Preview of the 2008 Saturn Astra

In the latest phase of restructuring the brand, Saturn replaces its lackluster Ion series with the new Saturn Astra. Available in January 2008, this European styled compact car sports a host of standard options, with Saturn's usual emphasis on safety features. Early buzz on the Astra seems largely positive, and if consumers agree, Saturn hopes its Astra will finally knock the Civic off its highly lauded pedestal.

So is the Saturn Astra worth taking for a test drive? It's important to factor in the styling, performance, handling, standard features and optional upgrades, and of course - price. The Saturn Astra is available as a five-door hatchback (economy XE or XR) or a three-door coupe (XR). All models have the 1.8-liter Ecotec engine. The five-speed manual transmission is standard, with the option for a four-speed automatic.

Exterior Styling

American car owners often prefer form over function, so styling is important when you're trying to gather new buyers to your brand. Saturn wisely decided to ditch the unexciting Ion in favor of the Astra, which is basically a rebranded Opel Astra. With its chunkier, European styling, the Astra has more exciting angles and blended curves. The overall length of the Astra is actually 14 inches shorter than the Ion, but the wheelbase only differs a half inch, allowing for the same interior cabin space.

The Saturn Astra comes in basic colors, loftily described as Star Silver, Arctic White, Salsa Red, Twilight Blue, Silver Sand and Black Sapphire. The bolder colors highlight the car's angles best, and promotion for the Astra depends heavily on the red and blue paint schemes.

The five-door hatchback has more vertical rear styling, which allows for good headroom in the back seats. The 16-inch wheels are standard, but the XR has the option for 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels. There's also an option for a power, dual-panel sunroof.

The three-door Saturn Astra has a lowered roof line and sleeker, sportier look. It's also flashier, with standard ten-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels, which can be swapped for even larger 18-inch performance alloy wheels.

Interior Styling

The interiors of both Saturn Astra models have a sleek black and faux aluminum finish, with large, easy-to-read gauges and old school knobs for stereo and temperature controls. The five-door Saturn Astra models have reclining cloth front seats, and the three-door Astra has reclining front high-sport seats. The XR models have the option of leather seats with lumbar and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

All Saturn Astra models have 60-40 split-folding rear seats and the option of heated front seats.

Early review quibbles include the lack of center armrest and inclusion of only one cup holder. The cup holder turns out to be an add-on to the European Astra model to appease American consumer preferences. A redesign of the Saturn Astra, set for 2011, should address these concerns.

Audio

The economy level Saturn Astra five-door XE comes with an AM/FM stereo, CD player and six speakers.

The XR Astra models have an AM/FM stereo, CD/MP3 player and seven speakers. There's the option to upgrade that to a six-disc CD/MP3 player with seven speakers and a seven-band equalizer.

Safety Features

Saturn built its brand on its superior safety features, particularly for a car based on economy and value. The Saturn Astra is no exception. Standard on all three Saturn Astra models are:

StabiliTrak^R Stability Control: This is a computer controlled system that assists the driver whenever the car's direction does not match the intended path. The StabiliTrak^R system applies braking pressure to any one of the vehicle's brakes to help return the car to the direction the driver is steering.

OnStar^R with one-year Safe & Sound Plan

Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS

Dual-stage frontal air bags with Passenger Sensing System

Seat-mounted driver and front passenger side-impact air bags

Head curtain side air bags

Pedal Release System: In cases of an extreme accident, the pedal drops away from the driver to reduce injury to the feet and legs.

Front seat active head restraints: Sensors react to excess pressure to the seat back, as in rear collisions. Head rest moves diagonally forward to meet passenger's head and reduce whiplash injuries.

Tire pressure monitoring system

Theft-deterrent system

Daytime running lamps

Performance and Handling

While other compacts have moved to 2.3- and even 2.5-liter engines, Saturn seems content to keep the Astra with its 1.8. Early reviews indicate the Saturn Astra motor gets the job done adequately, performing better as a cruiser than a quick starter. Projected fuel economy is 21 to 23 miles per gallon for city driving and 30 to 32 mpg for highway driving. Let's hope the Astra leans toward that 30 mpg mark, because a small compact that only gets 21 mpg is nothing to shout about.

The electro-hydraulic power steering has been a problematic feature for other car models, so it remains to be seen how it holds up in the Saturn Astra five-door models. Designed for less draw of power from the motor and better feedback from the road, it's a worthy experiment.

Price

The Saturn Astra is generally listed as ranging from $15,000 to $20,000. The $15,000 is a bit disingenuous, since the base model Saturn Astra five-door XE starts at $15,995. That model comes with a manual transmission and no A/C. Add an automatic trans and A/C and you're now looking at $18,280. The Saturn Astra is still the lowest-priced model in the Saturn family, but it may be over priced in its class. This is especially true considering that projected prices for new models are often much lower than what they eventually sell for, once they hit the dealerships.

With a good track record for the Astra in Europe, Saturn hopes the American version of the Astra will do as well. With superior styling to the Ion, clearer gauges, better handling and a host of standard style, audio and safety features, there's definitely a chance that the Saturn Astra will draw a crowd. Of course no car is perfect, and future Saturn Astra owners will have to weigh the positive aspects against price, gas mileage and possible performance and steering issues.