Once Again, Like Never Before
By Jill Lajdziak
General Manager, Saturn
The past year has been a pivotal one for Saturn. Bringing the Sky to market shook things up and got a lot of eyes on the brand. The Aura has been incredibly well received, and we couldn't be more pleased about winning "North America Car of the Year," announced at the 2007 North American International Auto Show amidst some very formidable competition.
Add to that the kind of great things we've been hearing about our new crossover, the Outlook, as well as the 2008 Vue, and life at Saturn is better than ever.
Now, as 2007 is getting into full swing, we're pleased to announce the introduction of the latest member of the Saturn family, which will complete the first phase of our product renaissance: the 2008 Saturn Astra.
The Astra is already well known as a European small car, where it has won critical acclaim. The Astra is a major hit in Europe, where more than 500,000 were sold last year, and is now the second-best selling car in the European compact segment — rapidly closing the gap to the best-selling VW Golf.
As the Astra marks the fifth entry into the new Saturn lineup, the 1-year-old Saturn Sky will become the "oldest" vehicle in the Saturn portfolio.
The '08 Saturn Astra will be offered in XE (five-door) and XR (three-door and five-door) trim levels, and will bring new levels of style, performance, safety and efficiency to the small car segment in North America.
The Astra will be available in the fourth quarter this year, and will replace the Saturn Ion. You can find additional information about the Astra here.
Take a look at FYI to see a report from blog guru Robert Scoble and his new car, the Aura.
42 Comments
Leave a Reply
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)
Several years ago I spent time tying to imagine what this day would look like when all of this was just promises, plans and concepts. I think it’s fair to say you have blown away all of my expectations even the most fanciful ones. I could not anticipate the Red Line and Green Line sub brands nor imagine the European connection.
I am glad that through Opel Saturn has a brick house with a strong, established and singular focused purpose, brand, organization and retail establishment. One of Bob’s first blogs said as much, that he saw the potential for a great brand because of your dealer structure and great brand legacy which was short but sweet.
Still today I am trying to see the future of GM and its other divisions by piecing together the plans they have stated and the product launches they have set out to do and can only hope that Saturn becomes the benchmark going forward. Let us hope for those same “brick walls” for the Pontiac brand with ties through Holden. Let us hope for “brick walls” for Buick through the Chinese connection. We had enough of “straw houses” with such pseudo brands as AMC-Jeep-Eagle, that is not the way, you have shown the way.
That is why Saturn and Opel’s success is critical not just for Saturn but all the other brands as well.
Congratulations!
C’mon, you can give US some more specifics about the Astra. Nobody’s listening but a handful of bloggers, right?
How much does it weight (always my #1 question)? What engines will be offered? Transmissions? What are the mileage ratings? We’ll never tell!
Seriously, these folks are the early adopters if anybody is. It would be good to get the word out.
Jill: Great to hear about the Astra being offered in 2007.
Will the Astra have a model with a 40 MPG rating?
Will there be a Turbo-Diesel option?
When (if at all) will the 4-door sedan and Estate (wagon)join the 3 and 5 door?
I understand the unfavorable euro to dollar problem but the 2 door Twin-Top would be high on my “buy” list. If the Twin Top does not make it, the panoramic windshield 3-door OPC model would do.
What “new levels of style, performance, safety and efficiency to the small car segment” will the Astra bring?
Hopefully the “Easytronic”, AFL lighting and stability controls are among them.
I know you do not want to let too much information out for the competition to see but now that you have teased us a few more details would be greatly appreciated.
Saturn is definitely on the right track. The Outlook is a great looking car, although my wife and I waiting for the Buick Enclave. I like the Sky, but wish they would also make the Buick Velite. We need a convertible with a backseat.
Hi,
I just wanted to be among the many that have been congratulating you on Saturns recent successes.
I was following GM back when Saturn was introduced as an import fighter with new factories and was not sharing componentry with other GM divisions. I also saw Saturn starve for new product and lukewarm responses to new product when it did arrive.
I was a bit hasty on the POST button above.
I just wanted to be among the many that have been congratulating you on Saturn’s recent successes.
I was following GM back when Saturn was introduced as an import fighter with new factories and was not sharing components with other GM divisions. I also saw Saturn starve for new product and lukewarm responses to new product when it did arrive.
