GM has switched things up on the American buying public in recent years.
In 2004 came the Pontiac GTO, a rebadged, or relabeled, Holden Monaro hailing from the land down under; and then the Aura in 2006, a heavily remodeled European Opel Vectra.
This year, Pontiac is releasing the G8 here (another rebadged Holden), and the small, stylish Opel Astra joins Saturn's lineup.
The only distinction from the Astra's tea-sipping stable mate is the silhouette of Saturn, emblazoned in a little red rectangle on the hood. It comes in three trim levels: the five-door XE, the five-door XR, and the three-door XR, each with a 138-horsepower four-cylinder engine as the sole option under the hood.
The fully loaded five-door XE I drove, with a moon roof, heated cloth seats, mp3/auxiliary jack, and alloy wheels, will run you $20,900. A base five-speed model, without A/C, enters the ring at $15,995, excluding tax and tags.
The Astra's engine, with a full 12-horsepower advantage over the Corolla, is nicely muffled from inside. It felt well-sorted through fast corners, with a responsive small-diameter steering wheel and grippy disc brakes on all four wheels. First gear felt a little limp, and second gear didn't bite into the road like I would have liked, but once the Astra is in motion, it has more than enough get-up-and-go.
It's a $20,900 Saturn, though, not a $95,000 Maserati. So I can't complain about a slight lack of oomph early in the power-band.
A more relevant shortcoming is its lack of interior space. With a few adjustments I wasn't cramped anywhere I sat in the car, but the luggage space was very limited, even with the rear seats folded down.
But ragging on the Astra's lack of space is like chewing a welterweight boxer out because he can't keep up with the heavyweights. The Astra is available only as a three- or five-door hatchback. There is no sedan version. If you absolutely must have a vehicle with four doors and a trunk, and it absolutely must be a Saturn, get an Aura.
The fuel efficiency of the Astra is on par with the Japanese eco-brawlers. Opt for an automatic transmission and you'll get 24 city/30 highway. The manual does two mpg better in highway driving. That's world class right there.
Saturn has finally matured into a cost-effective alternative brand, and the Astra is all geared up to duke it out with the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and Ford Focus. It's going to be quite a fight. Place your bets and grab a malted beverage.
THE GOOD: European quality and style, sweet city/highway mileage, heated cloth seats, On-Star as standard.
THE BAD: Not enough luggage space to warrant four seats, wheezy first and second gear, A/C doesn't come standard.
THE LOWDOWN: The Astra is poised to slay giants.
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