Click above for high-res gallery of fourth-gen Astra sneak peek
We just told you about Bob Lutz' comments that the Saturn Astra is too expensive and not making any money in the U.S., but that may change when the next iteration arrives. Of course, the next Astra will debut in Europe first as an Opel (and Vauxhall in the UK), but we suspect that GM will offer it in the U.S. again, especially if the automaker can build it locally so that it's not dogged by a weak currency exchange like the current model. Though not scheduled to debut until late next year at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the fourth-gen Astra is making an appearance today in a couple of sketches released by General Motors Europe. The design is said to take direct inspiration from the new Insignia, which itself will become the next-gen Saturn Aura. The all-new Astra will be based on the Delta II platform with vehicles like the Chevy Cruze and Volt and feature a new range of fuel efficient engines, clever packaging solutions and trick technology like the Insignia's Front Camera System that recognizes road signs. Check out the sneak peeks in our gallery below.
It is tough to keep up a winning streak, as Saturn may soon realize. After boasting a 12.6-percent increase in retail sales, and average transaction prices up by $7,000 compared to the previous year, GM expects their Saturn division to continue their growth for the next five years.
It most likely won't be that easy. Last year, Saturn presented an entirely new model line responsible for the fresh faces pouring into showrooms. This year, things are a bit different. The Saturn Outlook, the slowest selling of GM's three Lambda CUVs, heads into its second year having to compete with now a fourth Lamda-platform crossover, the Chevrolet Traverse. The Saturn Aura, perennially living in the shadow of the Chevy Malibu, carries over with just minor changes for 2008. Even the all-new Saturn Astra, fresh from Europe where it is sold as an Opel, may fight for domestic sales if American buyers don't warm to its Euro-designed interior.
There is hope. As Saturn is GM's "green" outlet, there are a couple of innovative vehicles on the horizon. We can expect to see a Two Mode hybrid Vue by the end of this year which should be followed by a plug-in Vue by 2010.
With oil hitting $100 per barrel and customers clamoring for more fuel-efficient vehicles, GM is dropping coin to showcase its smaller transportation. Now is a good time for the General to tout its lighter fare, as the Detroit automaker has some real winners in its stable. The new Chevy Malibu and Cadillac CTS have received critical praise from the automotive press, and early sales receipts show that both vehicles are a hit with the public as well. In fact, GM is looking to increase Malibu production in a soft market due to brisk demand at Chevy dealers around the country. Saturn will also receive ad dollars, as newer products like the Vue could use a boost, and the hot new Astra will benefit from a coming out party.
GM is also concentrating more of its cash on web advertising, and it will also pony up ad dollars to tout Chevrolet as its environmentally friendly brand. While automotive enthusiasts know GM has come up with a string of solid vehicles, the general public may not be as informed. Nothing spreads the word quite like money.
The Saturn Astra Tuner concept that GM is bringing to SEMA is cool, but it's also a bit of a tease. The bodywork and wheels are upgraded thanks to accessory parts from OPC, Opel's in-house go-fast shop, and they all look really good. Unfortunately, the show car doesn't have the Euro market Astra OPC's 240-hp 2.0L turbo Ecotec. Instead, the Astra XR's NA 1.8L four gets a 20 horsepower bump to 160 for SEMA duty.
The car we want to see in Saturn stores is basically this, but with a Red Line badge on the tailgate and 260 horses from the DI 2.0 turbo that's seeing a lot of action lately. Since all Astras are imports, however, we'd settle for the Euro-spec 240-horsepower version of said engine. Saturn can keep those Recaros, too. We don't fancy sitting on something whose deco pattern could realistically be called "rusted shipping container." Make 'em a solid color, however, and we're all good. Follow the jump for the full mod list from the General.
The Chevy Volt concept that debuted this past January in Detroit has generated more buzz than any concept in recent memory, mainly because of outrageous gas prices, coupled with the fact that GM is working its tail off to get one built by 2010. To generate the same level of buzz across the Atlantic, team GM is prepping an Opel version of the battery-powered green-machine. The two models will vary in design, and the Opel will likely produce electricity via a diesel powerplant instead of a small gasoline engine. The European model will also charge in about half the time of the Volt, as its 220v capability can take twice the juice as our sorry American 110v infrastructure.
Since the Volt and Opel variant are both built on GM's next generation global small car platform, there is a strong possibility that the Opel version will give hints at the design of the next generation Astra. That's important to us here in the States due to the fact that Saturn will likely sell an exact duplicate of the small car. You may have to take a few days off if you plan on keeping up with the progress at Frankfurt at the end of September, there will be a lot of news, and we plan on covering all of it.
Opel pulled the wraps off the Astra OPC Nürburgring Edition at Round 4 of the OPC Race Camp, a competition that will ultimately produce a driver team the Automaker will send to next year's Nürburgring 24-hour race. Opel and the Nürburgring go way back, with test stints on the Nordshcleife a standard part of production models' development process. The Astra OPC Nürburgring Edition is a nod to the legendary track. Like its "regular" Astra OPC kin, the Nürburgring Edition is a 150-mph hatchback powered by a 240-horsepower turbo four mated to a six-speed manual.
