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2008 Saturn Astra

quagmire

quagmire

macrumors 604
Original poster
Apr 19, 2004
7,045
2,587
The 2008 Saturn Astra has been unveiled. It comes in 3 door and a 5 door hatch. No sedan. Power comes from a 1.8 Ecotec 4 cylinder( this is the European Ecotec. Not the American Ecotec) producing 140 HP. The EPA estimate is 34 MPG Hwy( Due to it being a 2008 MY, I think this is under the new EPA testing regulations, but I am not sure). Interesting safety features are collapsable pedals and active head restraints. Where the head restraints move forward to reduce the risk of head injuries and the pedals move to reduce the risk of leg and ankle injuries. The interior is exactly like the Opel Astra.

ast1.jpg


ast12.jpg


http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44336

EDIT: As you can see when you go to the link, it is the old or current EPA testing regulations. Which means that the fuel economy estimate of 34 MPG will drop when tested under the new test procedure. Not good GM.
 
Looks like Holden (Opel) Astra we've had here for over a year.

The coupe is very cool:

holden-astra-coupe-3.jpg


As is the HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) variant:

HSV Astra VXR Turbo:

DisplayImage.aspx
 
Chundles said:
Looks like Holden (Opel) Astra we've had here for over a year.

The coupe is very cool:

As is the HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) variant:

HSV Astra VXR Turbo:
Click to expand...

Yeah, Holden also has Opel rebadges. It is a shame though that you don't have the latest Vectra though. Although Mad Jew said they sell pretty poorly in Australia.
 
Who would dare drive that down the road.

Im not a fan of small cars. Looks like a bunch of clowns are gonna jump out.
 
Looks a hundred times better than what they've been selling the past 10 or more years. The question is whether it's too little, too late.
 
quagmire said:
Yeah, Holden also has Opel rebadges. It is a shame though that you don't have the latest Vectra though. Although Mad Jew said they sell pretty poorly in Australia.
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Yeah, the Vectra's a top car but it really doesn't sell well down here - just a fraction too small for a family car but too big for a small car. Our cars are just a tad bigger in general than European models, not as big as the Americans though.

The rumour is they'll be replacing it with a re-badged Daewoo as they did with the awesome European Barina (now a crappy Daewoo rebadge) and the Holden Captiva is just a rebadged GM-Daewoo. They're cheaper to build and import but the quality compared to earlier versions is chalk and cheese.

At least Ford here gets the good Euro models, the Focus, the Fiesta, possibly the new Mondeo after a long break from sales here. The new Falcon (large sedan) has supposedly taken many Euro cues in it's design and the build quality of the current Falcon was what made Holden up the ante in it's new VE Commodore - a 1 billion dollar project that seems to be failing as we migrate to smaller cars.

Who knows? With the way that large sedan sales (easily the most popular cars on the road) are going (you can hear them falling from here) we may yet get the new Vectra.
 
Counterfit said:
What is it with compact cars having the hazard light button in the middle of the dash? My Impreza has it there, as do many Japanese compacts, and now I see it on a GM. :confused:
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Seems like a pretty appropriate place for it.
 
That's a nice car and I know from experience that they're fantastic to drive. My mum has one and I prefer driving it to my dad's Mazda 3 and my Corolla. Vectra are great too and I really hope they don't go the Daewoo route.
 
Chundles said:
The rumour is they'll be replacing it with a re-badged Daewoo as they did with the awesome European Barina (now a crappy Daewoo rebadge) and the Holden Captiva is just a rebadged GM-Daewoo. They're cheaper to build and import but the quality compared to earlier versions is chalk and cheese.
Click to expand...
For those who don't know, the Barina used to be a re-badged Opel Corsa, but now it's a re-badged Daewoo Kalos (hatch) and Daewoo Gentra (sedan). I don't understand why they use two different Daewoos for the same Holden. Another car that's actually a pathetic Daewoo is the Holden Viva (Daewoo Lacetti). Opels are soooo much better.

Edit: The Chevrolet Aveo is also a Kalos/Gentra combination.
 
Chundles said:
Seems like a pretty appropriate place for it.
Click to expand...

Not really, unless it's the button you expect to push the most.

Mine is smack dab in the middle like that as well, but it's the biggest button on my black dashboard. The button is a big bright red. :rolleyes:



This car really isn't very pretty, is it, especially that interior. Wow.

I'm still a fan of hatches, and North America doesn't have enough models. If it's a good car, I hope it sells well. I always thought the exterior was decent, especially the 2 door model in red.
 
Abstract said:
Not really, unless it's the button you expect to push the most.

Mine is smack dab in the middle like that as well, but it's the biggest button on my black dashboard. The button is a big bright red. :rolleyes:



This car really isn't very pretty, is it, especially that interior. Wow.

