Saturn Astra, 2008

Saturn Astra, 2008

Saturn announced the addition of the all-new 2008 Astra to its lineup, bringing a decidedly European flavor to the North American compact car market. It is packed with a wide range of standard equipment and safety features, and delivers sporty performance with very good fuel economy.

Product highlights

Saturn offers two trim levels (XE and XR) for five-door models, and a single trim (XR) in the three-door configuration, which was created with more enthusiastic drivers in mind.

The standard powertrain combination in all models is the 1.8L Ecotec DOHC four-cylinder engine, which is paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The Ecotec engine is enhanced with variable valve timing to optimize power output and fuel efficiency. A four-speed automatic transmission is optional on all models.

The Astra technologies provides an agile, yet comfortable, driving experience. StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with traction control is standard on all three-door Astras, and available on five-door models. The system works in concert with the standard four-wheel, antilock disc brakes to help the driver maintain control during adverse road conditions or during sudden emergency driving situations.

5-door Astras come with standard 16-inch wheels, but can be upgraded to 17-inch aluminum wheels. Three-door models come standard with 17-inch aluminum wheels, which can be upgraded to 18-inch aluminum wheels and performance tires.

Design details

The Astra has a clean, contemporary design that is infused with Saturn's signature styling cues, including a bold, bright grille bar with prominent Saturn logo. Both the three-door and five-door models are distinguished from their European relatives with unique front and rear fascias that conform to North American bumper standards.

Interior design and features

Bold design, refinement and precise execution are the hallmarks of the Saturn Astra's interior, which envelops passengers in a contemporary environment that maximizes space and comfort. Details include a continuation of the exterior's center hood crease on to the center of the instrument panel, as well as a V-shaped center stack motif that also complements the design language of the exterior.

Additional interior highlights include:

• Illuminated glove box with damped door actuation
• A large, two-panel sunroof: the largest in its class (available on five-door only)
• Available heated seats in cloth or leather surfaces
• Auxiliary 12-volt power outlet
• Easy-to-remove rear cargo cover
• Power door locks (with central locking feature) and power windows with express down feature
• Standard six-speaker AM/FM/CD radio and available seven-speaker sound system; multi-disc and MP3-capable radios available
• Steering-wheel mounted audio controls (on XR models)

Astra's bold proportions, including a long, 103-inch (2,614 mm) wheelbase and 80-inch (2,033 mm) width, provide exceptional roominess and generous storage capacity. The 60/40-split folding rear seat also folds flat with the touch of a single, high-mounted lever. When the rear seat is folded, the five-door Astra offers 44.8 cubic feet (1,270 L) of storage space.

Occupant protection features

The 2008 Saturn Astra features a comprehensive list of safety systems to help protect occupants in the event of a crash.
Highlights include:

• Rigid body structure with safety cage
• Six standard air bags, including dual-stage frontal air bags; roof rail head curtain air bags and thorax/pelvic air bags (front-seat passengers)
• Active head restraints
• Collapsible pedals
• Front safety belt pretensioners and load limiters
• OnStar with one year of Safe & Sound service

Body structure: The unitized body structure is designed with a safety cage around the passenger compartment, and features optimized front and rear crush zones that absorb energy and help maintain the structural integrity of the passenger compartment. High-strength steel is used strategically throughout the body structure.

Air bags: All Astra models feature dual-stage frontal air bags, seat-mounted thorax/pelvic air bags to help protect front occupants and head curtain air bags for front- and rear-seat occupants. Also standard is an automatic passenger sensing system for the front passenger seat; it suppresses the activation of the passenger-side frontal air bag if it detects a child or smaller-stature person in that seating position.

Active head restraints and collapsible pedals: Standard active head restraints instantly move forward if a rear-end crash is detected, reducing the risk of neck injuries. Similarly, the collapsible foot pedals move during a crash to reduce the risk of leg or ankle injuries.

Safety belt pretensioners and load limiters: When a crash is detected, the safety belt pretensioners immediately reduce the slack in the front safety belts, helping limit the movement of passengers. The load limiters permit a small amount of movement in the front safety belts, thereby reducing peak chest loads in a more severe crash.

