General Motors customers have wanted the company to bring some of its international products to North America. It has delivered with the Saturn Astra, which enters the premium hatchback category.
Few cars I've driven over the past year have left me with as strong an impression as Saturn's entry into the premium small hatch segment.
The Astra was brought over last year from General Motors' European division, Opel, to be sold in North America. This was a bold move for Saturn at the time, because up until then we had been accustomed to seeing cars from other markets watered down and "Americanized" with softer suspensions and boasting engines with better mid-range torque characteristics.
But General Motors has been listening to its customers who have wanted to see its international products sold here for some time. The Astra is also sold under the Vauxhall name in the U.K. and as a Holden in Australia -- truly a world car, at least as far as looks and driving dynamics are concerned.
But we'd still like to see Saturn take it one step further and offer more engines in the North American Astra. For us, the sole engine offering is a 1.8-litre four-banger with 138 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque. It's a quiet, refined unit that lends itself well to the car's upscale driving manners. But the Holden version gets three additional engines ranging from a 1.9-litre diesel to a 197-horse turbocharged two-litre. It's even better in the U.K.: No less than 10 engines are offered there. How about a 90-horse diesel for city driving? Or a 16-valve turbo gas engine with 240 hp?
But such options can easily boost the price of the U.K. car to more than C$40,000, which is something our market probably couldn't handle.
So back to our more affordable Astra: Base MSRPs (manufacturer's suggested retail prices) for the 2009 Astra models range from the $18,390 XE five-door up to $21,720 for the sportier three-door XR hatch. Our XR five-door landed in between at $21,020 -- up $530 from last year. That's an odd move for Saturn in the face of several price drops on competitive models. The Mazda3 hatch, for example, has experienced a drop in starting MSRP from $17,895 to $15,895.
One should be careful, though, to consider all pricing incentives when car shopping because different companies offer savings in different ways. For example, a quick visit to Saturn's website at the time of this writing revealed an instant savings of $3,500 for those who choose not to finance through GM, bringing the price of the XR five-door down to a more palatable $17,520.
Our tester was also equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission ($1,350), dual-panel sunroof ($1,295), sport handling package ($930), and heated front seats ($405) for a total as-tested price of $26,300 including destination (before web discounts).
While there are many econo-hatches on the market, in my mind the Astra occupies a spot in the smaller "premium" segment which also includes the VW Rabbit (soon to be renamed the Golf -- again), Subaru Impreza, Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix twins, and the Mazda3 Sport. All of these have more power and space than the smaller entries from Nissan, Honda, and Toyota (the Yaris) and some offer all-wheel drive and other premium features.
While the Astra comes in front-drive guise only, some of the premium features that do come standard include side curtain airbags, automatic headlights, power heated mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, 16-inch wheels, cruise control, express-down windows front and rear, trip computer, air-conditioning, and seven-speaker audio with steering-wheel-mounted redundant controls.
Our tester's sport package included 17-inch alloys that, when combined with the dual-panel sunroof, give the Astra an instant upscale appeal that some competitors can't match. And when that sunroof is open the Astra's cabin remains quiet and draft-free. In terms of styling, this is one of the best-looking hatches on the market.
The Astra's cabin has a definite European flair as well. The tasteful non-velour seat cloth is comfortable and grippy and the centre stack will impress those who haven't yet tired of the silver-coloured plastic look (I have). The only chink in this armour is the digital display with a resolution that appears to have been inspired by Pong. It's just a little pixellated for my taste. The overall dash layout is simple and tasteful, though, and its European heritage translates into a refreshing change from the expected driver's environment. Check out the turn signal and wiper stalks that spring back to their original position after being activated. Only a lack of a centre armrest and but a single cupholder in front is cause for a driver to gripe.
Other Euro touches are scattered throughout: The hood is supported on hydraulic struts, not a prop rod, and the central locking switch is located on the dash, not the door.
From the driver's seat, the car has a solid Germanic feel going down the road. That's thanks to a suspension that effectively soaks up bumps without allowing too much roll in the corners. The muted road noise and lively steering response can also be credited. There's a bit of front suspension shudder over sharp bumps that detracted from this experience, however.
The optional four-speed automatic lacks a manual mode, which is just fine by me since the transmission does a good job of choosing gears on its own. I'd still go for the stick, but for those who are not so inclined, let it be known that this is a decent slushbox.
If you stop for more than a few seconds at a traffic light the transmission automatically shifts into neutral. GM says this reduces fuel consumption since it relieves the engine of torque converter drag when it's idling. It also reduces responsiveness, since it needs to shift back into drive before power can be applied. Quite annoying, actually, and I would wager that the fuel economy gains are negligible.
Saturn has been redefining itself over the last few years as the GM division with European flair. To that end, the Astra represents an appropriate and appealing entry in the premium hatchback segment.
autoreviews@mts.net
The Specs
2009 Saturn Astra XR 5-door
Base Price: $21,020
Options: $3,980 ($1,350 automatic transmission, $1,295 sunroof, $930 sport package, $405 heated front seats)
Destination charges: $1,300
Total price as tested: $26,300 (not including taxes)
Engine: 1.8-litre dual overhead cam inline-4, 16 valves, variable valve timing
Power: 138 hp @ 6,300 r.p.m.
Torque: 125 lb-ft @ 3,800 r.p.m.
Fuel: regular unleaded
Transmission: four-speed automatic
Drivetrain: front-wheel drive
Suspension: independent MacPherson strut (front), torsion beam (rear)
Length: 4,331 mm
Width: 1,753 mm
Height: 1,458 mm
Wheelbase: 2,614 mm
Curb weight: 1,299 kg
Towing capacity: 630 kg
Fuel consumption: 8.4 L/100 km city, 6.6 L/100 km highway
Warranty: 36-month, 60,000 km (comprehensive)
60-month, 160,000 km (powertrain)