I am extremely impressed with the Sky, Aura, Vue and the Outlook. The Astra will complete the model line up perfectly. So long as the message gets out, and these vehicles prove to have some long term durability, Saturn will have huge and long lasting success.
Thanks,
Chris (Toronto)
“What’s good for America is good for GM, and vice-versa”. (That’s the real quote from Charlie Wilson).
Saturn will eventually overtake VW esp. VW fail to make their cars energy efficient..
Jill,
Congrats for taking the NA Car of the Year with the Aura.
What a great move bringing over the Astra, and replacing the outdated underachiever Ion. It should bolster Saturns small car segment substantially. You weren’t really competitive with the Ion.
Dear Mrs. Lajdziak,
as I already mentioned, the introduction of the Astra to the US-Market is a great decision for Saturn, although some people might question the benefits because of the Dollar/Euro-Exchange rate. But nevertheless, there are sold other European-made vehicles in the US, either, and, by the way, the Astra will provide more value for the money than the European competition. I already was test-driving the new Astra and I really know, what I’m talking about.
My proposal: Since there are “classic sedans” more popular in the USA (than in Western Europe), what about the 4-door version of the Astra? I found these pictures from T-Online Germany and, to be honest, I think the 4-door Astra simply looks great. I think this may catch numerous customers, who otherwise might consider a VW Jetta. See:
http://www2.auto.t-online.de/dyn/c/93/92/10/9392102,pt=self,si=0.html
Exciting to see Opel vehicles being brought to the US as Saturns! Beautiful cars. Any chance the Astra Twin Top may come to the US? Great looking car. Amazing how much trunk space it has with the top up and down. Also, regarding the new Aura, I’d like to see a memory package added as an option. For my wife and I, that’s the one thing keeping us from considering buying one. I have looked at the Saab 9-3, same platform, which does have it as an option.
We’ve had a 95 SC, still have a 97 SC (130,000 miles) and 04 Vue and are very excited to see the new products!
Darn. I was hoping for some engine details. I love the Astra, and will buy one if you just put an engine that’ll do over 30 city / 40 highway.
You’ve got ‘em. I’ve looked at the specs on the European Astras and all but a couple configurations can do this.
What will be the engine and transmission options for the ‘08 Astra?
Now that you are bringing the Astra to America here are a few suggestions:
Please do not dumb down the interior. Make sure materials fit & finish equals Civic, Camry, Accord & Corolla. Whatever it is they have, you match. Tell the bean counters to stay out of it.
All of these new Saturns look very good. I’m also particularly interested in the Astra. Where will US versions be built? Will they come from the Saturn plant in Spring Hill, or will they be imported from Europe?
I also agree with the sentiments on the ION. After having owned one for the past two years, I can say that it is a very good, reliable and cheap small car, and looks it. Still, it has made me into a Saturn loyalist. Reading about all of the recalls from Honda and Toyota, and then only getting one on the Saturn (wrong blinker bulbs) is actually quite nice. It’s about the only thing that gives us ION owners bragging rights, as the rest of the car is painfully average. Still it’s a big thing to brag about. Especially to Civic and Corolla owners.
That said, I can’t wait for the Astra. I’m hoping that I will be able to get an XR 3 door for less than twenty grand. If so, then there will be one more used ION and one less Astra for sale next fall.
I am terribly excited about this car. The Opel Astra is up there with the the Euro Ford Focus as Americans’ dream compact. The Astra has looks and acclaim behind it. This is a beautiful small car I would very much consider owning here in Southern California. I don’t buy the need for a diesel version like some posts here have called for, but a good-looking two-door hatchback is a great idea no less. The Sky, Aura, and Outlook have transformed Saturn’s stale image. It will be a blessing to see the Astra come to these shores. I have seen the Aura in person, and it is spectacular. I find its styling far above the Camry, Accord, Altima, Sonata, Passat, and Five Hundred. It’s good to see Saturn back on the map.
Fix Aura’s interior materials… on the doors only.. rest is great.
Add Navigation.. not Onstar but DVD Navigation.. and you will have the best Sedan out there.
JG wrote «We need a convertible with a backseat.» Run to the nearest Saab dealer my friend !
