Ovaltine Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) I hate to admit it, but it looks like GM/Saturn is really starting to get their "sh-t" together. http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/04/chicago...8-saturn-astra/ I've *always* detested Saturns with their goofy styling, plastic gap-laden bodies, and tupperware interiors. But their last 3 models (Aura, Sky, and now this Astra) are cars I wouldn't mind being seen in. And let's be real for a moment.... this Astra looks WAY better than the new Focus. (Esp. in 3 door mode) Agreed? I'm interested in seeing how it holds up performance, NVH and MPG-wise. -Ovaltine Edited February 5, 2007 by Ovaltine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swenson88 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I have to admit it, but it looks like GM/Saturn is really starting to get their "sh-t" together. http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/04/chicago...8-saturn-astra/ I've *always* detested Saturns with their goofy styling, plastic gap-laden bodies, and tupperware interiors. But their last 3 models (Aura, Sky, and now this Astra) are cars I wouldn't mind being seen in. And let's be real for a moment.... this Astra looks WAY better than the new Focus. (Esp. in 3 door mode) Agreed? I'm interested in seeing how it holds up peformance, NVH and MPG-wise. -Ovaltine I gotta say, I'm totally impressed by the rapid redo of Saturn over at GM. Essentially GM did with Saturn what I wish Ford had done with Mercury. Sure I have no idea if it will be a success sales-wise, but all of a sudden Saturn has become a fine-looking brand (excepting the new VUE, which for some reason I don't like at all). Also, GM has figured out how to make vehicles on the same platform look DIFFERENT among their different brands, unlike Ford so far. Come on Ford, the last thing I expected was for GM to leap-frog you like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCK Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) I gotta say, I'm totally impressed by the rapid redo of Saturn over at GM. Essentially GM did with Saturn what I wish Ford had done with Mercury. Sure I have no idea if it will be a success sales-wise, but all of a sudden Saturn has become a fine-looking brand (excepting the new VUE, which for some reason I don't like at all). Also, GM has figured out how to make vehicles on the same platform look DIFFERENT among their different brands, unlike Ford so far. Come on Ford, the last thing I expected was for GM to leap-frog you like this. It is not that Ford doesn't know how to make vehicles look different it is just that the old Management had no desire to compete and make the vehicles look different. Its simply give them completely different sheetmetal. Like what G6, Malibu and Aura are totally different in appearance but share the same underpinnings and they are also in the same class and GM still invested in diferentiation. But look at the Edge vs the MKX and the Fusion VS the MKZ, they didn't even invest in new sheetmetal for a luxury car and didn't care a a lincoln that can reach over 35k shares most of its sheetmetal(except for the front) with a 17k Fusion. Now they realized how pathetic they were and Lincolns will get all new sheetmetal, they know how they always new, they just didn't care about lincoln or mercury enough to invest properly in them. Though Lincoln will get all new sheetmetals Mercury's won't Horbury said moving on Mercury's will be differentiated from Ford through new colors and materials.......................that is sad. My big concern is that Ford is purposely dumbing Down Ford vehicles by not offering the 3.5 in the Fusion and not putting projecters in Ford vehicles simply to differentiat them from Mercury's.............that is a terrible idea, Ford Brand is the bread and butter and shouldn't get dumbed down because Ford is too cheap to invest properly in Mercury. I'd rather have mercury shut down then have ford make Ford brand cars uncompetitive in their offerings simply to differentiate them from Mercury's. --------------------------------------- To get back on the astra I think the 2 door looks fantastic, The four door looks weird and I think when they originally made the design as an opel this hatch was designed with two doors in mind. And look a compact with projectors...........Now if ford could offer projectors in their vehicles and GM could get with the technology inside the vehicle like bluetooth and NAV(Which GM seems to ignore) then that would be good. Edited February 4, 2007 by DCK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackHorse Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I like the 3 door model, it's kinda cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) The 2008 Focus will fill the Ion's shoes nicely, it looks about as bad and is almost as mediocre. GM just astounds me, I've never seen so many superb products poring out of one company so quickly. Hopefully this is evidence that Ford could eventually do the same. But in the interim, it's clear that GM is going to squash Ford under its heal for the next few years. The F-Series may even lose its sales title to the new Chevy trucks this decade. Edited February 4, 2007 by BORG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Whats up with the 5 door model? It looks like it stole the doors from Cobalt. Eck! The 3 Door is pretty good looking though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim kakouris Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 i've gone from a saturn hater to a saturn fan in just over a year. wow, i like their stuff!