New Opel Astra Seems Destined for Buick

It’s no secret that General Motors is planning to close or sell off its Saturn division, but questions remain what will happen to Saturn’s current lineup of vehicles. While vehicles such as the Saturn Outlook, Saturn VUE, Saturn Sky and Saturn Aura are all similar to other GM models they will not be entirely missed, but the European-designed Astra is exclusive to Saturn. In an effort to replace the Ion coupe and sedan in 2008, Saturn looked to GM Europe’s Opel division to source the Astra three- and five-door hatchback. With Saturn and Pontiac both ending their existence under GM, Buick is said to be inheriting future sporty cars from Opel including the Insignia and the all-new Astra (pictured).

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse is already planned to use the same underpinnings and similar styling as the new Opel Insignia, but rumors have been floating around that it will also get its own version of the 2010 Opel Astra which made its initial debut today ahead of its official Frankfurt Auto Show debut this September. While it is likely that the Saturn Astra will actually be a one model year wonder (no 2009 models were built due to overproduction), the more elegant and upmarket styling of the 2010 Opel Astra could allow it to be positioned at the bottom of Buick’s lineup. The new Astra has similar lines to the much larger Insignia sedan, but the little hatchback also has a style very close to the Buick Enclave. With a few simple changes like adding the requisite chrome waterfall grille and replacing the sport wheels with a set of more elegant alloys, a Buick Astra is not as far fetched as it seems.

At 14.5 feet in length, the new Opel Astra will be slight larger than the current model, which should help to improve passenger comfort. In addition to the extended length, the 2010 Astra also rides on a wheelbase that is almost three inches longer than the current offering with intent of improving vehicle stability and handling. In addition to added comfort, GM also claims that interior features a design with cues that mimic the exterior and, being a hatchback, GM utilized all available space by adding flexible storage compartments. For the driver, Opel models will get trick FlexRide electronic driving system that offers three different setting (standard, sport and touring) adapts to driving conditions and optimizes vehicle response, handling and feedback according to the mode. It’s not likely this system would transition over to an American model, but here’s to wishful thinking.

Although GM has yet to officially announce the future of the Astra, with the “core” brands of Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick surviving the cuts, Buick makes the best sense since Chevrolet already has two compact hatchbacks – the HHR and Aveo5. Whatever GM division houses the next Astra, it will use a much different powertrain than the current Saturn Astra. While the 2008 Saturn Astra used a 138-horsepower, 1.8-liter inline-4, the next U.S.-spec Astra could come with a 1.4-liter inline-4 putting out between 120 and 140 horsepower and a turbocharged 1.8-liter inline-4 producing around 180 horsepower. Opel is planning to introduce a compact clutch-free automatic transmission on European models, but North American models would probably use a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission.

One of the factors that remain to be seen is how a sportier, more youthful model might sit with Buick’s brand loyal clientele. Past attempts to attract a larger and younger demographic hasn’t really panned out although the Buick Enclave has continued to be a solid seller for Buick. Even the souped-up LaCrosse Super and Lucerne Super failed to give the division any mainstream credibility. The last performance vehicles with Buick badges were the Grand National and GNX during the mid 1980s. While the Astra is far from a true performance car like the Grand National, it could succeed if the styling is more in line with the Enclave and if the pricing is right. Since “more experienced” drivers prefer larger sedans like the Lucerne, a five-door hatchback would have to be marketed at a much younger demographic.