Why GM must win the urban war

[turbo200]

What do you consider "up to date" in small car design?

I don't consider the Astra to be out of date, I consider it underpowered with the automatic and poorly marketed.

Chris

this post will certainly make heads spin.

technically a small car--

go outside the headlights and grille and look to the form of the sheetmetal and you will see where I'm coming from. the astra is probably the best looking non-premium compact sold in the US, but that doesn't mean that it can't also be dated. in fact much of the styling tricks, surfacing primarily are old old.

now a direct comparison to it's prime competitor, it's easy to see which one is more up to date. as i said, the new astra will soon be out and fix the modern feel of the sheetmetal.

in anticipation of a barage of complaints I'm about to field about how i can't compare luxury to the astra, yes I can because it's all design language, first, and second civic, new Mazda3, Corolla along with whatever Subaru has and some Nissan product all illustrate my point convincingly, but these do so much more loudly. understanding the importance of the form of the sheetmetal is something that has escaped the grips of American automakers for some time. Euro Ford and Saab seem to get it right [along with Opel of course].......it's the most important thing towards crafting a sexy and serious looking automobile, grown up and real contender. americans seem content to play second fiddle when it comes to this important aspect of car design.

[ZL-1]

That's because the Astra is an old car. It's being replaced soon, and I hope the next gen makes it to the US, doesn't matter if as a Saturn or as a Buick.

EDIT - and sorry, but I couldn't get excited about the Golf when I was walking around it at a VW dealer... It's just a redesign on the old platform and if the current-to-NG Astra transition is as good as the current-to-NG Vectra/Insignia one, the Astra has a chance!

Edited January 2, 2009 by ZL-1

[regfootball]

i say this. get the CAR ITSELF out into the urban and young demographic PHYSICALLY.

let them DRIVE it and GET INSIDE IT. let them smell the german interior and touch the german leather. let them feel the shifter fall to hand.

give a free 100 dollar visa gift card to as many under 35's as they can. or give them a cell phone, or do something. free dinner. free starbucks cards. put the f---cking car in a mall where these people shop. park a corolla next to it. let them drive the two back to back.

even if say a lot of them said, 'hmmm, needs more power with an automatic' it would at least break down the unknowns about the car and get it on the map. maybe someone would say 'wow the door hinge has detents on it and has heft, just like an audi'.

at the auto show here the astra, once people checked it out, had some decent comments about it. at least the car goes from being unknown to getting SOME kind of opinion about it. you just need to GET THEM IN THE DOOR.

it doesn't have to be a game changer, it just needs to not be an unknown. you will get enough positive opinions over time if you just take away the unknowns.

[vt_hokie]

I think the Astra is ugly, but then I generally don't like boxy hatchbacks. The 2 door Astra isn't so bad, but the 4 door is almost as ugly to me as the Nissan Versa hatch!

If they wanted to sell more Astras, they should have brought over the sedan and wagon versions. A hatchback isn't going to be a high volume seller in the United States.

[frogger]

I was pretty disappointed when the GM ride & drive program that lets anyone try their cars pressure free at malls in the Southern Ontario each summer didn't have the Astra either time it came to the Mall across the street from where I live. I mean I got to drive a Corvette Convertible, G8, CTS, Malibus, Aura... But the Astra was nowhere to be found.

[A Horse With No Name]

turbo, I do get what your saying...I do find the VW product to be much more attractive.

But the Saturn product isn't that bad. It should be doing MUCH better than it is. And even if it had more up to date styling, it would do nothing with GM's current marketing.

Chris

[frogger]

Body coloured B-pillar :-(