A Saturn Astra? North American Opel Fans Can Only Hope

Saturn seems to be making all of the right decisions lately, and its new Sky roadster and Aura midsize sedan, plus its upcoming Outlook crossover are getting the right kind of attention as a result. What is it doing differently? What we have been hoping they would do all along: import the design language, and in some cases entire cars from GMs German subsidiary, Opel.

The latest car to get be considered would be a surefire hit if Saturn chose to float it across the Atlantic en masse, Opels stylish new Astra as a replacement for the less than inspiring and poorly selling Ion. And why is the rumor mill agog with the possibility? Because Saturn has applied to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to use "Astra" as a vehicle name; although theres an argument that it has only done so to stop another automaker from using the name.

Nevertheless, despite a previous announcement that would have GM developing a new model rumored to get the "Evoke" nameplate with further rumors that production would get transferred from Saturns Spring Hill, Tennessee plant to one in Lordstown, Ohio, a move that would allow construction of an all-steel body rather than the plastic panels now used on the Ion, such plans have been scrapped.

And now that Saturn has announced that it has cancelled plans for its Ion replacement the rumor mill has run rampant, questioning what potential models could get the nod.

"Were exploring different alternatives," Jill Lajdziak, Saturn general manager, told reporters recently at the New York auto show. "Were not ready to talk about that today."

The Evoke would have been based on the Chevrolet Cobalt/Pontiac G5 platform, with styling heavily influenced by the Opel brand. But now with this plan in the circular file cabinet, the Ion replacement could very well be a re-badged Opel Astra, thanks to product-boss Bob Lutz and his focus on integrating the Saturn and Opel brands - recently he told a media scrum that most of Saturns core products would be re-badged Opels. This would make Astra the likely candidate for North America, and whether it would be produced here or imported from one of its other plants, more likely Brazil than high-priced Europe, is also in question. Fortunately for Saturn, the same Ecotec engine that powers the Ion, and Cobalt/G5, is used in the Astra, which makes for an easier transition to U.S. regulations.

Another reason that backs up the re-badged Astra theory is the long delay in announcing a replacement for Ion. With the Ion going out of production at the end of this year, the time needed to ready an all-new Cobalt/G5 based replacement would mean Saturn dealers would be without a small car for some time - a critical problem for a brand that is known for small import-fighting cars. It would be disastrous if such a gap were to occur, of course, which means that Saturn dealers and customers may be the benefactors of a small car that will certainly upstage those in other GM brands.

Even if the Astra plan goes through, mind you, there will still be some time dealers are left without a small car, even if GM decides to increase Ion production at Spring Hill to make up for the slack - about a 60 to 90 day gap without a small car according to Saturn brand and product director, Lisa Hutchinson. Simply waiting for the new replacement could have dealers waiting eight to nine months, which would not be acceptable.

Just what we be produced on Saturns Spring Hill Line One, the line that currently builds the Ion, is anyones guess.

"As of now, theres no replacement for Line One," commented GM spokesman Dan Flores. "Line Two is the Vue, and that will continue."

With Saturn soon to replace the Vue and no additional composite-bodied models planned, the only plastic-paneled car to continue in GMs future will be Chevys Corvette, and it is unlikely that it will be built anywhere other than Bowling Green, Kentucky.