Saturn Announces Pricing For All-New 2008 Astra

Saturn released the pricing list on its all-new, Opel Astra based compact hatch, due to go on sale in the States this fall. The Astra will be available in the US in 5door and 3door variants, both equipped with Opel’s 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 140 Hp. Entry prices are slightly higher than most of the competition –VW Rabbit included as the basic Saturn Astra 5-Door XE (manual gearbox) will be priced at $15,995. As for the other versions, the more up level Astra 5-Door XR will start at $17,545 while the sporty Astra 3-Door XR will be priced from $18,495. So, now that you know how much it’ll cost, will the Astra find a way into your shopping list? -Press release after the jump

PRESS RELEASE

DETROIT -- The all-new 2008 Saturn Astra will not only provide a European flavor and taut ride-and-handling characteristics to the North American market but will also offer a wide range of standard equipment, safety features, and very good fuel economy for an MSRP of under $16,000.

Equipped with a DOHC 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine (140 horsepower) and a five-speed manual transmission, the 2008 Saturn Astra 5-Door XE will be offered at an MSRP of $15,995. The uplevel Astra 5-Door XR will start at $17,545 and the sporty Astra 3-Door XR will be priced from $18,495. All prices include shipping and destination charges.

Standard features on all 2008 Saturn Astras include:

• 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS and traction control
• Six standard air bags, including dual-stage frontal air bags; roof rail head curtain air bags and seat-mounted thorax/pelvic air bags (for front-seat passengers)
• Active head restraints
• Pedal Release System
• OnStar with one year of Safe & Sound service
• Standard tire pressure monitoring
• Rain sensing wiper system
• Remote keyless entry
• Cruise control
• Express-down power windows
• Driver Information Center
• Steering wheel controls

A Premium Trim package bundles leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats with manual lumbar and premium door panels for $795 on the 5-Door XR and $745 on the 3-Door XR.

A Sport Handling package, available only on the 5-Door XR, costs $695 and adds 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, StabiliTrak® vehicle stability control, lowered sport suspension and quick-ratio electro-hydraulic power steering.

An Advanced Audio package on both XR models includes a six-disc CD/MP3 player, seven premium speakers, seven-band equalizer and enhanced Driver Information Display for $595.

Optional equipment includes:

• A four-speed automatic transmission ($1,325.)
• A dual-panel sunroof on the 5-door models ($1000) - the largest sunroof in its class
• StabiliTrak® vehicle stability control ($495) (standard on the 3-Door)
• Cloth heated front seats ($250)
• Eighteen-inch wheels and tires on 3-Door models ($495).

About Saturn

Saturn, a division of General Motors Corp., markets vehicles in the U.S. and Canada through a network of about 500 retailers, with a focus on providing innovative products with solid value and excellent customer service. In 2006, the brand began a major revitalization of its portfolio with four new vehicles: the Sky roadster, the Aura midsize sedan, the Vue Green Line hybrid and the Outlook crossover. The aggressive pace continued this year with the launch of an all-new Vue compact crossover (Spring 2007) and the new Astra small car (Fall 2007).