Rebadged Opel Astra will come to U.S at end of '07

[13092]

"General Motors plans to import rebadged Opel Astra compacts to replace the Ion at the bottom of Saturn's lineup."

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...E/60508001/1041

Edited May 9, 2006 by 13092

[regfootball]

this must correspond with the slowdown of the astra in the euro market. there was talk of cutting prod. there since sales dropped.

[regfootball]

OH, BUT JILLIE DOESN'T THINK SATURN CAN SELL ENOUGH MANUAL TRANSMISSION CARS...........no sticks for the saturnista

[Guest Josh]

Not to mention I've been saying this $h! for two years now. Whatever.

[Dsuupr]

I'm wondering when a US based magazine will test the Astra to give us an indication of what they think of it.

[haypops]

click here

The Astra is GM's best-selling vehicle in Europe, with around 534,000 units sold last year. Click here for photos of the Astra.

So the Astra sells more cars in Europe than Toyota sells Camrys in the United States! Who knew?

[dirtyvega]

So What does this mean for the Spring Hill Plant?

[RBB]

Out of curiosity, why would it take nearly 18 months to start importing the car?

-RBB

[Enzora]

Out of curiosity, why would it take nearly 18 months to start importing the car?

-RBB

Probably because it hasn't been tested by American safety standards yet. Stupid bureaucracy.

[pow]

Probably because it hasn't been tested by American safety standards yet.  Stupid bureaucracy.

Well, they need to hurry up before it becomes dated and I get a GTI.

[Ghost Dog]

So What does this mean for the Spring Hill Plant?

It Means Gm outsourced thier jobs.

[enzl]

It Means Gm outsourced thier jobs.

Spring Hill is rumored to be either a) killed off or b) not exclusively saturn after '07, depending on who you believe.

At least the Opel will save a few jobs in europe, keeping the assembly lines humming in the Astra's 3/4/5 year of this gen's production....maybe this will encourage GM to look globally for more cars...

[Robert Hall]

Spring Hill is rumored to be either a) killed off or b) not exclusively saturn after '07, depending on who you believe.

At least the Opel will save a few jobs in europe, keeping the assembly lines humming in the Astra's 3/4/5 year of this gen's production....maybe this will encourage GM to look globally for more cars...

Yes, after all, it is a GM car built in a GM plant...look at all the GM cars built in Canada, Mexico....( or the Aveo built in Korea, or the GTO in Australia).

[PurdueGuy]

Spring Hill is rumored to be either a) killed off or b) not exclusively saturn after '07, depending on who you believe.

They won't kill Spring Hill, they'll just build whatever the heck they want there.

[CaddyXLR-V]

It Means Gm outsourced thier jobs.

It means GM is finally getting smarter :AH-HA_wink:

Actually I believe it just means GM didnt have a replacement ready so they used extra capacity from another country, until the replacement is ready.

Edited May 10, 2006 by CaddyXLR-V

[Lexcar14]

So does that mean the Astra GTC comes here too? I'm giddy with excitement! :-D

[red]

Cheers to GM for this...the Astra GTC is one of the most beatiful hatches I've seen...you have got to see this in person! The five door is not as impressive, but would be very distinctive in the US market.

Setting a target of 20-40K is applaudable and realistic. The US hatch market has always been fickle, and the prices are going to be a little higher than most consumers will be willing to pay.

Not bringing a manual version over here will ruin the car's "street cred." I have a feeling that the GTC will be very popular with enthusiasts, who in turn, may be influential to or are the trendsetter that every marketer craves to capture. And really, I could see myself buying this baby, and I would completely look elsewhere if no manual tranny was offered (I'm crazy like that).

Lastly, that interior is 10x better than what was planned for the 2008 ION...although like anything in its class, the materials could be cushier.

So cheers, GM, can't wait to take this baby for a drive. (Bring the performance version over here, too. Red Line, anyone?).

[evok]

GM Europe seeks nearly 1,000 British job cuts

Reuters / May 10, 2006 - 1:00 pm / UPDATED: 5/10/2006 2:48 P.M.

