Saturn's Hip Little Hatchback

GM's Saturn division is on a roll. Now it is bringing its popular European hatchback, the Astra, to the States. But will Americans buy it?

by Thane Peterson

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Crisp handling; decent fuel economy; attractive styling

The Bad: Only one engine choice; not enough cupholders

The Bottom Line: A big improvement over the Saturn Ion, but is it too European?

Reader Reviews

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Up Front

As gasoline prices continue to soar, U.S. drivers will probably start buying more small, European-style cars. However, I'm not sure how many of us will be in the market for a 2008 Saturn Astra, a made-in-Belgium compact based on various models sold overseas by General Motors (GM). The new Saturn is virtually identical to the Continental European Opel Astra, the British Vauxhall Astra, and the Australian Holden Astra.

That's a good thing when it comes to handling. This car's driving dynamics are a huge improvement over those of the Saturn Ion, the unlovable staple of rental car fleets that the Astra is replacing. Under the hood is a 1.8-liter, 140-hp, inline four-cylinder engine coupled with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. The Astra comes as either a two-door or four-door hatchback, and, particularly in the two-door style I test-drove, the steering is tight, the suspension sporty, and the fuel economy excellent (24 mpg in the city and more than 30 on the highway). In 208 miles of mixed driving, I got 25.4 mpg.

However, the Astra doesn't exactly cater to prevailing tastes on this side of the Atlantic. First off, hatchbacks, though hugely popular in Europe and very practical, have never caught on very well in North America. The Astra also has a noticeable paucity of cupholders. There are two in the back, but the front seat area has only one cupholder to speak of, and that one isn't very big and is inconveniently positioned at the back of the center console, forcing you to twist or reach behind you to get at it. This may seem like a small thing. But for Americans who are accustomed to having bottle holders in the doors and multiple Big Gulp-size cupholders within easy reach, it's worth mentioning.

By American standards, the Astra is also underpowered. In Europe, there are a number of engine choices; in the U.S., with only one small engine to choose from, I suspect many shoppers are going to prefer the Volkswagen Rabbit or the Mazda 3, which have more powerful engines, or Honda's (HMC) Civic, which also has a 140-hp four-banger under its hood but weighs less than the Astra and feels quicker.

On the plus side, the Astra is far better designed and built than GM's previous small cars. It's also reasonably priced, especially considering how much standard equipment it packs. There are two trim levels: the XE, which starts at $15,995, and the XR, which starts at $17,545. Even the base model comes loaded with gear you don't necessarily expect to get on a low-priced GM vehicle: full-power accessories, rain-sensitive wipers, six airbags (including head-protecting, side-curtain bags), a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, and a trip computer. Moving up to the XR gets you alloy wheels, air conditioning, and a better sound system.

There's also a sporty two-door version of the Astra, which starts at $18,495. It comes only in the XR trim, and adds 17-inch alloy wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, sporty front seats, and stability and traction control. Those features can be had on the four-door as optional equipment.

The Astra first hit U.S. showrooms in January, so it's too early to know how well it will do. However, early indications are that the new model has major appeal for women, who account for 57.9% of all purchases, according to the Power Information Network. That's a much higher percentage of female buyers than the Civic (46%), Mazda 3 (40.8%), and Rabbit (36.2%). Only one other comparable compact—the Nissan (NSANY) Sentra, at 52.5%—breaks the 50% barrier, according to PIN, which, like BusinessWeek, is a unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies (MHP).