I know this might sound a bit odd considering Cadillac's return to RWD cars over the past 5 years or so.
The thing is I passed a beautiful Audi A3 on my way to Hamilton today and I thought to myself how well the Saturn Astra stacked up to this car in proportions and in many ways in driving dynamics also.
Considering Lutz's recent whining about how they are losing money on the Astra then perhaps having this car be a Cadillac would have made more sense. They could have loaded it up even more the turbocharged 2.0L mill and adding navi as standard. This would have made a great intro into Cadillac and would allow them to bring this car in at a profit.
Just some weird musings on my part. What say you?
Great idea. Wrong brand. I mean, you want an upscale FWD turbocharged hatchback from GM? It's a no-brainer. SAAB. Let Cadillac stick with RWD sedans and blingin' SUVs.
In fact, you're a half-step behind GM. GM has already announced that the next-generation 9-3 will be built on the Astra platform, as opposed to the larger Vectra platform used by the current 9-3.
Here's how I'd configure the next-generation 9-3. Three trim levels:
(1) Saab 9-3 Eco: FWD, 3-door or 5-door hatchbacks and 4-door sedan, 140-hp small-displacement turbocharged engine from the upcoming Chevy Cruze.
(2) Saab 9-3 Aero: FWD or optional XWD, 3-door or 5-door hatchbacks and 4-door sedan, 260-hp 2.0L turbo from the Solstice GXP and Cobalt SS Turbo.
(3) Saab 9-3 Black Turbo: XWD, 3-Door, 300+ hp twin-turbo engine with as many cylinders fit in an Astra.
As for how to make the Saturn Astra profitable as an economy car, they should follow the Jetta model. Design it in Germany
but build it in Mexico. And offer the sedan version (already available in Europe) to boost US sales.