We’ve got to love Bob Lutz and his unabashed capacity to be wrong. In today’s Automotive News, he reports that “The Saturn Astra costs too much for U.S. customers, and sales and profitability of the small hatchback are suffering.” There is no question that sales have been anemic (between 1500 and 2000 cars per month) and that profitability for the Astra was always questionable at best. Or worse. Lutz went on to tell AN that “the profit is no longer there.” None of this has been in contention. But what is blindingly daft is GM’s explanation: the Astra costs too much for American consumers, at $16,495. Before we break out the slide rules and figure that the Civic starts in the mid $15,000s and the Mazda3 sedan starts just a hair under $15,000, keep in mind the comparable levels of equipment we’re talking about here. The Astra comes standard with loads of kit that you’d have to pay thousands more for in options. Many people don’t look at that when they are trying to buy the cheapest new car they can. But many people do want options on their Mazda3, or Corolla or Civic. And for those people, the Astra is not too expensive. The culprit from this writer’s mental CSI lab? First, zero advertising for the Astra. It’s not a legacy nameplate (i.e. Corolla or Civic) so they can’t just expect people to know it’s out there. Second, the mileage is a few pegs off from the class leaders: compare a 24/30 Astra to a 25/36 Civic. I don’t care, but lots of other people do. Third and finally, the Astra is hatchback only. I love hatchbacks. You might love hatchbacks. But Nissan was smart enough to realize that Americans are only warming up to hatchbacks; that’s why the ass-ugly Versa sedan outsells the more pleasant Versa hatch. Bottom line: the Astra (a truly decent car) is headed to the enthusiast’s scrap heap. There it can join other high-potential, half-executed Lutz ideas like the Merkur xr4ti, Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, Pontiac GTO, and Pontiac G8. At least they’re all cheap to buy used.
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Perhaps Americans at home have concluded the same as American tourists in Europe have known all along.
Even though Opels/Vauxhalls (and German Fords) are light years ahead of what GM inflicts on North American consumers, they are still the fleet queens of government and rental companies alike.
So whether it’s doux, dolce, mild, or zacht, bland is still uninspiring.
So why isn’t GM offering an Astra with comparable options as the Civic/Corolla/Mazda 3? If the Astra is coming with “loads of kit” for it’s $1500 higher price point, why not make a “stripper” model with less “kit” and retail it at the same price point as the Civrolla 3?
And make a commercial or two. Come on. Every month in C&D, there has been a 10 page thick stock glossy ad for some GM product that nobody cares about. Why not this car???
Oh, yeah, that’s right – GM can’t make money selling small cars.
Why is the G8 in the scrap heap? It is a seriously good car.
Beyond that, I think my lukewarm response to the Astra isn’t so much that the car isn’t good, its that it is supposed to be a sporty-leaning car but it has a weak engine. It it had something with a little more gusto, I think more enthusiasts would warm up to it. As it is, its weak engine would appeal to people looking for a basic commuter, but those basic commuter buyers won’t like its “harsh ride”. I know many myself. I love the Mazda3. Other people drive it and hate it. They complain its too loud and too stiff. Buy a Corolla or Civic or Sentra instead. Astra is in the same boat, but you don’t get the benefit of a peppy engine for enthusiasts, so its caught in some no-mans-land.
Otherwise it really needs satellite radio option and bluetooth would help too.
GM simply lacks imagination. Surely, aren’t labor costs lower in South America compared to Western Europe?
Why on earth did GM not import the South American Astra sedan and station wagon into the US instead of the European hatchbacks?
These imbeciles deserve to fail. They can’t think outside the box.
Menno,
Good question. Here’s another:
If the dollar is so cheap compared to the Euro, why not make Astras in the US (where there is plenty of spare capacity) and export TO Europe?
@Jerome10:
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head exactly with the Astra. In fact, my review of it said exactly that much – it was neither sporty enough nor sedate enough to appeal to large audiences.
But you know what? There is no reason, other than self-imposed roadblocks, why that car is selling at 1500 units a month.
As for the G8: it’s in the heap with all of those other very good cars. The G8 is just outstanding, and I absolutely love it. But check the sales numbers… It’s not a pretty sight. The G8 is a low volume car, that like the Astra, GTO, xr4ti, Solstice, Sky, XLR, and upcoming G8 sport truck, will last exactly one generation in the US. And THAT is a shame.
I think the Astra is a perfectly fine vehicle, and it’s priced just right. However, I somehow think the brand is hurting the car (that and a lack of advertising). Why not just sell it was what it is: a European compact car. GM should be unabashed in saying so, otherwise people might just think it’s a newer version of the horrible ION.
If people look at the Astra in that manner, and what is available with it…it’s now priced comparably with the Rabbit and 3, as well as the Civic, Corolla, and Sentra. I personally think that the pricing is very comparable to the 3 5-door.
Why buy an Astra that isn’t competitive on price, fuel mileage, engine power, reliability, brand name cache, or resale value ?.
I’ve only ever seen ONE Astra locally….OK maybe two, they were both red so it was probably the same car I saw twice. ;)
For me, the deal killer with the Astra is the lack of an Aux or iPod input. C’mon GM, it’s 2008!
The only place I see Astra’s is in the grassy center to the traffic circle at my local supermarket. The local Saturn dealers must have plenty of inventory if they can spare some to sit at the grocery store.
One word: MINI
This is another case of the brand tarnishing the product. No different than Pontiac tarnishing Holdens.
GM spent something like 3 billion I’ve read to remake Saturn’s product line only to have the entire brand continue to fall. The brand cannot support nicer cars that cost more, that’s not what Saturn’s base is.
It seemed like a good idea, making Saturn into a US sales outlet for Opels and Opel-inspired cars but the US isn’t taking to the price increase.
Like the rest of the world, there’s no reason the Astra and Holdens can’t be sold as Chevrolets. A brand that might have better luck moving them.
And I wanted desperately for the Astra to find a market here in the US. As a long-time Opel fan, I was excited when I first heard the Astra was coming over, undiluted. Problem is, the variant we got doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself from all of the other small cars out there. And yes, hatchbacks still have a long road ahead of them here in the States when it comes to full acceptance. A stronger engine to go along with the (presumed) sporty stance would have helped tremendously. This, however, will go down as a footnote in GM’s history as just another also-ran that coulda been a contender!
I don’t think hatchbacks are the problem, remember the late 70’s and early 80’s when the Japanese manufacturers (either Toyota or Datsun) referred to them as “liftbacks”? I had an ’83 Toyota Celica liftback/hatchback and they sold like they were going out of style. There was a lull in the late 90’s and maybe people have forgotten about them.
As for the Astra, I test drove one on Saturday. I knew nothing about it, including the fact that it is a rebadged Opel, and I guess that is the problem; no one knows about them because they are not advertised. I don’t know a lot about small cars as I haven’t owned one in recent times but it seemed well designed and put together. It really needs the five speed manual (six speed preferred if it existed) as I have to believe it would be really sluggish with the automatic. The styling is weird, you either love it or hate it I guess. I am also concerned about the fact that I have never seen one in public, only on a dealer’s lot.
Bottom line is that Saturn no longer has a reason to exist because they make nothing that is unique to them or really a “Saturn”. The fact that they don’t promote themselves just makes it worse; seems like GM is testing the water on cutting it loose as a division/brand. Unfortunately, this is just another half-a$$ed GM approach to business and the Astra, whatever its qualifications, will go unnoticed.
“It’s not a legacy nameplate (i.e. Corolla or Civic)”
Other than the Corvette, what GM offering is a legacy nameplate? The CTS? The G6? The LaCrosse?
Honestly, the closest I can think of are the Malibu and Impala, but those were both resurrected from the past, after a long period of non-production.
I don’t think I’ve seen a single Astra driving around.
Am I the only one screaming for an Astra “Red Line”. Come on GM slap that 260hp turbo in there. From an enthusiast standpoint the only thing this car is missing is power.
The Astra is invisible here. I have seen one or two Auras. Lots of old Saturns (that nobody really wants) and no Astras.
The G8 is a low volume car, that like the Astra, GTO, xr4ti, Solstice, Sky, XLR, and upcoming G8 sport truck, will last exactly one generation in the US. And THAT is a shame.
It is a shame. And you are correct. If GM kept bringing these cars here and even if they did not promote them at all – people would finally notice them b/c somebody they knew would have one. I bought a CR-V when nobody else we knew had one. Same with our VW Cabrio. My grandfather even asked if the engine was still in the back. Neither vehicle was getting any advertising around here.
I’ll be looking at the Astra when I go car shopping next time. After spending three years in Italy way back when driving Opels I wondered by GM didn’t sell them here as their small cars. They did but too often it was s diluted version of the Opel (Americanized) and like someone said above, sometimes the original Opel is pretty tame.
wow i didint know it had jus 138 hp. i thought it would at least have 150 or at least 170 wit that starting price. i was shopping for a small car and i looked at the 3 door astra. but the basically 19k starting price turned me away. and the comment about the astra has loads of kit for the price, i think thats kind of bull. the only thing i saw worthwhile was the onstar. by the time i got the options i wanted (excluding the automatic) i was already over 21k. no thanks saturn. ill take my money elsewhere
GM is really trying hard to make their European cars uncompetitive in the US, are they?
