GM Hinting at Importing the Corsa for Saturn?

[CrunkedRL]

This article comes in care of Leftlanenews today. In it there are some subtle hints that GM maybe tooling around the notion of importing the Opel Corsa as a rebadged Saturn. If this were to happen I think this would undoubtedly be the best looking car in it's class. Plus if true it totally throws out the notion GM was planning to wait until the next gen Corsa was released before making it available in the states. See link below.


http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-to-pr...html#more-6337

[coaster.n3rd]

No offense Crunked, but didn't we already know this?

[CrunkedRL]

Originally Posted by coaster.n3rd

No offense Crunked, but I didn't we already know this?

Oh was this posted somewhere already? I was aware Saturn was getting the next gen Corsa but I was not aware of GM proposing to import the current gen model due to some design hurdles surrounding the Euro model. Clue me in if you heard different in the past. This press release was just announced today and the Corsa was said to have been sitting among several other US GM vehicles headed for production.

[CobaltSScrazy]

this is news to me....is it aveo sized? like a yaris or something but in a 2 door (3 door hatch)???

CobaltSScrazy

[atomicshark]

It's about frickin' time! GM, please stop hinting and do it already!

[CrunkedRL]

Originally Posted by CobaltSScrazy

this is news to me....is it aveo sized? like a yaris or something but in a 2 door (3 door hatch)???

CobaltSScrazy

Yeah it's about the size of an Aveo/Yaris but it looks so much better it even has this integrated bike rack in the rear bumper that is kinda neat but probably wouldn't pass US inspection if imported. But the car is one sweet set of wheels. We need this here and fast.

[coaster.n3rd]

Originally Posted by CrunkedRL

Oh was this posted somewhere already? I was aware Saturn was getting the next gen Corsa but I was not aware of GM proposing to import the current gen model due to some design hurdles surrounding the Euro model. Clue me in if you heard different in the past. This press release was just announced today and the Corsa was said to have been sitting among several other US GM vehicles headed for production.

To be honest it was rumors at the time and not a press release. This is certainly new news.. my bad and good find.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by atomicshark

It's about frickin' time! GM, please stop hinting and do it already!

I'll second that!!

[DirtyMoney]

I think it will work. But, I still would not expect Saturn to sell a slew of vehicle, no matter if they are hits or not.

[SirRaven]

Someone shrunk the Astra!

Anyways, it looks a lot better than any other small car on the market by the big manufactures. I hope that GM does it, Saturn really needs a car below the Astra.

[lam]

Originally Posted by SirRaven

Some shrunk the Astra!

Anyways, it looks a lot better than any other small car on the market by the big manufactures. I hope that GM does it, Saturn really needs a car below the Astra.

One thing is for sure:we will get the Next Opel/Saturn/Chevrolet (South America only)/Vauxhall Corsa.It will be made in South Korea and Mexico.

[Mischief007]

I actually drove the previous model when I was in Germany. It was a 1.2 Twinspark model. Very nicely equipped and I could see myself buying one. You are reading that right on the speedo. I actually had the car up to 155 km/h on the autobahn and it felt pretty steady but there was a decent amount of bodyroll.

[Toto]

I bet the only available engine will be the 1.4l/90hp (DIN). Like the Astra it is the only one with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto. All diesel (75hp up to 125hp) have 6-speed manual or 6-speed Easytronic. Well same goes for the turbos (1.6l, 150hp or 192hp), only available with 6-speed manual.

[t-rex]

Originally Posted by CobaltSScrazy

this is news to me....is it aveo sized? like a yaris or something but in a 2 door (3 door hatch)???

CobaltSScrazy

It's also available as a 4-door, and when (or if) the Brazilians start making it, then you can bet on a three-box sedan version.

It's the same size as the Aveo hatch, but most European cars in this segment are better engineered and use higher quality materials than Asian cars of this genre (Honda Fit being one notable exception). European buyers expect their B-segment models to have the same goodies, same quality as bigger cars, which is also why European B-segment cars tend to cost more than their Asian counterparts.

While I haven't had the pleasure of experiencing the new Corsa, I rented a last-gen model Holden Barina while in New Zealand years ago and found it to be a very nice car, not cheap feeling at all, just small.

So basically the Corsa is like a little shrunken baby Aura; same feel, same quality, just in a smaller package.

If anything good comes out of high fuel prices, it'll be a wider choice of quality small cars. I could really use a small runabout to tool around town in, but I don't want to drive a cheap nasty econobox like the Versa (gag). The Europeans rule the roost in this segment, and with any luck, in a few years time I can trade my BMW in on a cool, quality small car.

(Fiat, are you listening? 500. 500. 500. 500. )

[montrealvue]

Bringing the Zafira here would make more sense. The subcompact market is already flooded with competitors.....the small van market is alive and well here and has little use for something smaller than an Astra