Been waiting to hear about the Astra. But, let me ask you a question in line with the “…that’s a Saturn?…”
ad campaign. I just read in an Oct 2006 issue of Autoweek
about a Lexus dealer in NC getting delivered a truck load of Aura’s ’cause the driver assumed that’s what they were–article claimed that the Lexus (Luther) dealer had to call the local Saturn store to come and get their (that’s a) Saturns. Why has THIS not been an ad?
I’m glad to see Saturn’s new cars are truly world class, beautifully designed outside and in.
I wish I could say that Saturn’s advertising was as good. But poor advertising and marketing seems to be at the heart of GM’s problem.
“Once again, like never before” says nothing. The ads don’t tell me why I should consider a Saturn now instead of a Toyota or Honda. They don’t SAY anything, they just have cars racing around and engineers looking engineery. That’s not a message. They don’t speak to quality, style, safety–and they must, to overcome years of negative views of GM products that no longer apply.
GM has great cars and it’s time to get that message out. I just drove a Pontiac G6 and was stunned at how good it was–how great it looks, inside and out, and how it performed. I’d just driven a BMW 330i then drove the G6 and the comparison was good, and the G6 looks better!
So GM’s got the goods. Now you need to fight the good fight and get the get the words right.
If the Astra is priced above the Cobalt and Civic you may have a problem.
The ION was a low cost entry and I believe the Astra will be more expensive.
How about bringing over the Corsa and make that your new ION? The ION will be a mini car like the Aveo while the Astra will be your Cobalt.
As other people here, I think that releasing only the hatchbacks won’t give the Astra the impact that it deserves. You should at least launch the sedan too. It’s roomier and more spacious than the competitors (look at the size of the trunk!), resembles the Aura without being a carbon copy and in my country (Brazil, where it was fully developed), called Vectra, is selling well even against strong competitors like the Civic and Corolla. Let’s also say that we Brazilians like sedans as much as Americans do.
You can even use the Brazilian frontclip instead of the European one, if you want to give different styling to it.
Jill,
Congratulations to you, Saturn and GM. You are doing outstanding work, and have put Saturn in a much better position, now able to compete with Volkswagen, Mazda, Honda and Toyota. I think with the new designs and quality, Saturn is finally living up to it’s promise.
Two concerns though, one global and one local. . .
Globally, can’t anything be done to federalize the Corsa? That may be the hottest production car under $40,000 (yes moreso than even the Sky and Solstice). I’d love to get a Corsa coupe that gets 45-50mpg. I’m sure that’d steal a lot of Fit and Civic sales and would improve Saturn’s image even further. I worry that if Saturn waits until 2009 or 2010, many other makers will pick up on the aggressive styling of the Corsa and the Chevy TCCC. Please hurry on the Corsa.
On a local level, I was very disappointed at the NAIAS to see almost no mention of the “Car of the Year Award” or Hybrid. One Aura had a COTY sticker on the rear-door window and another had no mention at all. The Hybrid had a sign on the wall, but overall a weak presentation. Winning COTY and coming out with a new Hybrid model happen maybe only once in a car’s history (hopefully more in this case), yet I didn’t think Saturn made much of it. My guess is many people attending either didn’t know the Aura won the award, or didn’t care because they thought it was an Autoshow award rather than a national press award. I hope Saturn’s presentation is much improved for Chicago, NewYork and others. Those are the locales to make a big splash and win additional converts. Please use the opportunity!
But again, very nice work. Keep it up!
When will pricing be announced for the ‘08 Vue? Will it be in line with the final pricing on the ‘07 Vue?
Jill,
Saturn has made an amazing turnaround; see what happens when you truly care about the product? Too bad it took the spiral toward bankruptcy to wake all the “valuable-irreplaceable” GM execs up. Too bad you didn’t listen to your customers and dealers all along.
I’ve looked at the Outlook, and it’s a very nice package, but it’s about $3k overpriced, and it doesn’t get the mileage you claim according to the trip computer. And the Outlook is no substitute for the versatility of a minivan; it’s about 40 cubic feet shy of total interior space.
The Aura is my favorite, but it still doesn’t feel as nice as to drive as several of it’s competitors, but it’s getting close. And why, WHY, do the doors sound cheap when closed, and the console and glovebox sound like junky plastic when closed? Can’t you get these simple details right? The Accords of 15 years ago did. I’m sure GM saved about $5 per car in there, somewhere.
