The much-maligned ION is being redesigned for the 2008 model year. Still built on the Delta platform, it will share many components with the Opel Astra and Chevrolet Cobalt to save costs. It will be offered with the ION's current powertrains: the Ecotec 2.2L and 2.4L, with manual and automatic transmissions available with both engines.

GM has run into a problem regarding the Lordstown plant that will build GMX002. The Cobalt alone is currently almost at the plant's capacity, so either Cobalt buyers will instead buy an ION, or ION production will be lower than the 113,000 units forecasted. It was scheduled to be built at the Lake Orion assembly plant alongside the Pontiac G6, but was changed because of cost issues. Production starts in August 2007, with the program scheduled to run for 4 years (MY 2008-2011).

NEW YORK -- General Motors has canceled the vehicle that was supposed to replace the Saturn Ion and is urgently seeking an alternative.

As a result, Saturn dealers are likely to be left without an entry-level vehicle for several months next year, company officials acknowledge.

Last summer, GM unveiled its design for the Ion replacement at a press preview, where it was overwhelmingly praised by journalists. But GM has dropped that design execution.

"We're exploring different alternatives," said Jill Lajdziak, Saturn general manager, who was interviewed last week at the New York auto show. "We're not ready to talk about that today."

General Motors might consider rebadging a vehicle from its overseas product portfolio, such as the Opel Astra. Lajdziak did not discuss the Astra's suitability, noting only that GM is looking for "a collaboration." GM, she said, "is looking globally for a design and an architecture to leverage. We are still working through the strategy."

This uncertainty comes at an awkward time for GM, which is spending lavishly to rejuvenate the Saturn brand with new nameplates. In New York, the company showcased the Sky roadster, Aura sedan and Outlook crossover. The next-generation Ion was supposed to be the company's key entry-level vehicle.

Last week, GM Vice Chairman Robert Lutz said most of Saturn's core products would be rebadged Opels. If so, the Astra would appear to be a candidate for the U.S. market. The Astra is produced in Europe and Brazil.

But GM officials have not confirmed that they want to introduce the Astra to U.S. consumers. Nor have they said whether a U.S.-market Astra would be produced in North America, Brazil or Europe.

GM also has not decided whether the Ion name will survive. And the company has not disclosed the next vehicle it plans to produce in Saturn's assembly plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. The Ion, produced in Spring Hill, ends production at the end of this year.

"As of now, there's no replacement for Line One," said GM spokesman Dan Flores. "Line Two is the Vue, and that will continue."

The Ion's replacement now is expected to go into production late in 2007 as a 2008 model. The gap between the end of Ion production and the launch of the new vehicle could be eight or nine months, said Lisa Hutchinson, Saturn brand and product director.

To fill that gap, Saturn must decide whether to boost production of the 2007 Ion this year to provide sufficient inventory next year.



Even if GM boosts production, dealers still may have 60 to 90 days with no Ion inventory, Hutchinson said.

Saturn dealer John Bergstrom, owner of Bergstrom Automotive in Neenah, Wis., said dealers haven't been told what will replace the Ion. "We know there'll be a new version of it, but we don't know what it'll be or when it's coming," he said.

This month, Saturn met with dealers to unveil the mid-sized 2007 Aura sedan and the Outlook crossover. That "helped ease their concern about the products they will have to sell in that timeframe next year," Hutchinson said.

In 2007, production of the Aura and Outlook is expected to be in full swing, so dealers ought to have adequate inventories, Hutchinson said.

Could GM's indecision over the Ion's future short-circuit Saturn's revival? Said Lajdziak, "We are not going to let that happen."

Jamie LaReau and Lindsay Chappell contributed to this report

Last summer, GM unveiled its design for the Ion replacement at a press preview, where it was overwhelmingly praised by journalists. But GM has dropped that design execution.

A report published today indicates General Motors will definitely replace the Saturn Ion with a rebadged Opel Astra, further aligning the two brands. Citing reliable supplier reports, Automotive News says the new car will sell for $16,000 and is expected to sell fewer units than the Ion. In mid-April, it was reported that GM had scrapped the vehicle that was intended to replace the Ion, despite positive reaction to it. Called the “Evoke,” the new car was expected for the 2007 model year, and had been previewed to some members of the press last year. In March, GM’s Bob Lutz said Saturn wished “they had an Opel Astra instead of a Saturn Ion.” GM has been actively aligning Saturn and Opel and equivalent brands on either side of the Atlantic. Recently, GM introduced the 2007 PreVue Concept — a rebadged Opel — and the Opel GT — a rebadged Saturn Sky.

General Motors plans to import rebadged Opel Astra compacts to replace the Ion at the bottom of Saturn's lineup.

