2012 Opel Astra GTC Revealed Before Frankfurt Auto Show

Yes and no, respectively.

I believe the Astra didn't sell because it was badged Saturn. No one gave it a second look. I can't see how calling it a Buick will improve that.

Just call it a Chevy. Market it as a Cruze coupe and it should do well.

I agree with firstwagon.

This would make a better Chevy than a Buick.

It'd make a great Pontiac. Oh wait. D'oh.

Pontiac > Buick

Yes I think it should come here, no it shouldn't be a buick. My feeling is that lux brands like BMW can pull off a hatchback by leaning on the sport side. I know Buick is trying to move towards the sport-lux market, but a sporty hatch is a big 'ol dive that I think qould be moving too quickly for the brand. I do think it would make a good Chevy (or an even better Pontiac :( ). It seems odd that Chevy doesn't have a Cuze sized hatchback.

wont be a chevy, this car would likely be close to $30k and people are already whining about the price of the Cruze. This car is well into its lifecycle so if they are going to bring it over they need to move quickly.

Buick has been doing better than Saturn and Pontiac in pulling off the turn-around, but seeing how comparable they are to Lexus, the Lexus compact hatches should be cautionary tales.

What about this crazy thought...a baby Caddy? It sure looks hot. Give it a nice lux interior, the best available engine and tranny options, and tweak the styling so it is more relevant to a Caddy. Kind of like how they did the Caddy BLS to a Saab 9-3....

All I can say is at first glance, I'm diggin' it! The price, content and specs would still be a factor.

It looks sexy, but would never sell in the US I fear!

Should be a Chevy; in fact it's tailor made to be a Chevy. If Ford can sell a Focus Titanium or ST, then this is Chevy's answer to that. Of course it would be ideal if it could be built in NA for cost reasons (which it probably can't in the short run). Also, I don't believe it would have to be 30K if VW can sell a GTI for 25K here (also built in Europe). Of course by the same logic if they bring a Holden Commodore (G8) as a Chevelle it will need to cost 50K, which it won't.

@firstwagon:

The Astra 5-door weighed in at over 2900 lbs. and had 125 lb. ft. That's about the same as the new Focus, but it's small than the Focus and less powerful. Popular Mechanics said it took 10.4 seconds to get to 60 with the automatic (Again, this was with the 5-door). That was the problem. It was a well thought out car that handled well, but it needed more engine and transmission.

I think it makes a good Opel. Honestly, just bring that brand state side already. When they throw a chevy badge on it, they mess up the fronts trying to incorporate the bow tie (this would look horrid with a cruze front end on it). At least if it came here as a Buick it would possibly keep alot of the look in tact. Its a really tricky toss up here.

just bring it over as is - OPEL "by GM".

Yes, bring it to the States, but don't make it a Buick, sell it as a Opel at Buick dealerships.

the astra had one engine and was saddled with a 4 speed automatic. It also came in very limited variations. The lack of success of the old Astra as a Saturn has nothing to do with this car. Bring over the right engines and market the car and it will sell. Plus the Saturn Astra was several thousand more expensive than the compact it replaced which hurt sales.

@1487:

I agree. If the Astra had 160hp or more at the same price, it probably would have sold well because it offered something a little more. As it was, the only thing appealing about it was the look.

"The lack of success of the old Astra as a Saturn has nothing to do with this car."

Yes, it does, if the same mistakes are made AND if the exchange rate makes it too expensive.

We have seen that smaller Buicks can sell well....but it remains to be seen if a SMALL Buick can sell well.

"Yes, bring it to the States, but don't make it a Buick, sell it as a Opel at Buick dealerships."

Ummm that was tried in the 70s.....it was a joke.

BB: beat me to it. That already didn't work.

Pontiac really would have made the most sense. I'm not sure how Chevy would integrate this car into their current lineup.

I suppose as a Cruz Coupe GTI it could work, but 1487 is right that the price would likely be too high and the car would get crushed by the VW GTI.

Cadillac should stay away from cars like this like they were radioactive. There is no need for a Caddy in this size and price range. Anybody at GM who thinks this is a good idea should be forced to drive a Cimarron for a month.

Nice looking car, it's going to need more get up and go than the Buick though, or superior fuel economy to make it in my book.

Real Opels were sold here in the 60s and up to 1975, when GM thought they couldln't import them any more because of rising prices. So, GM decided to come up with "Opel by Isuzu"-- and THAT was what didn't work.

I bought a '72 Opel 1900 coupe (rebadged as the "Manta" coupe in '73 0r '74) It had a pseudo SOHC 1900 cc engine and a hydramatic transmission. It was one of my favorite cars.

It is too bad that GM tainted the Opel brand by importing crappy Isuzus with Opel badges. But then again, that is the GM way.

I hate how Europe gets the good Ford/GM cars and we get stuck with the shoddy leftovers. The US mentality of Big = Better is BS. Dammit.

I hate how Europe gets the good Ford/GM cars and we get stuck with the shoddy leftovers. The US mentality of Big = Better is BS. Dammit.

Europe has always seemed to and always will do cars better than us. Tighter regulations and constant pressure for new products is what keeps them ahead of us. Its less of Big = Better. More. We just can't compete.

Hmm, this or a Scirocco, oh wait, I can't have either.

Yes, bring this over and sell it as a Opel, the Buick brand image won't work with this car and the Chevy front end would ruin the styling, thus bringing the Opel brand would be the best option.

If GM wants to bring this car to the US, Canada or Mexico, where the Buick brand exists (I´m not sure, but I think in China will be sold as a Buick. The hatchback version of the Opel Astra is allready for sale there as a Buick). If GM doesn´t want to enter complicate financial issues, which I think they won´t based on last year´s experience, the wisest thing to do is bring it as a Buick (and following Opel´s policy, it shall be also a 3 door hatchback verion of the Buick Verano, maybe the GS).

"I hate how Europe gets the good Ford/GM cars and we get stuck with the shoddy leftovers. The US mentality of Big = Better is BS. Dammit. "

The Cruze, Focus, Fiesta and Regal are all sold in Europe almost unchanged. The 2013 Fusion will be nearly the same as Euro version as will the 2012 Chevy Sonic.

"Ummm that was tried in the 70s.....it was a joke."

Actually, Buick did a decent job of selling real Opels. Back in the late '60s and early '70s Buick did an excellent job of selling muscle cars, personal luxury cars, and sporty imports side-by-side with their geriatric wheeled barcaloungers. The exchange rate started to hurt sales of the Manta and GT so some idiot came up with the idea of re-badging a nondescript Isuzu econobox and selling it as an "Opel by Isuzu".

Here's an idea: Drop in the turbo four from the Cobalt SS and load it up with every available package/option. The buyer would only select the color and the transaxle(manual or automatic).
Then sell it as a Cadillac.
I'm serious.
Think about it. It would give the Division a solid -and almost certainly the fastest- entry in the premium hot hatch market niche(C30, Golf R, MCS JCW), it wouldn't cannibalize the sales of other models, and it would offer a hugely entertaining and relatively fuel efficient model that could act as a stepping stone to any other high performance V models Cadillac has or plans to offer.

Absolutlely YES, it should (and most certainly will) become a "Buick"
Just DON'T-
a) give it a chrome vertical grille
b) add portholes to the fenders
c) offer a red velour bench seat option
d) add rear fender skirts
e) name it Skyhawk, Skylark, Reatta or Special

Nice-looking Buick Skyhawk.

Fits in the footsteps of the '70s Skyhawk (the Monza twin), and the hatchback J-Car of 1982.

I think the name still has value, as it was shelved for awhile (unlike Regal).