RUESSELSHEIM, Germany -- General Motors Europe has proposed cutting nearly 1,000 jobs this year at its Ellesmere Port plant in Britain to improve productivity for the Opel/Vauxhall Astra model, GME President Carl-Peter Forster said on Wednesday.

He said the carmaker was negotiating with labor representatives who wanted to spread production cuts over other GM plants in Europe that make the Astra compact, but that the idea was "not super-attractive."

"This just delays a real solution," he said on the sidelines of a ceremony opening GM Europe's design center.

He declined to give an exact timetable for making a decision, saying only, "We won't debate this for weeks."

Plants at Antwerp, Belgium, and Bochum, Germany, also build the Astra, which was GM's best-selling vehicle in Europe last year but typically sees sales decline as the model ages.

Forster said GM Europe was intent on boosting productivity at the current Astra plants, which he said had improved but was not at benchmark levels.

"We want to take the opportunity now to part with workers whom we will not need in future," he said, noting Britain's more flexible labor market argued for making job cuts there.

Klaus Franz, who heads GM Europe's employee council, told reporters that workers at the other plants were prepared to work more flexible hours or make other concessions to help absorb reduced Astra production.

"There is no way to get around adjusting volumes but how to do it is a different matter," Franz said. He suggested linking the issue to a package of measures governing manufacture of the next generation of Astra, which is due for launch in 2010.

GM Europe is supposed to decide early next year which plants will build the next-generation model, and workers are keen to ensure it does not close any plants or adopt forced layoffs.

The three current plants plus Trollhattan, Sweden, and Gliwice, Poland, are in the running.

Any British job losses would follow last month's decision by French carmaker PSA/Peugeot-Citroen to close its central England plant next year, eliminating 2,300 jobs, and the collapse of British carmaker MG Rover last year.

On other subjects, Forster said GM had not yet decided whether to export Astras from Europe to North America to be marketed under its sister brand Saturn.

"What is important is to create the conditions to be able to do this," he said, then judge whether market conditions were ripe to proceed with the idea.

[Dragon]

i can see a lot of new Saturn cues in it, but unlike the other new saturns, this seems bland and boring

[jbartley]

this just means GM is finally getting efficient!

[Cadillacfan]

It Means Gm outsourced thier jobs.

It's a temporary fix. Don't get all bent out of shape about it. Once the next Astra comes around, it will be built both here in North America and in Europe.

I'm glad they're doing it.

[bearrunner44]

Cheers to GM for this...the Astra GTC is one of the most beatiful hatches I've seen...

Definitely. I've adored the Astra ever since the concept version was unveiled. It's sleek, without looking like a Yaris or a Celica (meaning, it doesn't look overdesigned). I'll hopefully be looking for a new car around the time that the Astra hits the market, and I may be first in line for it:D

[FAPTurbo]

I've seen this car in person too in both Europe and Australia, and it'll be a great fit in North America too. It'll exude a bit of European flair in a category that ranges from bland to clowny to outright 'Doc. Martin's' dorky.

[daves87rs]

All I can say is it is about time.

I've considered the ION pretty much as a POS since it rolled out of Spring Hill.

It's pretty bad when the old S-series are still better than the ION.

The Astra is a great car-worlds better than the ION would eveer have been.

Am I too harsh? Not really.

Crappy build. Lack of anything useful.(packages?)

At my local Saturn dealership-Ion are often in for repair.

I feel larger rebates are coming for the ION.....sad-considering they can't sell em now.

I guess if you're looking for a deal.....

[daves87rs]

Not to mention I've been saying this $h! for two years now. Whatever.

*kicks Josh's chair*

SHHHH! You'll ruin the surprise! :AH-HA_wink:

[daves87rs]

Out of curiosity, why would it take nearly 18 months to start importing the car?

-RBB

Adjusting it to our roads, tastes, so on.

To give a little time to finish the ION....

[haypops]

Am I too harsh? Not really.

Crappy build. Lack of anything useful.(packages?)

At my local Saturn dealership-Ion are often in for repair.

I feel larger rebates are coming for the ION.....sad-considering they can't sell em now.