The imports, starting at the end of next year, will sticker at about $16,000 - approximately $3,500 above that of the 2006 Saturn Ion 2 sedan, Ion's base model. Ion production is scheduled to end in December.

GM declined to comment. But sources within GM and its Opel subsidiary confirmed an outline of the plan.

Last year GM sold 100,891 Ions. That car follows the S series, which sold 200,000-plus units from 1993 through 1999, peaking at 286,003 in 1994.

The annual sales target for the Astra model will be considerably lower, ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 units.

Saturn's version of the Astra probably will be assembled in Antwerp, Belgium. The name Astra may be used on the Saturn model.

Importing Astras would fit GM's strategy of repositioning Saturn as a Europeanized brand. At the New York auto show last month, GM Vice Chairman Robert Lutz said nearly all Saturn vehicles will be based on vehicles from Adam Opel AG, GM's German subsidiary.

The current Astra went on sale in Europe in 2004. The European press has praised the car, and it was western Europe's second-best seller last year with 453,000 units, just behind the Volkswagen Golf.

Jim Sanfilippo, executive vice president of the consulting firm AMCI in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., says Saturn should have no trouble selling the car if it is well equipped. "People like to buy cars from Saturn dealers," said Sanfilippo, "and that is still a franchise in General Motors' portfolio that can attract import buyers."

Since 1958, GM occasionally has sold cars from Opel in the United States. In recent years it imported the Cadillac Catera and built the Opel-based Saturn L series in Wilmington, Del. Neither sold well.

GM builds the Ion in Spring Hill, Tenn. It has not disclosed plans for a new vehicle to replace the Ion there.

The name Astra may be used on the Saturn model.

Saturn will take on the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus with a hatchback version of one of Europe’s best-selling small cars, the Opel Astra.

Replacing the Ion sedan, the 2008 Saturn Astra will be sold in three- and five-door body styles, with sales starting in autumn 2007. General Motors says it will unveil the car at the Chicago auto show in February 2007.Virtually identical to the European Astra, the car gets a Saturn grille and new front bumper, and some interior trim modifications to suit American tastes.

As yet there’s no news on which engines the Saturn Astra will get, although there are plenty of choices with 11 gasoline and diesel powerplants available in Europe (the diesels are already ruled out for the U.S.).

Enthusiasts are likely to see two punchy turbocharged fours, each with six-speed manual transmissions, that would pitch the Astra against the Golf GTi. The hottest of these, likely to appear in a Saturn Astra Red Line, is a 2.0-liter turbo producing 237 hp. It is the heart of the 150-mph Vauxhall Astra VXR/Opel Astra OPC, which rides on a stiffened suspension that makes it one of Europe’s edgiest hot hatches.

The second turbo unit is a new 1.6-liter four due for reveal in the new year; it produces more than 180 hp. Other possible engines are a 1.8-liter 125-hp four or a 1.6-liter 105-hp four. GM may re-engineer another engine, particularly because the availability of European engines with automatic transmissions is limited.

The cars will be built in Europe at Antwerp in Belgium, a decision that will dismay workers at Saturn’s Ion plants in the U.S. Because the Saturn Astra will be available only as a hatchback, GM is predicting sales of between 30 and 40,000 a year, less than half the 100,000 achieved by the Ion. The recently launch Saturn Aura sedan, based on the Opel Vectra, is expected to soak up the balance of the Ion’s sales.

All the exotic carmakers do it - Ferrari, Bentley, and Lamborghini, for example. Executive car producers like Mercedes, BMW, and Audi do it, too. And so do the manufacturers of humdrum cars like Toyota , VW, Nissan, and Chrysler. Even Alfa Romeo thinks it can do it and is beavering away behind the scenes to make it happen. But GM and Ford? They just can't seem to be able to get it right, which means they're needlessly wasting millions of development dollars each year.



I'm talking, of course, about building global cars. How is it that VW can build the Golf and Passat and Toyota is able to produce the Yaris and Corolla and both companies can sell identical all over the world without too much difficulty, while GM and Ford have never been able to find a single car to keep Asian, European, and American customers happy?



Ford's best attempt, the Focus, got off to a great start in America and looked like becoming the company's first, global, mainstream success, but in transferring production to Mexico it seems much of the quality control got lost in translation and the Euro-chic Focus' reputation ended up in the Euro-trash. For the all-new 2008 model, Ford's designers have grabbed their security blankies and designed a car reminiscent of the good-ol' Escort in terms of design and layout so a bland sedan and coupe replace the bold sedan and hatchback models. An opportunity is missed and status quo is restored.



