If only Ford brought over the Focus from Europe, Motor Trend would have a suspenseful comparison between the two faux-American hatchbacks. GM has done their homework on the enormous fanfare of the Opel Astra and brought one of the best-selling compacts of Europe to North America. The 2008 Saturn Astra made its debut in the Windy City and it is destined to go on sale in the fall.The Astra's base sticker is higher than those offered by Chevrolet, Toyota and Honda. However, the Astra's emphasis will surround on refinement. The Astra XE 5-door 5MT starts at a mere $15,995, whilst the 4-speed auto boosts the total to $17,320. The Astra XR 5-door starts at $17,545 for the manual or $18,870 for the auto. The hot 3-door is only available in the XR trim, which starts at $18,495 for the manual and $19,820 for the automatic.
Avaliable options include Euro 18-inch alloys (3-door only), StabiliTrak, and a dual-panel sunroof. The Astra, in our opinion, is probably one of the best, most potential compact car released by the General in a long time. Click the image to view a PDF file of the pricing brochure of the Astra.
[Source: GM]