Tell it to the ION owners with over 200,000 miles. I like the Astra and the idea of filling in with it, but it won't be as reliable as the ION.

[daves87rs]

Tell it to the ION owners with over 200,000 miles.  I like the Astra and the idea of filling in with it, but it won't be as reliable as the ION.

I'm sorry to say, my friend-that there is not that many.

It's not the ecotec engine I'm worried about-it is the rest of the car....

[MyerShift]

Give us all of the notable powertrains (like the 1.9 CDTi (or whatever it is- the diesel)) and manual transmissions.

GM, for the love of God, don't de-content it!!

[Ravenfreak13]

The ION was 10000000X quieter insdie then the s-series though...although I noticed that when I put the A/C on in my SL1, the vibration goes down A LOT.

[Member55]

this just means GM is finally getting efficient!

There is nothing efficient about importing cars from Europe these days. Unfavorable exchange rate and even higher labor costs than in the US. I doubt GM will make a penny on this deal.

[daves87rs]

The ION was 10000000X quieter insdie then the s-series though...although I noticed that when I put the A/C on in my SL1, the vibration goes down A LOT.

Kinda. I've been in both-not too much different...

[haypops]

The ION was 10000000X quieter insdie then the s-series though...although I noticed that when I put the A/C on in my SL1, the vibration goes down A LOT.

One of the few common problems with the S-series was the engine mount. Check it out if you get a chance.

[Member55]

One of the few common problems with the S-series was the engine mount.  Check it out if you get a chance.

The problem with S series is that god awful Opel 3.0 engine. There are diesels more refined than that engine.

[thegriffon]

The problem with S series is that god awful Opel 3.0 engine. There are diesels more refined than that engine.

Yes I can imagine if you drove an S-series with the old Opel 3.0 L V6 it would have been pretty unrefined, but at least it would have been very quick off the mark. I suspect though you are thing of the L-Series.

[PurdueGuy]

The problem with S series is that god awful Opel 3.0 engine. There are diesels more refined than that engine.

lol - the only engine in the S-Series is the 1.9L Saturn engine (in SOHC and DOHC forms). It was designed for the S-Series, and has never been in any other factory car. There are remarkable similarities between the late 1.9L heads and the Ecotec head, though...

[Member55]

My bad, I got them mixed up.

[Robert Hall]

Tell it to the ION owners with over 200,000 miles.  I like the Astra and the idea of filling in with it, but it won't be as reliable as the ION.

Hmm...the Ion has only been around for a few years? Why would someone put 200k on one???

Edited May 14, 2006 by moltar

[pow]

If it came summer '07, I'd definitely consider it. End-of-year '07 is quite a wait, though.

[haypops]

Hmm...the Ion has only been around for a few years?  Why would someone put 200k on one???

He drives professionaly.

[greg_nate]

Definitely.  I've adored the Astra ever since the concept version was unveiled.  It's sleek, without looking like a Yaris or a Celica (meaning, it doesn't look overdesigned).  I'll hopefully be looking for a new car around the time that the Astra hits the market, and I may be first in line for it:D

Does anyone know the drivetrain specs for the American version? Think a diesel will be offered?

[Cadillacfan]

Way too early to tell but if I were to guess, I'd say that the diesel wouldn't be brought over... yet. Eventually, it may be imported if enough people wanted it. Right now, Diesel has a bad image in the US as being loud, smelly, and just lousy to own with the exception of a large pickup. GM would be smart to wait until it became more acceptable in the US before importing them in a car.

[enzl]

Way too early to tell but if I were to guess, I'd say that the diesel wouldn't be brought over... yet.  Eventually, it may be imported if enough people wanted it.  Right now, Diesel has a bad image in the US as being loud, smelly, and just lousy to own with the exception of a large pickup.  GM would be smart to wait until it became more acceptable in the US before importing them in a car.

Not to mention it cannot pass EPA standards for 07 and will likely not be updated to do so before the next gen Astra...Diesels sell--VW sells everyone they import in the 45 states they can...IIRC, Fiat was GM's small diesel partner, so no provision has been made to adapt them to 50 state standards--More evidence of GM's myopia...