Not to worry, though, because just as Ford beats a hasty retreat GM steps in to take up the fight. Its resurgent Saturn division is currently preparing to launch the all-new Astra, a car that's more-or-less identical to the European Opel Astra in every significant way...or so we hope. Rather than importing the car from Europe -- which it will do at launch, to get the car more quickly -- GM will build the car Stateside (in Tennessee, we understand) and massage some of the more expensive content out to make it a more cost-effective proposition for the U.S. market. However, we're pretty sure that GM and Saturn will have learned from Ford's experience with the Focus, so what arrives on Saturn forecourts in the fall of 2007 will be much closer to its European sibling that the over-diluted Focus was back in 2000.


What's it like?



So what is the European Astra like, then? Pretty darn good, actually. At its European launch in 2004 it was praised for its sporty and funky styling and, with the exception of federal bumpers and Saturn grille, its basic appearance won't be altered for American consumption. Fortunately for Saturn, the three-door hatchback (known in Europe as the GTC) has been styled to resemble a rakish coupe (it's still a roomy five-seater, though), helping it to poach sales from the new Focus Coupe and Scion tC, while the five-door hatchback is slightly more conservatively styled to make it more appealing to family buyers. (Pictured here are the U.S. Saturn versions, fresh off embargo.)



Opel has also just unveiled a new four-door Astra sedan for Eastern Europe (they prefer sedans out East) and you can be sure that will make its way Stateside before long also, though Saturn declines to comment on that. The Astra wagon and hardtop convertible won't be offered in the U.S. , however.



As you might expect from a GM product, the interior isn't quite as exciting as the exterior and what little glitz the Euro-Astra has will probably have to be pulled to keep costs down (fancy one-touch stalks and windows, for example). Even so, the Astra will remain as spacious as ever and will offer a great driving position and excellent visibility, too.



Mechanically, the Astra isn't as sophisticated as its main rivals in Europe, with its basic torsion-beam rear suspension, but the good news is engineers have worked wonders with it and in terms of ride and handling it's not disgraced by the agile and refined European-model Focus and Golf. This bodes well or American customers too, because Saturn wants to keep that sporty European feel to help it win over younger buyers.


Refined ride



I've driven several Opel Astras over the past few months and where they truly excel is in terms of ride and refinement, as well as body control and steering precision. They feel agile and willing, even if they could use a bit more feel and involvement, while the gearchange and brakes operate with slickness and consistency, making it an amusing car to hustle along and a fine long-distance companion.



The Saturn Astra's engines are likely to be versions of GM's global Ecotec four. The U.S. engine is a 140-hp 1.8-liter Ecotec engine, which proved adequately powerful if somewhat lacking in smoothness at high revs. A five-speed manual will be standard on all Saturn Astras, with a four-speed automatic offered as an option.



Opel, like most European carmakers, is shifting towards smaller, turbocharged engines in a bid to lower emissions and fuel consumption without affecting performance, so the company's excellent 180-hp, 1.6-liter turbo is likely to be the pick of the revised European Astra range, which goes on sale in February.



Meanwhile, American enthusiasts are no doubt be hoping that the Astra Red Line will be little more than a re-badged version of the howling-mad, 240-hp, 2.0-liter turbo Astra OPC (Opel Performance Center). The Red Line coupe will probably use most of the OPC's bodywork and chassis tweaks, but whether it will get the 260-hp, 2.0-liter turbo GM stuffs in the Solstice, remains up for conjecture.



Frankly, that might be an issue. The Astra's chassis simply isn't sophisticated enough to cope with all that power and torque and as a result, the OPC is a surprisingly frustrating and uninspiring car to drive. Turn off the stability control and you'll find that when you're not quenching torque-steer and wheel-spin, you're doing battle with oversteer and understeer as it bounces and skips its way over uneven surfaces. Leave the traction control on and the dashboard lights light up like Vegas at night, especially if there's a hint of moisture on the road.



As with the Focus, the Astra's success as a global model depends on the American division's final execution. If Saturn gets it right, the Astra will be seen as a good-looking, fun, and classy little car that will do great business for Saturn and will also do a lot to raise the brand's profile with trendy young Americans. If they get it wrong…well, I guess nothing much will have changed, will it?




2008 Saturn Astra (estimated figures)

Base price: $17,500
Engines: 2.0-liter four-cylinder, 145 hp

Transmission: Five-speed manual or four-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Length x width x height: 167.3 x 69.0 x 57.5 in
Wheelbase: 102.9 in
Curb weight: 2546 lb
Fuel economy (city/hwy): 27/36 mpg (est., 2.0-liter manual)
Safety equipment: Dual front, side, and curtain airbags; anti-lock brakes and stability control

Major standard equipment: Power windows/locks/mirrors; OnStar; AM/FM/CD player

Warranty: Five years/100,000 miles