Mind you … there is an Astra sedan. They only do not sell it.
http://smggermany.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/04/20/astra_stufenheck.jpg
I think the car is built in Poland and Turkey. So it is also made with less labour costs than the hatchback Astra. Sometimes I just don’t get my head around GM.
It would be a shame if it failed. The people across the street from me purchased one and it is a nice small car, inside and out.
I have actually seen three Astra’s around and those are not counting the one I purchased. After reading the review here on TTAC, I went to look. Less than a week later I made the purchase.
Also, I have been keeping a running tally of times I have seen an advertisement for the little car. Total: 2.
@ 8rings:
Here is your “red line” Astra, the Astra OPC (2.0 liter turbo, 240 hp). As said before … they just need to sell it:
http://www.opelsverige.com/content_data/GME/019/SE/se/GBPSE/microsite/opc2007/images/wallpaper_02.jpg
Another fact vs Fiction:
Truth: Corporate mismanagement stalled Astra.
138HP isn’t THAT little. My 2800lb VW Cabrio only has 115 HP and my 3300lb CR-V AWD only has 146HP (at the redline so I’m driving around with much less than 146HP).
I think a person has to drive a car to see how the powerband matches the shift points and the weight of the vehicle. I have been in some really low power cars (40HP, 65HP, 90HP) that did just great in traffic and the open road. My 90HP VW Rabbit (GTI) would run 123 mph flatout, and 100 mph for hours at a time (US spec car being driven on the Autostrada in Italy).
To European standards 138 hp is quite a lot. My everyday car is an Opel Corsa. It has 58 hp, top speed is 97.5 mph, fuel consumption is 48 mpg.
The perfect car to drive to work and back.
No advertising. Outside of car geeks, who even knows this thing exists?
The Astra reminds me of the old ad;
“Try it you’ll like it”
I’d love a Corsa 1.4L 3 door
What killed it for me was charging another $1000 for air conditioning on the base model. Plus $350 for wheels and you’re automatically in the base XR model price range. They are really trying not to sell these.
Oh, mpg for the manual is EPA est 24/32
For all you saying the HP “isn’t bad,” if you consider the MPGs it is terrible.
8rings: Am I the only one screaming for an Astra “Red Line”.
I am right there with you. If I didn’t need to get a car so soon, I would not have bought my GTI, but would have waited for an Astra Red Line. The 3-door Astra has some good looks, and the Red Line, if they brought it over unchanged (maybe more hp) would be badass. Of course, GM fulfilled their own prophecy and the car’s sales stink. So the chance of an Astra Red Line are slim to none.
Same old song-and-dance routine. Didn’t Bob state one of the reasons that the GTO flopped was it was overpriced?
Well that and having Bob (I’m at Pizza Hut now) Kraut as brand manager?
It looks nice, but for the MPG and price, I’ll take a Civic anyday. It has the same HP. It will hold resale value, and I’m guessing the Saturn won’t as much.
I bought a new Mazda 3 hatch in June. The hatch wasn’t the problem – in fact I insisted my car have it. I’m also an enthusiast. I wanted more than Civic-level power, and in the chassis department, I appreciated that the 3 has IRS whereas the Astra has a torsion beam setup. Not a big deal to most, but I wanted IRS. I was willing to pay a little more for the Mazda.
On the subject of advertising:
A few months back I remember playing a pretty fun slot-car type game online. You could design your own track, and race an Astra around it using the keyboard. I believe it was some kind of online Astra advertising. I guess I’m the only one that played that game though (and I’m not interested in an Astra at all, I just had time to kill), which makes sense when looking at Astra’s sales
The original Saturn was replaced by the “Ion”, which sold poorly … only to be replaced by the Astra, which sells even worse.
Saturn is so dead. As has been said here a zillion times, GM doesn’t have the marketing and distribution muscle to support a bazzilion brands in the US. Chevrolet and Cadillac … Everything Else is Noise [tm :)].
The base Astra is useless because it doesn’t come with AC. When I speced one out with AC it was well over 18k and out of my price range. The only options I want are AC and cruise; when I priced out the models that I’m interested in, they came out like this:
Yaris 14900
SX4 15500 (09s are going to be a lot more expensive)
Corolla 16669
Fit 16700
Maz3 17465
Impreza 17640
Civic 17800
JohnHorner- the ION sold over 100K units per year. Hardly poor numbers.
