The three-door Saturn Astra is arguably the sportier variant of the Astra hatchback family. Mechanically it's very similar to its five-door counterpart, and its dimensions are close also. The Astra is aimed squarely at the Volkswagen Rabbit.

The car is already sold by General Motors in Europe under its Opel brand. Earlier this year, GM executives said they would align the Saturn and Opel brands over the coming years. Early examples of this collaboration include the Saturn Sky and upcoming Opel GT, as well as the Opel Antara and Saturn Vue.

From the front door forward, the Astra three-door looks pretty much the same as its big brother. But from there back, it's a whole different ball game. While the five-door model has a fairly conservative roofline, the three-door's window line sweeps aggressively downward, with some unique roof sculpting and a small rear window.

Power comes from a 140 horsepower 1.8-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine, which is paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The Ecotec engine is enhanced with variable valve timing to optimize power output and fuel efficiency. A four-speed automatic transmission is optional.

While the five-door is offered in two trim levels, the three-door can only be ordered in XR guise, which offers sportier features and more standard equipment.

StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with traction control comes standard. This system works in concert with the standard four-wheel, antilock disc brakes to help the driver maintain control during adverse road conditions or during sudden emergency driving situations.

An electro-hydraulic, rack-and-pinion steering system is a standard on all Astras. It provides the solid, linear feel of a hydraulic power steering system, but improves fuel efficiency by operating the power steering pump only when necessary. The system has a sporty 14:1 steering ratio.

Three-door models come standard with 17-inch aluminum wheels, which can be upgraded to 18-inch aluminum wheels and performance tires.

Safety

All Astra models feature dual-stage frontal airbags, seat-mounted thorax/pelvic air bags to help protect front occupants and head curtain air bags for front- and rear-seat occupants. Also standard is an automatic passenger sensing system for the front passenger seat; it suppresses the activation of the passenger-side frontal air bag if it detects a child or smaller-stature person in that seating position.

Standard active head restraints instantly move forward if a rear-end crash is detected, reducing the risk of neck injuries. Similarly, the collapsible foot pedals move during a crash to reduce the risk of leg or ankle injuries.

Safety belt pretensioners and load limiters: When a crash is detected, the safety belt pretensioners immediately reduce the slack in the front safety belts, helping limit the movement of passengers. The load limiters permit a small amount of movement in the front safety belts, thereby reducing peak chest loads in a more severe crash.

Astra comes with the latest-generation OnStar system, including available Turn-by-Turn Navigation. The system also includes advanced automatic crash notification (AACN). With AACN, an OnStar advisor is immediately contacted by the vehicle when a crash occurs; the advisor can determine the appropriate emergency help required and assist in sending it to the scene of the crash. Astra buyers will receive one year of Safe & Sound Service provided by Saturn.