2008 Saturn Astra
Published Feb 12, 2007
0 Ratings
What is it?
2008 Saturn Astra
What's special about it?
The most significant thing about the new Saturn Astra that the warm-and-fuzzy division of General Motors is to unveil at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show is that it is not the Saturn Ion.
We'll be getting to the specific merits of the Astra in a paragraph or two, but we don't want to let pass the opportunity to step on the neck of the Ion, a vehicle so uninspired, so awkward-looking that when a couple years ago GM took the wraps off it, the assembled media fell completely silent — at least until we heard the fat guy seated behind us snicker. The media reaction after driving the thing was less polite.
But it's a new day at Saturn and the Astra, as a sort-of European GM take on the Mazda 3, is the latest in an astonishingly quick remake of the brand. Once the Astra goes on sale in the fall, the oldest car in Saturn's lineup will be the Sky roadster. The Sky debuted in March of last year.
Saturn has done this by simply rebadging Opels from Europe. The company hasn't even bothered to rename the new small Saturn, which is sold by the same model name as an Opel and a Vauxhall (in the U.K.).
Saturn reckons that the Honda Civic, Mazda 3 and Volkswagen Rabbit are the Astra's main competitors, or the high end of the compact market if you're willing to slice the small-car market that thinly. With a 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter DOHC four as the only available engine, the Astra comes in at the low end of the class for power. The base Civic makes the same amount. But the Rabbit makes 10 hp more and, depending on the engine, the Mazda makes either 8 or 16 more. Like the Nissan Sentra and previous-generation Volkswagens, the Astra rides on a strut front suspension and a torsion-beam rear. All of the Astra's stated competitors use fully independent rear suspension.
With a wheelbase of 102.9 inches and an overall length of 171.1 inches, the Astra is just about smack in the center of the market in terms of size — smaller than a Civic or 3, but a little bigger than a Rabbit. Yet Saturn is claiming a slight advantage in rear-seat space compared to its competitors, for both three- and five-door models. No sedan will be available.
The five-door Astra will be the base model, with 16-inch wheels and optional stability control. The three-door is to be the sporty model so it gets 17-inch wheels standard (18s will be optional), a quicker steering ratio and seats with bigger bolsters.
We expect Saturn will produce a Red Line performance version in about a year's time, similar to the performance versions in Europe that use a 2.0-liter turbocharged motor.
When the Astra goes on sale this fall, expect prices to be similar to those of the Mazda 3 — figure around $19,000 or so to start and $21,000 at the higher end.
What's Edmunds' take?
Particularly handsome in the three-door version, the Astra looks competitive with the Mazda 3 and might convince Ford to bring over the Euro-market Focus. At worst, it'll be far better than an Ion. — Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
2008 Saturn Astra
What's special about it?
The most significant thing about the new Saturn Astra that the warm-and-fuzzy division of General Motors is to unveil at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show is that it is not the Saturn Ion.
We'll be getting to the specific merits of the Astra in a paragraph or two, but we don't want to let pass the opportunity to step on the neck of the Ion, a vehicle so uninspired, so awkward-looking that when a couple years ago GM took the wraps off it, the assembled media fell completely silent — at least until we heard the fat guy seated behind us snicker. The media reaction after driving the thing was less polite.
But it's a new day at Saturn and the Astra, as a sort-of European GM take on the Mazda 3, is the latest in an astonishingly quick remake of the brand. Once the Astra goes on sale in the fall, the oldest car in Saturn's lineup will be the Sky roadster. The Sky debuted in March of last year.
Saturn has done this by simply rebadging Opels from Europe. The company hasn't even bothered to rename the new small Saturn, which is sold by the same model name as an Opel and a Vauxhall (in the U.K.).
Saturn reckons that the Honda Civic, Mazda 3 and Volkswagen Rabbit are the Astra's main competitors, or the high end of the compact market if you're willing to slice the small-car market that thinly. With a 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter DOHC four as the only available engine, the Astra comes in at the low end of the class for power. The base Civic makes the same amount. But the Rabbit makes 10 hp more and, depending on the engine, the Mazda makes either 8 or 16 more. Like the Nissan Sentra and previous-generation Volkswagens, the Astra rides on a strut front suspension and a torsion-beam rear. All of the Astra's stated competitors use fully independent rear suspension.
With a wheelbase of 102.9 inches and an overall length of 171.1 inches, the Astra is just about smack in the center of the market in terms of size — smaller than a Civic or 3, but a little bigger than a Rabbit. Yet Saturn is claiming a slight advantage in rear-seat space compared to its competitors, for both three- and five-door models. No sedan will be available.
The five-door Astra will be the base model, with 16-inch wheels and optional stability control. The three-door is to be the sporty model so it gets 17-inch wheels standard (18s will be optional), a quicker steering ratio and seats with bigger bolsters.
We expect Saturn will produce a Red Line performance version in about a year's time, similar to the performance versions in Europe that use a 2.0-liter turbocharged motor.
When the Astra goes on sale this fall, expect prices to be similar to those of the Mazda 3 — figure around $19,000 or so to start and $21,000 at the higher end.
What's Edmunds' take?
Particularly handsome in the three-door version, the Astra looks competitive with the Mazda 3 and might convince Ford to bring over the Euro-market Focus. At worst, it'll be far better than an Ion. — Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit