The Saturn Astra was a rebadged Opel Astra built in Europe and sold in North America for the 2008 and 2009 model years. It replaced the Saturn Ion and was the last compact car the brand introduced before General Motors closed Saturn.
Saturn Astra at a glance
| Production | 2008–2009 model years |
|---|---|
| Origin | rebadged Opel Astra H |
| Imported from | Belgium |
| Body styles | three- and five-door hatchback |
| Trim levels | XE and XR |
| Replaced | Saturn Ion |
| Brand | Saturn, a division of General Motors |
| Fate | withdrawn with the Saturn brand in 2009 |
The English Wikipedia page for the Saturn Astra redirects to the article on the Opel Astra; only the passages about the Saturn version are used, so the article is short and based on one page.
History of the Saturn Astra
2008: a European compact for America
When the Saturn Ion ended production in March 2007, Saturn replaced it not with another American-designed compact but with a European one. The Saturn Astra was the Opel Astra H, the generation sold in Europe from 2004, rebadged and imported from Belgium. It was offered as a three-door and a five-door hatchback in XE and XR trim, and it gave Saturn a car developed for European roads and tastes at a time when the brand was trying to compete with imported compact cars.
The Astra name in the GM world
The Astra name began at Vauxhall, which had used it for its versions of the Opel Kadett since 1980. General Motors standardised its European model names in the early 1990s, and the Astra became the name of Opel’s compact car from 1991, with generations lettered through the alphabet. In North America the same car was sold as the Saturn Astra between 2008 and 2009, one of several badges the Astra carried around the world over the years.
2009: the end of Saturn
The Saturn Astra had only two model years. General Motors decided to wind down the Saturn division in 2009 as part of its restructuring, and the imported hatchback went with it. It was the last compact Saturn, closing a line that had begun with the S-Series in 1990 and continued through the Ion.
Design and features
- European design: the car was an Opel Astra H, developed and built in Europe.
- Imported from Belgium: North American cars were shipped in rather than built locally.
- Two body styles: three- and five-door hatchbacks, in XE and XR trim.
- Short life: sold for only the 2008 and 2009 model years.
Saturn Astra versions
- Astra XE: the standard trim, in three- and five-door form.
- Astra XR: the better-equipped trim.
- Three-door: the sportier-looking hatchback body.
- Five-door: the more practical hatchback body.
The Astra replaced the Saturn Ion and was the last compact car of the brand; the Aura was its larger stablemate in the same years. More cars are in the Saturn collection.
Sources
- Saturn Astra, English Wikipedia: badge-engineered Opel Astra H, years, import from Belgium
- Opel Astra, English Wikipedia: Astra name and generations
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