Summary
Indeed, there has been a renaissance in the Saturn lineup, starting with the boldly styled Sky roadster, the Aura sedan and the Outlook and redesigned Vue crossovers. Ironically, the Sky is now the oldest product wearing the Saturn badge, while the compact Astra is the youngster in the family.
Already, the Astra is making such a splash with critics that it will surely spark that rush of shoppers [Dan Burton] and his dealers are seeking. Not only did the Astra top all entries in the tough small car category at the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) annual Car of the Year competition, it earned enough respect to be a finalist for Canadian Car of the Year. It was in the hunt with a pair of hot Audis -- pretty heady company for an upstart compact. Ultimately, the underdog Astra was swept aside by the voters' overwhelming love affair with the ultra-impressive R8 sports car.The Astra is also well mannered just cruising the open road. Despite having to compete with some stiff crosswinds on one highway jaunt, the five-door, base-model XE tracked true, with little correction required as gusts blew across its path. Similarly, passing (or being passed) by big 18-wheelers failed to disturb the Astra. And, when a touch of steering input was required, the electro-hydraulic rack-and-pinion box needed just the slightest touch.The Belgium-built Astra is being offered in a five-door configuration with XE or upgraded XR trim as well as a sporty three-door XR hatchback. Both have smart, European styling, with only minor nose and tail modifications.See the full content of this document
Extract
A Star Is Born
By Clare Dear
TORONTO -- The Saturn brand has been somewhat overshadowed in General Motors' vast product lineup. In fact, surveys have found many consumers didn't know it was a division of GM. Of course, it wasn't difficult to overlook the brand when much of its p...See the full content of this document
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