<![CDATA[Jalopnik: Astra]]> http://cache.jalopnik.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jalopnik.com.png <![CDATA[Jalopnik: Astra]]> http://jalopnik.com/tag/astra http://jalopnik.com/tag/astra <![CDATA[The greatest thing about the Vauxhall Astra VXR is its license plate]]> We took a quick glance again at the license plate on the Vauxhall Astra VXR we unveiled to you in today's Morning Shift and did a double take. Ignoring, for a moment, the 280 HP and 290 lb-ft of torque, this may actually be our new favorite thing about GM's upcoming hot hatch. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5856400&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Vauxhall Astra Stripdown at Strangely Regimented Scottish Junkyard]]> The first self-service junkyard I ever experienced was an Oakland outfit called U-Pull-It. Its logo featured a Q*bert-esque alien raygunning parts and the whole outfit was housed in a roofless abandoned factory building. This U-Pull-it in Scotland isn't like that. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5588405&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[It Costs $5,300 To Crash Your Car At The Nüburgring]]> This Astra Nüburgring Edition ironically wiped out while racing around the Nürburgring. The cost? About $5,300. Of course that doesn't include the price of the air ambulance, a visit to the hospital and, of course, a new car. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5542521&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[America's Not Interested In A Five-Door Buick]]> 142 comments? That's it?! GM was right. Americans don't want a 5-door Buick Excelle. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5527213&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Buick Will Bring The Excelle To America If Enough People Comment On This Post]]> Buick says they'll bring the 5-door Excelle stateside if enough people comment on this post. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5527209&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Opel Astra GSI Would Make A Great New Buick]]> Here's a look at the lightly disguised forthcoming Opel Astra GSI fitted with the muscular 240HP turbocharged Ecotec, Sure would make an awesome Buick hot hatch, significantly bringing down the brand's average buyer age. Just sayin' GM, just sayin'. [WCF] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5516033&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[New Vauxhall Astra Interior Is Definitely Not Saturn-Like]]> We've already seen the 2010 Opel Astra and its Volkswagen-y nose and a touch of Mazda3 hiney, but this is the first look at the Vauxhall re-badge and a first glimpse at what looks like a handsome Insignia-like interior. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5295739&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2010 Opel Astra: Cruze, Volt Get A German Brother]]> The 2010 Opel Astra sports a new set of 1.4- and 1.6-liter turbocharged engines and sits on the same Global Delta platform as the Cruze and Volt. But will we ever see this tri-Delta here? More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5251060&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2010 Opel Astra Gets "Full Lutz" Skirt-Lift]]> Opel's revealed a set of skirt-lifting-like-Lutz shots of the next-generation 2010 Opel Astra by head designer Marc van der Haegen and Laszlo Kreth, the engineering coordinator. As expected, that's not a Saturn. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5248805&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2010 Opel Astra, GTC Get Much-Needed Facelift]]> The Astra hasn't sold well in the States, but that doesn't mean that its Euro-trash cousin can't make a comeback tour. Take a peak at the handsomely-designed 2010 Opel Astra and its agro-counterpart, the GTC. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5205088&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2010 Opel/Vauxhall Astra Spotted Sans Clothing]]> The next-generation 2010 Opel Astra, otherwise known as the 2010 Vauxhall Astra and sometimes going by the name 2011 Saturn Astra (if Saturn survives), was spotted completely undisguised in Germany outside GM's testing facilities. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5150321&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2010 Opel Astra Setting Sail For Somewhere]]> This 2010 Opel Astra looks to be strapped down and ready to ship out. Maybe it's on its way to America, where we'll know it as the 2011 Saturn Astra. Wherever it's going, expect the likes of the new 2009 VW Golf, and other 5-door hatchbacks to take notice. Of course, they'll also have station wagon, 3-door, and convertible versions of the Astra too, though we're not sure all those variations will make it over as Saturns. [autoblog.nl] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=400077&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Transformers 2 Pictures Show *GASP* A Robot!]]> Another day of filming Transformers 2 has unveiled some key insights. The first is that Transformers 2 will feature robots; in this particular case, a sort of smaller, dragon-like Transformer who feeds on whomever is inside that vehicle. Given that most of the scenes filmed at Princeton University have featured the Saturn Astra, one could make an assumption that the vehicle pictured is the same Astra, especially noting the windshield slope and sunroof placement. Click through to see the next insight. Yes, it's about Megan Fox. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=397485&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Princeton Transformers 2 Video Reveals Speeding Astra, Sweet Pursuit GKart Camera]]> Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen is filming some kind of chase scene this week on the set of Princeton University featuring the Saturn Astra we saw on set last week. These videos, caught by some intrepid students, indicate the Astra appears to be damaged, so one could suggest it's probably not a Transformer and rather the daily driver for a character other than Shia LaBeouf's. We mean, why would he want to cheat on his beloved Bumblebee? Also caught on film is a scene of Shia running around carrying books and talking on a cell phone and seemingly running from giant fake robots. You know, like every other student in the world. But if there's one car we want more than the Camaro, it's got to be the little Shelly Ward-created Pursuit GKart Camera. That go-cart-on-coke looks a lot more fun than the Astra. [Transformers Live] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=396944&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Yes, That's A Saturn Astra On The Set Of Transformers 2]]> Leaked screenshots from the set of Transformers 2 continue to trickle in. With a movie that has the likes of the Camaro SS, Saab Aero-X, Hummer HX and more, it's a bit odd seeing this seemingly plain-jane Saturn Astra hatchback roaming around the set during filming. Well, as odd as can be in a movie all about the product placement. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=396235&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2010 Opel Astra Spotted Testing In Alps, 2011 Saturn Version Not Far Behind]]> While on a testing field trip in the Austrian Alps, GM engineers managed to wander into the range of a wild pack of KGP photographers, giving us a bit more of a solid look at the pending 2010 Opel Astra, and by extension, the next version of the 2011 Saturn Astra. Though the outside camo makes us want to play checkers, the cockpit was sans cover-ups and looking pretty snazzy for the segment. We can imagine the character line at the bottom of the rear door swooping up to match a Mazda3-wagon-like C-pillar and window treatment, but that's just us. And wow, check out the front quarter lower intakes, or maybe it could just be sneaky camouflage. Full spy report below the fold. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=393650&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[2011 Saturn Astra]]> Some say this test unit caught running 'round the 'Ring today thinks it actually has cupholders integrated into its design. Others claim despite the above-average Euro exterior styling and a somewhat dated interior (by Euro standards), it's terrible at checkers. All we know is it's called the — insert preferred name here, either the 2010 Opel Astra or the 2011 Saturn Astra. Heck, it may even be a 2010 Saturn Astra. Any way you look at it, the same hatch has hit the public track in Germany and the spy shooters of KGP have caught it running laps 'round the 'Ring. They've even caught an interior shot or two which gives away a center stack design with a high display and slender, vertical air-vents, reminiscent of its larger, midsize brother — the Opel Insignia, aka Saturn Aura. It also appears the new Astra will get an Insignia-inspired gauge cluster, with its distinctive chrome-ringed instrument pods. Full spy report from KGP after the jump. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=377730&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Vauxhall Astra VXR Nürburgring Edition, Now With More Nürburgernress]]> All of those would-be Saturn Astra tuners could do worse than aping the Astra VXR Nürburgring Edition, which is the speedier trim level of the Vauxhall version of GM's global small car platform. Mechanically similar to the VXR, the hot hatch is good for 240 hp, enough to propel it to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and an electronically limited top seed of 155 mph. Differentiating it from the standard VXR is the super white paint, carbon fibre effect mirrors, 18-inch alloys and checkered flag body graphics. Full press release below: More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=335187&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Hatchback Hello: GM to Plug Astra With Test Drives to Win Friends]]> Some skeptics say the hatchback will never return en mass to the states. Others say high gas prices will release demand for such odd-door models, just like during the great hatch invasion of the late-1970s. Of course, the new (for the US) Saturn Astra is no bargain-basement hatch; GM announced it'll start at nearly $16,000 and likely break 20 grand with not many swipes at the options list. To stack the odds in its favor, GM's taking the Astra on a coast-to-coast driveathon to win friends and influence same to take one home. It's the latest tactic supporting the General's strategy of raiding Opel's drawing room to fatten the Saturn catalog. We're standing by. If this works, the odds may be better that we'll get a version of the hotter, Opelfied OPC version. Then, the insertion of hot hatchness will be complete. Viva! More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=308682&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Opel Astra OPC Nürburgring Edition]]> It's not Space Camp, it's race camp. It's OPC Race Camp, a racing talent casting call, for which Opel provides the cars. Its aim is to assemble a team that will participate in the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring in 2008. But first, there's a car to mention. It's the Astra OPC Nürburgring Edition, a limited-run model fitted with a wider track, fat meats and a 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine that can propel it to 62 mph in 6.