The special edition is finished exclusively in white with an offset checkered-flag graphic that runs along the hood and roof and fades away on the hatch lid. A high-mount spoiler, carbon fiber accents on the b-pillars and mirrors, and lightweight white wheels complete the visual. Inside, the full-leather interior is accented with an embroidered track map on the headrests and special numbered badging on the glove box.
Meanwhile, all we think while looking at this is "Saturn Astra Red Line." Please make this happen soon, General.
The Saturn Astra may be the most exciting all-new small car to hit US shores in some time. The Opel version of the Astra is one of the most popular compacts in Europe, which is saying something when you consider all the great small cars available overseas. While Europeans are OK with paying a premium for smaller vehicles, we in the US tend to equate value with size or performance, so price point is key.
To see if the Astra is priced right for you, go no further than the Saturn website, where a mini-brochure awaits your perusal. While priced higher than entry vehicles from Honda, Toyota, and Ford, the Astra will focus on refinement and features instead of volume. The base XE five-door will sell for $15,995, the upscale XR five-door retails for $17,545, and the option-rich three-door stickers at $18,495. Options include 18' rims (three door only), stability control, and a dual panel sunroof. The entry price is still a little higher than the competition, but with gas prices affecting buyer's decisions, now is as good a time as any for the General to unleash the Astra on the buying public. From everything we've heard, the Astra should be far superior to any small car GM has ever produced for US consumption, and that's a good thing.
The Saturn Astra hasn't even hit production, but Car and Driver has already named the three-door version of the small hatch the safest car in the US under $25,000. This point becomes interesting when considering that NHTSA hasn't even crash tested Saturn's still unreleased model, but the European NCAP has. While the NCAP testing is worth precisely zero here in the States, the Opel version of the Astra was named the safest small car in all of Europe, beating, among others, Volkswagens that scored a Five Star NHTSA rating for side impact collisions. Since the Opel and Saturns are identical save for different badges and tires, the General has scored a PR victory before the first Saturn Astra left the assembly line.
The stylish and fun to drive (based off the Opel) Saturn Astra has almost been a forgotten launch for GM, with the release of the updated CTS and Malibu, but this small car represents a huge win for GM and its customers. It also magnifies the fact that we still can't get the European Focus Stateside.
GM has released the Vauxhall Astra TwinTop Exclusiv Black edition (above) in the UK. It's essentially a loaded-up TwinTop with a few optional goodies thrown in as standard equipment. The extras include the pictured 18" alloys, leather, heated seats and cruise control, and the full package comes in at a lower cost than the Astra TwinTop Design trim upon which the Exclusiv Black is based.
For our overseas friends (in the UK, in this case), this is all well and good. For us, the TwinTop is just a tease of what the future could hold for us in Saturn stores. With the Astra hatchbacks set to arrive later this year following their big debut at the Chicago Auto Show, we can't help but speculate on what other tricks the General has up its sleeve regarding the model. Of all the existing variants, including wagon, sedan and panorama roof editions, the TwinTop is high on the list of ones we want to see in Saturn duds. The Saturn Sky is sexy and great fun, but incredibly impractical at the same time -- much more a 3rd car than a primary or secondary vehicle. If Saturn were to field the TwinTop in addition, however, we think it'd connect with buyers right away. A stylish, usable all-season 4-place coupe/convertible would fit the brand nicely and could easily be marketed as a legit everyday vehicle, assuming it was priced right. Part of us wonders whether GM would worry about it taking sales away from the Pontiac G6 convertible, but since the General doesn't shy from overlap (see Lambda crossovers), we think the two could and should coexist.
We feel that a strong Astra Red Line should be the first expansion of that model's range here in the States, but the Twin Top would make a great round two. What do you think?
Saturn has gone from "A different kind of car company" to a much better car company faster than anybody has the right to expect, and all the new products being introduced are starting to result in improved sales numbers. Within one year, the Sky, Aura, and Outlook were introduced, and the Aura provided the cherry on top when it won the 2007 North American car of the year award at the Detroit Auto Show. Once the new hot to trot Astra replaces the asthetically-challenged Ion, the Sky will be the oldest product in Saturn's lineup.
The resulting numbers for Saturn have been very impressive indeed, with a 20-percent bump in 1st quarter 2007 sales versus Q1 2006, and now people that previously didn't give Saturn a thought are buying into GM's newest lineup. In a recent interview with The Car Connection, Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak pointed out that Sky owners have an average family income of over $100,000, while the typical Aura customer is pulling in $79,000 per annum. Those numbers are in stark contrast to the overall lineup, which stands at $63,000 per year. Lajdziak is looking for more success in the second quarter, and with the vastly better-looking than the original Vue coming out very shortly, the news is only getting better for Saturn.
Saturn still has a long way to go in winning over customers, as Aura and Outlook sales haven't exactly been setting the world on fire. After driving the Aura, we'd guess that the biggest obsticle for the COTY is a lack of customer awareness, and additional marketing dollars should help a lot. We've long thought that the Opelization of the Saturn lineup was a great idea, and now it looks like it's actually panning out for GM.
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