astra.
Great car indeed. I saw it in Austria and in Poland last summer. I hope GM people read this blog (maybe I am dreaming) so they see what really gets people's attention and not their idea of what we should have.
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Jaymez 4:54PM (4/18/2006)
I'd take one of those over a Cobalt/Cavalier.
It's funny. Until very recently, I've always thought of Saturn as Rebadged Geos. Yeah, I know they slapped bowties on the old Geos, but, I still thought of Saturn as being just as much of a joke.
Ever since Saturn started this redesign phase, I've been giving them a second look. I'll no longer rule out parking a Saturn in my driveway. If they offer a hard top version, or an aftermarket hard top, of the Sky, that'll be high on my list come '09.
Continue to slap Saturn badges on Opels and Pontiac badges on Holdens and GM will have a winning combination again.
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zverg 4:54PM (4/18/2006)
Wow. This really, really annoys me. I'd buy the Opel Astra, but I would NEVER buy it if it was branded a Saturn. It hurts me too much, Saturns are so embarassing.
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iQuack 5:08PM (4/18/2006)
Smaller cars are more luxurious in Europe and cost more. That's why the European Focus and Opel Astra are unlikely to be built in the U.S. to the same level of quality as they are in their home countries.
Still, if GM could bring to Saturn's ION as much quality and style as possible from the Opel Signum, I think it would be a good move.
There is nothing wrong and everything right about making Saturn an American Opel so long as the Opels are good vehicles.
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bernie 5:09PM (4/18/2006)
So GM in its infinite wisdom rushes the pathetic Aveo to market so it can get trounced by Honda, Nissan and even Toyota (although the Yaris is a joke too).
This thing could ALREADY be real hit here, so let's see how they screw it up and get it to market a year too late.
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Armen 5:11PM (4/18/2006)
I think this is a great idea. They are making some good products in Europe under the Opel name and I don't see why you would go and engineer YET another small car for Saturn when you've already done a bang-up job on the Astra.
Not to mention which, this is not your typical GM brand-engineering hack job like they did with the minivans or Trailblazer, one variant for every brand in the US. This is a car (platform?) that's not sold in the US under any other name. This is smart re-use of good engineering and design work.
Is GM really starting to make good decisions consistently? They are surprising me regularly now.
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The Bishop 5:38PM (4/18/2006)
I would love to buy an Opel/Saturn Astra--if they kept the interior the same. I doubt that would be possible, as the Astra interior looks infinitely better (read: integrated, european) than the current Aura/Outlook interior, and appears to offer navigation--which the Aura does not have. If GM was serious about making a "VW" out of Saturn, they would make the Aura a temporary solution to a next generation Opel/Saturn sedan, bring the Astra over untouched, make the Prevue a reality and sell it all at a North American manufactured price point with North American reliability. Saturn would quickly be one of (if not the) best selling lines in America.
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Michael Karesh 5:44PM (4/18/2006)
An Opel sold in the U.S. would have to be sold at VW-level prices, or higher. Everyone seems to think they could not change a thing but cut the price by a third. Not happening.
Visit a Vauxhall/Opel site and check out the prices some time. Last time around people were wondering why we got the Malibu Maxx rather than the Signum. The Signum costs about 50% more, with a starting price around $30,000, that's why.
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