Jalopnik
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new cars
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 » -
new cars
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 »
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Comment by MaxSmart32: Is it just me, or does it seem to be one of the stupidest things for GM to do, getting... 11 Responses | Other threads
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spy photos
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 » -
frankfurt auto show
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 »
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Comment by .357: This is what GM should do. Instead of selling it as a Saturn, sell it as an Opel. I mean,... 13 Responses | Other threads
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2010 opel astra
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 » -
2011 saturn astra
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] -
transformers 2
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 »
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Comment by deckard97: @TR3-A: Ditto. My thought were "...surely that is not the engine that powers that vehicle, it must be the... more » | Other threads
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transformers revenge of the fallen
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]
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Comment by Boter: @jbownsabmw: That's because it's a one-of-a-kind,a s far as I know. The Bay Bomber. The Astra looks like it's having some... more » | Other threads
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transformers 2
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 »
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Comment by cgarison: @Adamskiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy: Gawker forgot to feed the Hamsters today. But before the rodents died they got super retarded. more » | Other threads
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2011 saturn astra
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 » -
spy photos
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.
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new cars
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 »
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Comment by st3ph3n: Vauxhalls are great with new tyres on, but the hillarious FWD layout means you'll go through them quickly. I'd get 8K... more » | Other threads
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new cars
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 »
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Comment by Mojo72: Nice car, but it doesn't stack up to the 2008 Focus. Oops, I forgot to drop the crack pipe. more » | Other threads
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phat camp
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 forSpace Campthe race camp, now in its fourth round. Tom Skerritt, call the front desk. More »
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Comment by Placebo: @M0L0TOV: We agree, and I'd head down to the local Ford store today if that was going to happen in... more » | Other threads
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zastava make cars good
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]
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By Ray WertComment by Al in Texas: Zastava? Cool! They're the ones that make the Yugo. I can't wait to see the build quality on these Astras.... more » | Other threads
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yugopel!
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]
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Comment by FЯeeMan: 10,000? between now and 2010? What, they got to hand mine & smelt the ore to make the... more » | Other threads
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spy photos
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 » -
the opelization of saturn continues!
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!] More » -
hoon of the day
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. More »
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Comment by Vega: By the way, it's an Opel Kadett. Only the Vauxhall version was called Astra. Not that it matters. more » | Other threads
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gossip
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. More »
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Comment by superbad: This whole upscale "urban" car genre is exploding anyway And GM will only be 5 years late to the party, perfect. more » | Other threads
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news
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 »
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Comment by Joepel: Possibly the best product GM is making anywhere right now, wouldn't be surprised if they decide to bring in the... more » | Other threads
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news: new cars
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 »
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Comment by br549: Am I the only one that doesn't think it looks like a Caliber? WOV, that's a funny formula. I think you... more » | Other threads
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ad watch
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.] More » -
news
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 »
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Comment by Nicola Mushahwar: Wouldnt todays automakers want to apply the wrap around panoramic windshield of the fifties? Why in the hell would you... more » | Other threads
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news
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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Comment by Drewthew: To everyone posting negative comments about Saturn, you should stop in one of the dealerships and see how many people... more » | Other threads
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