The Sky looks very nice, but not much thought has been put into it from the driving dynamics (subjective feel, not objective numbers). The top is a hideous joke to fold down, and the storage space, even for a car of its, drastically limits its appeal. If I owned 5 cars, I’d buy one to go get milk.
In all, Saturn looks very promising, now just give it a real, longer warranty and you’ll have the success you want.
Jill,
Congratulations – Saturn has the most impressive line-up of any brand in the US at the moment!
DONT STOP NOW! Keep on going – here are a few products I would like to see:
New Opel Corsa! Have you seen how smart this car looks!!? The Corsa OPC (performance version) is just HOT!
Astra Diesel. This car has serious torque at low revs! Worth taking for a drive!!
Astra Retractable Hard Top Coupe. One of the best looking folding metal roof cars out there!
The Astra looks very promising and will definitely get me back into Saturn’s showroom to seriously consider replacing my Maxx. If Saturn decides to do a sportswagon Aura, that will be even more reason to visit!
But please, please, please nail the Saturn interiors for 2008; When Chevy Malibus feel more solid inside, it’s disappointing. Saturn is supposed to rival the Euros. You’ve gotten the engine, powertrain and exteriors in good shape. Knock the competition out with euro class interiors!
Autoweek says Aura beats Camry.
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070126/FREE/70118010/1004
WOW- Not Smart!
Did any one catch the Car and Driver article where the Saturn took 4th out of 6?
Well, I guess it is better than last and at least it beat the Camry!
But what really got me was did anyone catch the make of tires on this car? Hancook!!
Unbeliveable that Saturn / GM would put Korean made tires on this US built car. Yes, let’s make a Korean company stronger, increase our trade deficit and support a foreign country whose products are already killing your company. Not smart.
Joe Albert
OK, the Astra is great car. But if it’s that great and has such a solid track record in Europe, why on earth did it take you so long to bring it over here?
And why rebrand it as a Saturn? Why not just say something such as, “And now from GM’s European division, the award-winning Opel Astra.”
Opel has a long, proud, and distinguished name in the auto world. (Apart from that unfortunate interlude when they made vehicles for the Third Reich.) Why not take advantage of the brand Opel has already established?
corto: should have said I want an american convertible with a back seat. plus, saabs aren’t that reliable. buicks are
Yesterday I found a report from the respected magazine “Automobilwoche”. They are citing Mr. Winterkorn, that Volkswagen-Hybrids, such as Golf or Touran, are very unlikely to come up in the near future, because this might result in a price-increase of about 2.000 EUR, in the average, on both models. Consequently VW would expect not to be competitive in those segments anymore. This sounds plausible, since VW in the meanwhile anyway has Mercedes Benz-like sticker-prices on its vehicles.
Now, there’s the big chance for Opel by providing the Hybrid-drive system (as an option), from the Saturn Aura Green Line (or Vue), for its models over here in Europe. A Hybrid-Opel Astra/Vectra/Signum or Zafira still would offer a better value for the money than those products from the main-competitors, Volkswagen (and others), and at the same time Opel could gain the bragging rights as the leading German car-company, regarding Hybrid-technology. As I believe, this even might be a shock to Toyota Europe. I am convinced, an Astra Hybrid would be a better choice than a Prius and I think people would recognize that.
If you want a true “halo car”, put a V8 in the Sky for the ultimate Redline. You’ll have more than just the best-in-class car, you will create a legend.
Bruce Sherman
I for one am very curious about the Astra’s interior and engine choices. Of course it’s too late for any changes to the design to be made but I hope you guys changed the center stack of the Saturn version. Even though many people here are begging for the car to be left in tact from Europe I dont agree. The Euro interior is a little bland for American tastes.
I think you will be able to sell 40k to 50k of these very easily with little discounting. This is really the type of car that will entice import owners.
I think you need to get more aggressive in your Aura advertising. This car has gotten more positive press than any GM sedan in recent memory and that needs to be conveyed in ads. Perhaps you should do something like Ford has done with the Fusion ads revolving around a comparison to Accord and Camry. The Aura should be selling better considering it’s pricing and the positive feedback it’s gotten from the press.
