If at first you don’t succeed, try again. That’s the mantra General Motors is sticking to with its European market Opel Astra, as the stylish hatchback will once again find its way to U.S. showrooms.
General Motors’ first attempt to market the Opel Astra in the United States as a Saturn didn’t exactly go as planned, with high production costs and unrefined powertrains leading to the eventual demise of the stylish hatchback. However, GM is ready to give the Astra another whack at the U.S. market, but this time the car will be sold under the company’s Buick banner.
According to Car and Driver, GM is planning to sell its three-door Opel Astra GTC in the United States as a Buick. Although the name may change, Buick will use the Astra GTC to lure younger buyers to the Buick fold. Powertrains should mirror those found in the Verano – meaning a 2.4L four-cylinder with 177 horsepower and a turbocharged 2.0L making 220 horsepower – but it remains possible we could see the high-performance OPC version of the hatchback. In Europe, the Astra OPC is expected to crank out about 300 horsepower.
In addition to the Astra GTC, GM is also considering a convertible version of the Astra for the Buick brand. The Astra convertible would give Buick an answer to the Lexus IS convertible, and would also nicely round out the Buick range. Both Astra models as well as the Buick Verano ride on GM’s Delta platform, which would give Buick sedan, coupe and convertible versions of essentially the same model.
The Astra is mainly produced in Germany, but it remains unclear if GM would shift some production to North America to keep costs in line. No timeline for introduction has been announced, but a 2012 or 2013 launch seems likely.
References
1.’Buick Getting Opel…’ view
