12/8 Auto News
December 8th 2006 16:09
2008 Saturn Astra
Saturn Astra to debut next fall
General Motors Corp. will begin selling the Saturn Astra — a U.S. version of the Opel Astra in Europe — next fall, the company said Thursday. The 2008 Astra will resemble the 2007 Opel Astra, which GM unveiled this week at an auto show in Italy.
The shared design concept is part of GM’s new strategy to share resources between brands and develop vehicles with appeal in Europe and North America.
GM is importing the Astra to the U.S. as part of a joint effort between Opel and Saturn. Saturn and Opel share designs: the Saturn Sky roadster and its sister vehicle, the soon-to-debut Opel GT, and the Opel Antara and 2008 Saturn Vue SUV.
"The Astra is a great fit for Saturn, with its European style and driving dynamics," Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak said in a statement. "It also signals our efforts to get new vehicles to market quickly and reinvent the entire Saturn product lineup with unprecedented speed."
The Astra is a top-selling vehicle for GM that sells 400,000 units annually. The Astra will be made in Antwerp, Belgium, where the Opel version is built. It will come in a three-door and five-door hatchback. Saturn is introducing the Astra at the Chicago Auto Show in the U.S. in February.
Nissan begins production of hybrid sedan; vehicle won’t earn profit, company says
Nissan Motor Co. will begin making its first gasoline-electric hybrid next week, but the vehicle most likely won’t earn profit.
"Hybrids today are not a very viable economic proposition," Dominique Thormann, Nissan North America's senior vice president for administration and finance, told The Detroit News. "It's still a loss-making proposition. ... It's unprofitable."
Production of the hybrid version of the Altima sedan begins on Monday, but the sedan won’t go on sale until next year. The vehicles will only be sold in certain U.S. states with stricter emission rules.
The Altima hybrid gets estimated gas mileage of 41 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the highway.
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