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Interesting but don't relate this to the ION -- holy crap I rode in one and it had a "mousefur" interior padding and genuinely was not impressive. However, outside of the interior materials, the packaging was good -- interesting and decent interior layout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANTAUS Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I too angry with the above, Saturn has definately taken a quick turn-around. Styling is expressive without being brutish or obnoxious, and it's just improved substantially from the Tupper-ware-ness that plagued it earlier. Along with good customer loyalty, great ownership satisfaction, they will certainly attract many new buyers. GM is hoping to push Saturn upmarket, and while the Saturn name has a bit of a "cheap" stigma to it, it'll quickly fade if they continue this product onslought. And my only guess is, Mullaly might take this route and do the same with Mercury, or at least, one can only hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchdevil Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 Whats up with the 5 door model? It looks like it stole the doors from Cobalt. Eck! The 3 Door is pretty good looking though. The rear door designs on the 4-door Cobalt were predated by Opel's German models. The Cobalt was actually the first GM car in the US to get Opel design language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCK Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 The rear door designs on the 4-door Cobalt were predated by Opel's German models. The Cobalt was actually the first GM car in the US to get Opel design language. Well it seems like theyt decided only incorporate the ugly parts of opel design because the cobalt is a disaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 And my only guess is, Mullaly might take this route and do the same with Mercury, or at least, one can only hope. If they limit it to Mercury, they're screwed. The Ford division, in my opinion, needs more help than Mercury. Mercury has always done well when Ford has done well, and done poorly when Ford does poorly. They are basically a trickle-down division. Buyers who like Fords will hop into a Mercury if they want something just a little bit differrent. But without the good products at Ford, I don't think many people would even notice Mercury was doing anything different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiehaskell Posted February 5, 2007 Share Posted February 5, 2007 I love the looks - especially the headlights and 2-door model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 The 5 door looks an awful lot like a Mazda 3 to me. The red 2 door is nice looking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 The rear door designs on the 4-door Cobalt were predated by Opel's German models. The Cobalt was actually the first GM car in the US to get Opel design language. The Malibu was influnced by the Vectra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
156n3rd Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 (edited) I love both of these modles! My wife's '92 SL2 has just turned past 215,000! Maybe there is another Saturn in our future. What's the powertrain and how much $? Edited February 6, 2007 by 156n3rd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calypsocoral Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 I hate to admit it, but it looks like GM/Saturn is really starting to get their "sh-t" together. Wow... I'm going to have to take a cold shower after seeing that 3-door hatch! It is absolutely stunning! I've *always* detested Saturns with their goofy styling, plastic gap-laden bodies, and tupperware interiors. But their last 3 models (Aura, Sky, and now this Astra) are cars I wouldn't mind being seen in. And let's be real for a moment.... this Astra looks WAY better than the new Focus. (Esp. in 3 door mode) Agreed? Despite making do with a torsion-beam rear suspension, instead of the C1 Focus' more sophisticated multi-link setup, the European auto press seems to agree that the Astra holds its own. The Astra has also been praised for its gutsy design by the European auto press, so it looks like this car's home market seems to agree with you here. I wouldn't say that Astra looks "way better" than the C1 Focus, but it certainly took more risks, and, from what I've been hearing from Ford's European design studios, the upcoming C2 Focus will serve an excellent rebuttal in design... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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