Jill,
I have test driven the Aura with my brother-in-law. It is a great car. Now here is why it will soon fail in the market, your dealers. We have had the worst experience dealing with three separate Saturn dealers on the car.
Let’s start with the dealer who first insisted that my brother-in-law’s color choice (Blue with Moroccan Brown leather) was rare and would be difficult if not impossible to find. When that failed he simply resorted to ridiculing the color choice. When he realized that we were not budging he was suddenly able to locate two the next day but insisted that the only way to get one was to drive it hundreds of miles to his dealership. Despite his reasonable trade in offer we will never darken his door again.
Then there was the one who gave us an absolutely insulting trade in offer. Honestly, I could not even believe my ears when I heard it. He should have just made the offer at gunpoint. Miraculously, when he heard that we already had a better offer at another dealer he found it within himself to double his trade in offer. No sale. If the only way we can get him to deal reasonably is to make explicit threats then we don’t need him. Buying a car should not be such an adversarial process.
Finally, one dealer gave us a mid-pack trade in offer but claimed not to know of the current conquest rebate. This strains credulity since I am not a Saturn employee and I confirmed it with Saturn before we set foot in the dealership. Whatever, we ordered the car from him and will insist on the conquest rebate when the car comes in. We went with this dealer not because we liked him but because he was the least offensive of the three.
Honestly Jill you should have someone go into a local Saturn dealer with a hidden camera and watch what happens.
Aura, great car, bottom feeder dealership network. Good luck.
Bwright got it right. A problem that we see everywhere are the dealers. Some times, they actually impose their choices to the customer and this inffluence the factory to axe some options in the cars.
In my country (Brazil), almost half of the new cars are painted in silver and nearly all the interiors are grey or black. Until the 1990s, it was more common to see interior colors other than these. But the dealers imposed to the customer the silver outside/black-or-grey inside combination, saying to the buyer that it would supposely means a better resale value or even it wouldn’t get dirty easily (in Brazil, we still have a culture that views cars as financial investment, from the high inflation times. Curiously, the high inflation times were the ones that we could order more color options in a model). This belief is not true. I sold my 1997 Corsa by an excellent price and its body color was a very flashy metallic blue. And the seller was a Fiat dealer.
You have to train worldwide your dealers to know that the customer is always right and if you don’t have the product that he/she wants, you have to find it. If you in U.S are complaining about the rarity of a Moroccan Brown leather blue Aura and the disdain that the dealers treat when you want something unconventional to their eyes, here in Brazil it’s even far more difficult to order a car with other color than black or silver, and I’m not talking about the interior, because it’s almost impossible to find a non-luxury ride that offers a choice for interior color.
Nowadays, I drive a 2001 gold Civic, which interior is grey. In the US, a car like this would have a beige cabin. My dad owned in 1979 a white VW Brasília with brown interior, one of my uncles is a former owner of a mettalic red 1986 Ford Escort with a beige interior and a aunt of mine owned a mettalic beige 1993 Escort with beige interior.
If you want to gain market share, you must train your dealers to pay attention of what the consumer wants. It worked in the first half of the 20th century, when you passed Ford in sales and proved that anyone can order a car in every color other than black, it works now.
And also, why not offer other color combinations outside America? Hey, we miss those good old times when it was easy find an Opala, Monza or Kadett painted in anything but silver and with any interior color other than black or grey. You would sound nicer to the customer in factory options, but you have to make your dealers sound nice. Here in my country, the newcomers are gaining market share because their dealer networks have a better relationship with the customer, even if doesn’t own a car made by the brand.
IMO, here should be HUGE advertisements all over the place shouting that the Aura is the 2007 car of the year and also noting that it beat Accord, Camry, Altima, etc.
Remember the old Commodore 64 comparison ads (dating myself here I realize) ? Make a great statement about the Aura and then say “Well don’t take our word for it. Ask the association of automotive journalists who voted the Saturn Aura the 2007 Car of the Year” – and then show the golden calipers trophy. This is great press – shout it to the world !
Chris (Toronto)
Jill: Just seen this….