Nemphre- you’ve got some of the idea, it’s really a nicer car in person than “spec’ed out” The Yaris, SX4, Corolla and Fit look and feel less expensive. Same with the Focus and Cobalt. The 3, Civic and Impreza are closer in look and feel but are also closer in price.
JB- Any numbers on the Versa Sedan outselling the hatch? In my local area I see a lot more of the hatch.
GM claims they are going to build the next Astra in the US. I’m guessing it will be a Cruze hatchback.
” … the ION sold over 100K units per year. Hardly poor numbers. ”
And in the late 1990s the Saturn S-series sold well over 200,000 units per year. I should have said that the Ion sold worse that the car line it replaced. Heck, the universally maligned Saturn L-series hit nearly 100k units per year.
http://www.autointell.com/nao_companies/general_motors/saturn/saturn5.htm
I can’t believe all the negative comments here.
You all said” bring the European cars to NA and don’t change a thing”!
Voila, here it is! Ding, Ding, Ding, come and get it!
I got one just over 3 months now and just LOVE this car.
The whole interior is easy to look at and solid built , the ride is firm and on the hwy goes straight as an arrow. The exterior is clean cut with no chintzy plastic tack ons like most of its competition.
I got the base XR for just under $20K Canadian and it is loaded except w/o roof and it’s a 5 speed.
A Honda Civic… give me a break, the base model dosen’t even have a 60/40 split seat and the interior is butt ugly!
I am reminded each day of the standard features it comes with and it’s a blast too drive.
In my research this was the most bang for the buck car out there.
SX4 15500 (09s are going to be a lot more expensive)
Why is that?
The Yaris, SX4, Corolla and Fit look and feel less expensive. Same with the Focus
I had a new (<2k miles rental Focus). I was rather impressed with the handling and content at price point. And 38 mpg on the highway (65). Not bad at all; if only they’d make a wagon version again….
If only GM had given the Aztec as little time to be successful, the world would be a better, and more beautiful, place.
“Why is that?”
Base price increases ($1500). Option package and trim level rejigging. Cruise will only be available in a $750 “technology package”. A portable navigation unit is going to be a standard feature now. Kind of weird. I’m not as interested in the SX4 after I read an Edmunds review where they said that when they turned up the stereo, every interior panel buzzed and rattled.
Gm doesn’t make stripped down models because that kills profits. It’s easier to make money on lots of options like a $2,000 GPS unit, or whatever gizmo that is way overpriced.
GM has been doing this for years. The suburban in the 90’s lost the base model for instance. All in an effort to make people to buy more high margin gizmos.
Someone has got to hit the reset button on this company. The Chevy brand may have history but it’s still aligned with the crap they made 20 years ago.
They may make a better car than those days but so does the competition. I can’t accept buying a chevy when they’ve been shit in the past. Then again my Buick is lasting quite long. I just wish the Enclave wasn’t a mini-van pretending to be an SUV and came down several thousand as it has the best looking sheet metal of the quadruplets.
For me its the ugly dashboard that sinks the ship. Whats up with the tiny screen in a really big recess?
As it happens, my brother and I just test-drove one of these this very evening. And I had to ask the dealership guy: why don’t I see these things everywhere?
Rides like a 30,000 car, costs half as much. Safety features out the wazoo, respectable mileage, lots of upscale features you’d need to drop an extra $5000 to even talk about on your Corrivic 3s. And it’s actually unique enough to pick out in a parking lot!
With 11th-hour desperation “employee financing,” why WOULDN’T you buy? Like I said, for 16,000, you get a hell of a lot of car. We’re going back tomorrow to finance.
This is a great novelty to me: I have an xB and a Lancer in my household, two great-for-the-money foreign economobiles, and I’m actually excited to purchase a DOMESTIC (sortof) SMALL CAR. Whoda thunk it?
JuniorMint,
Yes, well said. You will enjoy it’s uniqueness for thousands less.
I got the silver sand color, apparently hard to get.
Enjoy!
Ah, whither GM…they FINALLY get a decent small car over here…and they proceed to kill it with absolutely NO advertising. I drove an Astra…and found myself liking it except for the just adequate power (needs about 15-20 more HP) and the…ummm…curiously styled interior, although that in itself isn’t a deal breaker. Why is there no ad play for this car…a car that totally puts the Focus on the trailer, and handles and rides better than the Civic??? Just another example of GM and Mr. Lutz’s chronic half-assedness…