I'm still a fan of hatches, and North America doesn't have enough models. If it's a good car, I hope it sells well. I always thought the exterior was decent, especially the 2 door model in red.
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Different ergonomic situation in a car - all the controls you need are at your fingertips on the wheel or the stalks. The radio etc. is not as essential as the indicators, lights, horn etc. The emergency button is the one you don't want to be looking for, you just want to be able to hit it with your eyes closed if necessary so right bang smack in the middle makes it accessible by both the driver and the passenger and the bright red colour makes it easier to see.
 
Chundles said:
Different ergonomic situation in a car - all the controls you need are at your fingertips on the wheel or the stalks. The radio etc. is not as essential as the indicators, lights, horn etc. The emergency button is the one you don't want to be looking for, you just want to be able to hit it with your eyes closed if necessary so right bang smack in the middle makes it accessible by both the driver and the passenger and the bright red colour makes it easier to see.
Click to expand...
Ya, second to the brake & horn, the hazard button is the most important switch in a car.
 
Chundles said:
The emergency button is the one you don't want to be looking for, you just want to be able to hit it with your eyes closed if necessary...
Click to expand...

When is someone in dire need to push the hazard button? Even if I'm driving in fog, I don't need to push that red button as quickly as humanly possible, as though I was a Jeopardy contestant. I use it when I pull over, driving in a fog, or if my car stopped working and I had to stop on the side of the road. If I'm about to crash into another car, I don't need to have lightning quick access to the hazard button. On the other hand, I'm more likely to be in an accident because I'm playing with the stereo or AC/heat.

Ergonomically, having the radio close to the top of the dash is more important safety-wise because you don't need to look down when you're driving. For most people, placement of the radio at the bottom results in more accidents, which is why they don't do it anymore. Same with AC and heater controls, window defoggers, etc. Ever drive and then look downwards at your stereo, pushing buttons, turning on the window defogger and heat, or change radio stations? Sure you have, and then you quickly dart your eyes to the road, then back to your stereo, then back again to the road, etc. You only look at your stereo for a split second at a time, and just enough time to find the knob you want. However, it takes enough of your attention away from the road to make it unsafe.

The further down you need to look to change a setting, the longer you take your eyes off the road. In fact, you can't even see the road in your peripheral vision if you're looking at a button near the bottom. That's not true if the stereo is at the top. While it's safer, having the AC vents further down isn't popular because people think the air should be directed right at your face. That's why they're still at the top. :eek:

Some cars don't even have controls at the bottom near the shifter, like in Civics for example. The Civics have ALWAYS had it right. Not sure about the new models, though. :confused:
 
I hired the Vauxhall Astra last year for a week - exactly the same car. I was very impressed, especially as i dont like Vauxhalls. It had a very German feel to it- a bit sparse but felt solid. They've seemed to have cluttered the Saturn version up though.
 
geese said:
I hired the Vauxhall Astra last year for a week - exactly the same car. I was very impressed, especially as i dont like Vauxhalls. It had a very German feel to it- a bit sparse but felt solid. They've seemed to have cluttered the Saturn version up though.
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It has a German feel to it because it is German. Opel engineered the vehicle and Vauxhall rebadged it for the UK. What do you mean by cluttered up the Saturn version? It is exactly the same as the Opel/Vauxhall version. It has the same interior and the same 1.8 Ecotec. Too bad the US Diesel regulations are so strict now that the diesel engine couldn't come over. Hopefully Opel is engineering a diesel engine that can meet US diesel regulations.
 
Why on earth do the americans want to import one of the dullest cars on the planet? :confused:
 
The dash looks like an 1980's Sci-Fi space ship controls. Flat, lots of angles, spread-out buttons/knobs

And is that square panel the CD/radio? If it is, its to big for my tastes.
 
The name's fitting, because it looks like ass.


GM has nothing original anymore. A few different cars, all rebadged and sold under different brands. No wonder the American companies are going down the crapper....
 
yg17 said:
The name's fitting, because it looks like ass.


GM has nothing original anymore. A few different cars, all rebadged and sold under different brands. No wonder the American companies are going down the crapper....
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Like Toyota and Honda don't rebadge their vehicles. What is wrong with using your global assets? Like it or not you're not going to see cars being catered for only one market anymore. The auto industry is now a global industry. That means GM having the same car in many markets. Toyota having the same car in many markets. It might be under a different badge like here with Saturn, but it is going to be similar to its European Opel counterpart. You're going to see the Holden Commodore coming to the US later this year as the Pontiac G8 replacing the Grand Prix. You might see the Ford Mondeo come over to the US as a Mercury possibly. Again, there is nothing wrong with using your global assets.
 
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