There’s something funny going on at Saturn. They seem to be importing European made cars and then trying to convince the American public that it’s time for a change. Indeed, the 2009 Saturn Astra arrives fresh in the USA straight from the Opel/Vauxhall factories in Germany. It even shares its name (and pretty much every inch of its engineering) with the Vauxhall Astra.

Saturn has always been known as GM’s outlet for edgier designs and engineering, but does importing a European clone really fit the bill? That’s tricky to answer, but our best chance is to just break it down to pure statistics.

The Astra comes in two trim levels: The XE and top-line are available for 4-door models, but 2-door versions are XR only. Both trims come with the same 138 hp, 1.8 liter, 4 cylinder engines and a 5 speed manual transmission or 4 speed automatic. Though this may seem insubstantial, the engine is tried and true, and fitted inside a relatively light weight body.

ABS, traction control, antiskid systems, curtain side airbags, front side airbags and GM’s OnStar assistance come as standard with all models –though OnStar takes a fee after the first year or so. A decent compliment of safety features, then.

The 2009 Saturn Astra also looks great too better, even, than its European Vauxhall clone. It has excellent fuel economy and features decent interior quality. Overall, the Astra is a convincing product from a European manufacturer, which is perhaps worth the change, after all.