Saturn Sky Red Line Rear Pictures

Saturn Sky Red Line Front Angle View

Saturn Sky Red Line Side View

Saturn Sky Red Line Interior

Saturn Sky Red Line Rear Angle View

Rumored - Saturn Sky Death Imminent

General Motors launched a set of sexy roadsters a few years back under the Saturn and Pontiac banners. The Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice along with the Opel GT and Daewoo G2X were developed to bring excitement to each brand, two-seat rear wheel drive sports models with a flair for styling.

Alas, the fortunes of the Saturn Sky and its siblings appears to be coming to a quick end. GM Inside News, an independent voice that analyzes the big automaker, is hinting that the Sky will be no more, exiting the scene in the very near future.

Let's take a look at the reasons why the Sky will likely be no more:

Too Expensive To Build - The Sky's Kappa II platform is too expensive to build. In fact, if reports are correct, the automaker is losing at least $10,000 on each vehicle sold. Never a significant seller, the Sky is an attractive and fun model, but trails the Mazda MX-5 Miata in most rankings.

GM Is Bleeding Cash - General Motors is bleeding through cash this year, at a rate much higher than they thought possible at the beginning of the year. With gas prices topping $4 per gallon, the automaker is scrambling to switch over to a fuel efficient fleet, trimming low performing and expensive inventory in the process.

High Gas Prices Have Changed Everything - In times past when GM could absorb the losses on the Sky, Solstice, GT, and G2X, lower gas prices kept demand for its profitable SUVs and big pickup trucks high. These bigger vehicles are the most profitable for GM and could offset the loss from selling the little roadsters. No more. With sales plummeting, GM has few golden models to rely upon to bolster its line up of loss leading, image roadsters.

Though the Sky isn't a pig on fuel, cash strapped consumers who can still afford a new car are going with much more fuel efficient and practical models. In heady economic times a roadster would sell, but these times are anything but that.

It is unfortunate to hear that the Sky, Solstice, GT, and G2X will be cut, but given the fortunes of General Motors, it seems to be a wise decision from a business point of view.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Keegan

GM Saturn, sell or drop?

What’s the future of GM’s Saturn? Sell or drop?

The ailing Detroit carmaker confirmed in its most recent viability plan that it accelerate the demise of the brand to the end of this year, with either a sale or cessation of business marking the end of General Motors' involvement with Saturn. Earlier this month we heard about a new investment group by the name of Telesto Ventures reportedly planning to buy Saturn outright and source its own models from several overseas suppliers, though the accelerated time table may make that difficult to achieve.

GM manager Jill Lajdziak revealed to Automotive News that the struggling Detroit 3 carmaker is trying to find a new vehicle supplier for Saturn by September 1. The announcement was also made to Saturn dealers, who at this point are still confused and uncertain as to the direction the brand will take. Beginning next month, Saturn executives and GM higher-ups will listen to different proposals and choose the best deal for both companies. The bottom line is clear, however, with GM saying in its latest viability plan, "If a sale of Saturn does not occur, we intend to phase out the Saturn brand by the end of 2009."

Some of the proposals coming in would alter Saturn's retail operations dramatically. One of the most popular is the previously mentioned Telesto option. Under this proposal, the overseas models sourced by Telesto would not be branded as Saturns, but would rather be sold under various brand names. A Telesto spokesman explained that the Saturn brand would become "similar to a Best Buy model in that customers deal with Best Buy because of the customer experience not because they are the only place to buy a Samsung or a Sony TV".

Presumably there will also be foreign carmakers vying for the brand itself - creating brand recognition in the crowded U.S. market is difficult for foreign start-ups, and having the Saturn brand as a launching pad may seem very attractive to certain manufacturers.

A somewhat mysterious coalition of Saturn's dealer-run Franchise Operations Team and an unknown partner - possibly Telesto - has also revealed plans to take over Saturn if the brand is abandoned by GM. Only time will tell what result is final, but with 2009 nearing its midpoint it won't be long.