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 152 mph. Inside, there's a trim package of full leather trim, carbon-look fittings and a serial-numbered badge on the glove box. The Nürburgring Edition is the training car for Space Camp the race camp, now in its fourth round. Tom Skerritt, call the front desk. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=294347&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[ GM to build Opel Astra in Serbia. We're...]]> GM to build Opel Astra in Serbia. We're sure it'll be fine — but when we think "Serbia" we're not entirely certain we think "quality" in the same thought. [EuroNews] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=280733&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Zastava to Assemble Aged Astras]]> While the Opel Astra is finally hitting our shores as a Saturn model, Serbia's Zastava has inked a deal with General Motors to build an iteration of the automobile, known in par-for-the-course GM parlance as the Astra Classic. Currently, the former builders of the Yugo assemble a Fiat Punto known locally as the Zastava 10. The new deal will give the Serbian market a cheaper Astra Classic; Zastava intends to build 10,000 of the compacts by 2010. No word from Malcolm Bricklin whether he intends to import them to the States. [IHT] More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=280505&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Opel Astra GTC In Colorado!]]> We'd already seen it getting hot and bothered in Death Valley, but it appears the General wasn't yet done putting the new Saturn Astra's Euro cousin through its paces. Jalopnik reader Bill was out with the family when he snagged us these shots of what appears to be an Opel Astra GTC (Gran Turismo Coupe) complete with Arizona manny plates in the Rocky Mountain high-altitude (10,100' above sea level) of Leadville, Colorado. We're assuming this here GTC was out doing a bit of last minute testing before the Astra hits our shores later this fall as a 2008 model. Just like this here manny test car, we probably won't be seeing the hood-to-B-pillar "panorama windshield" that helped make the Astra GTC famous at the 2004 Paris Auto Show debut, it's still better looking than anything else we've seen in a Saturn small car. Remember, if you happen to see a car testing out in the open, feel free to be like Bill and send us your pics to tips@jalopnik.com — and you too can get your 15 minutes of car blogosphere fame. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=275983&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Spy Photos: Opel Astra Caught Testing In Death Valley]]> We know Saturn's bringing the Opel Astra stateside as a 2008 model to replace the Ion, so it makes sense for the General to be putting the hatchback through its paces in the worst conditions 'merica's got to offer. Guess we'd agree the 108-degree temperature of Death Valley's got to be one of those places — especially as we hear it was out there doing "stop and go" testing. But it won't be a full tour of the worst our great nation's got to offer until the three-door and four-door hatch is able to do a day in Juneau, Alaska in mid-Winter (for cold), Naples, Florida during Hurricane season (for rain) and Camden, New Jersey (for, you know, people with guns). [Hat tip to Peter for the camera phone shots!] – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=265642&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Hoon of the Day: Baltic Opel Madness]]> The Americans, Arabs, and Scandinavians have been dominating the Hoonlympic Games so far, so now it's time to bring in some new blood. We're pretty sure from the language that these hoons hail from Estonia, or in any case one of the ex-Soviet Baltic nations. This video drags on a bit, but there are some nice moments as these Estoni-hoons take their Opel Astra out for some jumping action. They get slapped with a big 10-point penalty for the maddening Euro-dance music (so far the Scandinavians rule the world in the hoonage-video soundtrack music department), but they get the same 10 right back for tipping the Astra up on its side to fix a coolant leak and another 5 bonus points for trying the jump so many times. Hoon-O-Meter reading: 31 points. – Murilee Martin More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=253180&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Exclusive: 2008 Saturn Astra Live And Unveiled!]]>
And with the introduction of the 2008 Astra, the Opelization of the Saturn line-up is now complete. In fact, the lineup for the customer-conscience brand from the General is actually so all-new, it now claims the Sky roadster as their "oldest product." But this bit of autobahn-tuned 3-door and 5-door hot-hatchness is, according to Jill Lajdziak, Saturn's general manager, expected to hit showrooms during the 4th quarter of this year. Gallery of both the 3-door and the 5-door below, along with the press release — which you can feel free to discuss amongst yourself...now. – Ray Wert
ALL-NEW 2008 SATURN ASTRA BRINGS AWARD-WINNING EUROPEAN SMALL CAR TO NORTH AMERICA
More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=234667&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Chicago Auto Show: Yes, That's A 2008 Saturn Astra]]>
