"The Astra is a great fit for Saturn, with its European style and driving dynamics," said Jill Lajdziak, Saturn general manager. "It also signals our efforts to get new vehicles to market quickly and reinvent the entire Saturn product line-up with unprecedented speed."

The Saturn Astra will be nearly identical to the 2007.5 Opel Astra, unveiled last week at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy. It will be sold in the United States and Canada in three-door and five-door configurations.

The Astra is part of the larger collaboration between Saturn and Opel. By sharing resources from throughout GM's global network of design and engineering centres, the two brands can develop strong, broad product lineups that will attract buyers to the brands both in North America and Europe. Early examples of this collaboration include the Saturn Sky and upcoming Opel GT, as well as the Opel Antara and 2008 Saturn Vue.

"The Astra enables Saturn to occupy a unique position in the market place and to strategically broaden its appeal with consumers who usually have import brands on their shopping lists," said Lajdziak. "Saturn's partnership with Opel is a natural way to expand our line-up with relevant products that will attract new buyers into our showrooms."