“R√ºsselsheim. The Opel Meriva has achieved the lowest defect rate in the T√úV report 2007. Introduced in 2003 and now tested for the first time (first general inspection is three years after initial registration), the minivan immediately established itself as the top performer in this quality check. 113 different models with ages up to three years are indexed. Faults were only found in 1.8 percent of the bestselling Opel Merivas that were checked; the industry average was 5.9 percent.”
When will this neat little Van/CUV be available in the U.S.?
Everything I have read about these vehicles has been positive and would give GM a 5-passenger CUV/Minivan capable of nearly 40 MPG gas and over that with a Diesel.
The new OPC 1.6L Turbo looks good and the interior has some unique features.
Would still like to see the Meriva along with it’s platform mates the Corsa, Combo Tour and Montana Pickup.
I have seen the Montana/Tornado Pickup on the highway out here and looks great and would attract buyers wanting a over 30 MPG pickup and be a good addition to the Saturn line.
Well yesturday I got to thoroughly test drive a XR White/ Tan leather with the sunroof/skylight and 19″ wheels. The Tan looked great. No I personally don’t care for grey or black so the Tan was very very nice. the leather felt soft in all the right places.
Likes:
- I loved the ride. I was very happy that it had the 19″ wheels. I can comfortable tell anyone to order the 19″ in the Outlook and not worry about a harsh ride.
- It was very comfortable to sit in all three rows. Crazy as it sound to me the third row was more comfortable than the second. The back height and headrest was just perfect for my height (about 5′9″).
- I loved how quiet the CUV is. I drive a Lexus LS400 and at the time of the test drive I thought my LS is maybe marginally quieter. No today I did some more highway driving and am second guess is the Outlook as quiet as my LS or is it just a different type of sound. The point is that the Outlook is supper super quite on the road.
- I really like how all the controls are at a fingertips reach. the CUV is large but by no means a monster huge car that you get lost in.
- I sat in the third row and let the salesperson drive for a good while. I was easily carrying a conversation with him with out either of us yelling at each other. There was ZERO engine drone or any annoying sounds while sitting in the third row vs. the second or first. I actually moved around at traffic lights.
Dislikes:
Now these dislike are only because I read other people online commenting about them. So once I new what to look for I was able to confirm. the first time I test drove the outlook weeks ago I did not know of these negative comments so I never noticed them.
- second and third row seat cushions are somewhat short in length. I could see someone taller having an issue if you regularlry took a really long trips.
- seat height did seem a little low, but again only because people commented about it. I would have never thought so. I do not think the seat height is any lower than sitting in the back seat of my LS400.
- The door handles in all but the drivers door do flex way to much if squeezed. Once squeezed even slightly a huge gap appears. Does it feel cheap or like it will break, NO. Does it feel as solid as a Lexus door handle , I have no idea I just know that yes you can cause a gap when you squeeze it. Could it be better designed yes.
- Again coming from a Lexus LS400, one of the quietest cars on the road, I felt the engine noise was a little to much for my taste when accelerating. The average person would think I’m nuts, it just you DO NOT hear the engine in an LS400 unless you totally floor it and then it just a nice purr you hear. Most of the time in a perfectly maintained LS you feel like your driving a electric vehicle. At traffic lights I can not tell if my engine is on unless I look at my tachometer. you I be disappointed if I got en Outlook no not at all, its just not as quiet and engine.
That’s it. I loved the car, not enough to make me buy one instead of an Enclave but very impressive.
http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showpost.php?p=990202&postcount=1
I drove the new Mazda CX-9 yesterday, unfortunately in base FWD trim. My initial impression wasn’t especially positive. I don’t care for the driving position or exterior styling, and the handling seemed very competent rather than enjoyable.
I drove a Saturn Outlook XR with 19s immediately afterwards. In some ways, the Saturn doesn’t feel as refined, even clunky (shifter could have a higher quality feel), but overall I liked it quite a bit better.
http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showpost.php?p=992956&postcount=1
Rick:
Amen on the 30 mpg pickup.
We do 25,000 miles a year with our shop 2000 S-10. It has 172,000+ miles and still going strong at about 26 mpg, but it can’t last forever.
At this point, I wouldn’t know what to do if I had to replace it. The Colorado is just too big, and I couldn’t stand to step back on the mileage.
If the volt ever happens, I’ll make it work somehow. Maybe I can take out the hatch and add a homemade pickup bed a la the Grapes of Wrath!