We've seen the Astra as an Opel overseas — heck, at least a couple of us have seen them in person — but never before on these shores and never before branded as a Saturn. So although you've seen the Astra in all sorts of Opel-platformed pictures, and even seen that one pic Dubspeed Driven got from Jill Lajdziak, check out a full gallery of how it looks with the Saturn badge below. And then, if when you're done whetting your car pR0n appetite, and you're still feeling hungry for something with a "decidedly European flavor" prior to the grand reveal in Chi-town, check out the press release we've got below the jump, ready to give you all of the deets on both the three-door and five-door models. And with the release of Saturn's HotHatchBack, the Opelization of Saturn is now complete. – Ray Wert More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=234253&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Across the Back Fence: Saab 9-1 Coming in 2012]]> According to a Trolhattan Saab tipster offering alleged insider information, Saab is building a small 9-1 as "a style icon for the Saab brand." According to the tipster, the GM's shined its green light, and the supposed Mini fighter is "guaranteed" for production. This whole upscale "urban" car genre is exploding anyway — what with the Mini, Volvo C30, BMW 1-Series and reported Audi A1 (or 2). Will Saab see this vehicle as an opportunity to gain back its original rally cred, or might we expect a rebadged Opel Astra with a console-mounted ignition switch and supple leather? Uh oh. – Mike Spinelli More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=233333&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Astras in America: Opel Club Meets GM's German Saturns, or Vice Versa]]> Our new buddy Will happened on an Opel party somewhere in the Golden State, where a group of classic Opel GT owners got to eyeball GM's Germanic B-car, the Astra — in hatch and retractable hardtop versions. As you know already, the Astra will be coming to the US as an entry-level Saturn sometime later this year. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=232211&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Shocker! Opel Astra Officially Saturnized for '08!]]> Jill Lajdziak, who onstage at the LA Auto Show came off the very epitome of a graduate of Uncle Chuck's Graduate Course in Public Speaking of Des Moines, IA, LLC, has confirmed that the Opel/Vauxhall Astra will indeed be joining the ranks of the Saturn lineup come 2008. Lajdziak claims, "The Astra is a great fit for Saturn, with its European style and driving dynamics," a statement we'd be hard-pressed to dispute. It also seems as if the Astra won't be rebranded as an Ion, unlike the rest of the Opelurns (see Opel Astra gallery below). More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=220356&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ad Watch: Astrabatics!]]> Creative types at the UK's Glassworks studio spent ten weeks rocking the 3D and Flame to render this clever, CGI-rife ad for the Vauxhall Astra. What follows could be 1950s Hollywood-style dance number (to Bobby Darin) as interpreted by the Chitwoods. (Let's see those guys at Isuzu do that. ) Or it could be an absinthe dream sparked by attending one too many European auto press events. The agency of record is DLKW, which is best known in the UK for the "Great British Bean Poll" for Branston Baked Beans. (No bean-counter jokes, please.) [Thanks to MerWiz for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=218269&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Saturnalia: Vauxhall Astra Gets Panoramic Windshield]]> We can almost hear the crying on the next Saturn conference call with GM brass: "But Bob, Vauxhall gets one, why can't we?" When the Opel/Vauxhall Astra replaces the Saturn Ion in 2008, our hope is that GM brings the full line across the pond, not just the most basic of models. That includes the sporty GTC (Saturn Astra Red Line?), which is being offered in the UK with a new, panoramic windshield that extends the front glass all the way overhead. Faster than you can cry "greenhouse effect," engineers have fitted the model with heat-absorbing glass and an electric blind that can be slid forward for shade. In the UK, the Vauxhall version is being offered at no extra cost for the first 500 customers as part of the GTC package, and will be priced at 850 afterward. "Boy in the Bubble" references, notwithstanding. More »
]]> http://jalopnik.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=181679&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Opel Astra Will Be New Saturn Ion]]> It's no secret GM is transforming its Saturn brand into a Vauxhall-like facsimile of its European Opel division. Vice Chairpilot Bob Lutz is not hiding that decision, having recently said "no more separate design or engineering activity" will take place at Saturn, but will be concentrated at Opel. (Guess that clears up the whole badge-engineering question.) GM's next cross-border import — following the Outlook SUV and Aura midsize sedan — will be the Opel Astra, which is reportedly set to appear in the US as the 2008 Saturn Ion. According to AutoWeek, the Astra-cum-Ion will cost around $16,000 in the states, making it less of an entry-level subcompact than a mid-market hatch, and GM's cales target is a paltry 20,000 to 40,000 units — far fewer than the 100,000 or so Ions it sold last year. It's bad news for workers at the company's Spring Hill, Tenn plant where the current Ion is built, considering no replacement vehicle has been scheduled there. More »
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