ASTRA PROJECTION; GM's German arm sends another winner stateside.(News)

Byline: BOB GRITZINGER

As small cars from the Detroit Three go, the 2008 Saturn Astra is a good car. As General Motors small cars go, the Astra is a very good car. As a replacement for the oh-so-boring Saturn Ion, the Astra is out of this world.

The Astra, essentially the same car sold as an Opel Astra in Europe and assembled in Antwerp, Belgium, replaces the Ion as Saturn's price leader, but beyond that, there is no comparison. The Astra comes to the United States in three-and five-door hatchback configurations (versus the Ion sedan and coupe models) and provides spirited Euro-engineered underpinnings that skew to go-kart versus golf cart.

Like the Saturn Aura that's marketed as an Opel Vectra in Europe, the Astra is a product of German engineering and design-and it shows. Our black sapphire three-door XR test model, equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, was a head turner, with sleek fastback styling and a sharply raked windshield working together to create the right racy proportions.

The interior, from the meaty leather-wrapped steering wheel to the cushioned dashboard and soft rubber at many key touch points, is impressive. It could use some lightening up-it's a dark place, especially when you're trying to identify some of the Euro-coded buttons and switches-but you won't find any rickety plastics in here. Overall, as small cars go, interior and cargo room seem reasonable. (We loaded two adults and three preteens into a three-door without complaints-two extra doors on the XE model certainly would make the space even more accessible.)

No dullard by any measure, the Astra still could use a little more than the 138 hp ...