Saturn’s Kiss my As…tra Photo Contest

The things people are capable of doing just to obtain the feeling that they may actually win something is truly amazing. Like, can you imagine yourself bending over and kissing a car just to take part in a competition that you have less chances of winning than being stuck by lightning? Sadly, as Saturn’s Kiss My Astra competition proves, there are plenty of folks out there who don’t seem to have any problems of the sort. -Continued

In any case, Saturn’s competition has now entered its last phase where online viewers can view the twenty finalists and vote for their favorite Astra-kissing picture at 'saturnkissmyastra.com'. Only one of them will actually win the Grand Prize – a new Astra of course, with the next five runner-ups winning $300 gift cards and the remaining finalists receiving $100 worth of gift cards and the glory of having their face on the internet.

More 2010 Opel Astra Photos Hit the Web

The all new fourth generation Opel (and Vauxhall, Saturn, Holden - forgive us if we forgot to mention any other GM brand...) Astra will make its world debut as a five-door hatchback at next year’s Frankfurt Show but the German automaker has already begun teasing us initially with a pair of sketches and now, with a set of real life photos showing the 2010 Astra covered in a white veil.

Based on GM’s latest Delta platform, the new compact hatch will be insired from the recently launched Insignia as Opel wants to take the 2010 Astra more upmarket setting new standards in its class. “The Opel Insignia has newly interpreted the mid-size segment. Now, with its dynamic design and innovative technology – much of which has been the preserve of higher-class vehicles before now – the new Astra generation will continue the pioneering role of its large model brother,” said Alain Visser, Chief Marketing Officer at GM Europe “To put it in a nutshell, the next Astra will carry the spirit of the Insignia into the compact class.” -Continued

Opel says that the Astra’s all-new chassis will be mated with equally new engines designed following the right-sizing concept that combines high low-end torque with moderate fuel consumption. Technical gizmos such as the ‘Opel Eye’ camera system that recognizes traffic signs warning the driver and the adaptive headlamp system will come straight from the Insignia.

After the European launch of the 5-door Astra in late 2009 – early 2010, Opel will take the wraps off the sportier 3door GTC at the Geneva Show in March 2010 which will be followed shortly after by the sedan, station-wagon and coupe-cabriolet variants. Expect to see the Saturn badged and this time, U.S. built Astra replacing the current hatchback on this side of the Atlantic in mid 2010.

2010 Opel / Saturn Astra: First Official Sketches and Details

Opel’s British arm Vauxhall, has released the first teaser images of the all-new 2010 Astra ahead of its official launch at next year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Although Vauxhal/Opel’s pictures of both the five-door (black) and the three-door GTC (white) Astras are kinda… sketchy, expect to see an evolutionary styling seasoned with design cues from the firm’s latest model, the Insignia. Inside, GM’s European subsidiary said that the next generation Astra will feature a ‘wrap-around interior with a wing-line sweep that links the instrument panel to the door’. -Continued

Mark Adams, GM Europe’s Vice President of Design said: "The present Astra already combines a high level of technical substance and emotional styling, but with the new car we are taking a big step forward in both respects, while emphasising its sporting credentials."

The new Astra will be based on GM’s latest Delta platform and according to Opel/Vauxhall, it will be offered with a new range of engines designed to maximize fuel economy. On the technology field, the Astra will benefit from a series of systems that were launched in the Insignia, including the Front Camera System, which combines traffic sign recognition with a lane departure system, and the next generation Adaptive Front Lighting (AFL) that provides nine unique light beams to improve visibility.

In Europe, the 5-door version of the Astra will go on sale by the end of 2009/early 2010. The sportier three-door GTC with its coupe-like roofline will be available by spring 2010 followed by the sedan, station-wagon and coupe-cabriolet models. As for the North American market, the Saturn will arrive in late 2010. Unlike the current Astra that is imported from Europe, the new model will be built locally to take advantage of lower U.S. production costs, thanks to the weaker dollar.

2009 Opel Astra Scooped: Insignia-Inspired Styling and New 1.4 Turbo

A prototype version of the forthcoming 2009 Opel Astra has been snapped at the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in The Netherlands by a reader of our Dutch friends at Autojunk. Aimed directly towards the new VW Golf VI (see details here), the new Astra will make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2009 with sales following shortly after. The Astra will also make it to the States as a Saturn and in Australia as a Holden.

The 2009 Astra is based on General Motor’s new global Delta platform, which also underpins the electric-hybrid Chevrolet Volt. Seen here in five-door trim, the Astra will be adorned with styling cues from the new Insignia both inside and outside. The range will also include a sleeker, more sporty three-door version, plus a station wagon, a sedan and a cabriolet with an electric-folding hardtop. -Continued

Powerplants will stretch from GM’s all-new 1.4-liter turbo to a 2.0-liter turbcharged engine developing at least 250HP in the top-spec OPC / VXR model. The 1.4-liter turbocharged engine will be offered in 2010 with outputs ranging from 120 hp to 140 hp and torque values of 175 to 200 Nm. It is estimated that this unit will deliver an approximate 8% improvement in fuel consumption compared to the naturally aspirated 1.6 and 1.8-liter engine that it will replace.

Via: Autoblog.nl , Source: Autojunk.nl