11-07-2007 - Charlotte Auto Show "Kiss My Astra" Contestants To Prove Their Love For New Saturn Astra
Source: GM Media

Contestants to Compete in Marathon Car-Kissing Contest

CHARLOTTE, NC – Saturn is offering Charlotte-area residents the opportunity to prove just how much they would love to win the all-new Saturn Astra. Sixteen contestants will be selected to compete in a car-kissing marathon at the Charlotte International Auto Show on Nov. 17, with the winner securing a new Astra before it goes on sale to the public later this year.

To be eligible, consumers will be asked to describe their perfect weekend escape in the new Astra by submitting a 100-word essay titled “Rethink the Weekend Get Away … and Tell Your Worries to Kiss Off.”

“The new Astra offers European driving dynamics, bold styling, and incredible fuel economy – which we think makes it the perfect car for a weekend road trip,” says Jill Lajdziak, Saturn’s General Manager, who will be at the auto show on Thursday, Nov. 15. “And, we want to know what Charlotte-area residents would do if they were given the keys to a new Astra.”

Sixteen contestants will be selected, based on their essay submissions, to show their love for the newest Saturn by literally kissing the Astra on display at the Charlotte International Auto Show. The person who lasts the longest will win the Astra model of their choice, for delivery through Saturn of Charlotte.

To register for the “Kiss My Astra” contest, all entries must be submitted at www.SaturnKissMyAstra.com by Nov. 14 for consideration.

The Saturn Astra is based on Europe’s popular, award-winning model that was developed in Germany to satisfy some very demanding driving tastes. Those driving dynamics have been fine-tuned for North America and combine with a great package of style, refinement and technology to make the Saturn Astra one of America’s most eye-catching and fun-to-drive cars.

Astra is offered in three-door and five-door models, each tuned to deliver sharp, responsive ride and handling traits, and power comes from a 138-horsepower 1.8L Ecotec four-cylinder that is both energetic and economical. Astra goes on sale this fall, with a starting price of $15,995 (including destination) for the XE five-door model. The XR five-door is priced at $17,545 and the sport-tuned XR three-door starts at $18,495.

All models offer a range of options that enhance the satisfying driving experience, including available 18-inch wheels and high-performance tires, seven speaker AM/FM stereo with a six-disc CD changer with MP3 disc playback, and a segment-largest dual-panel sunroof, a choice of audio systems and plus-sized wheel-and-tire packages. The sunroof is power operated and can be configured in several modes to suit passengers’ sun-worshipping requests; it also includes a power-operated mesh shade that allows passengers to adjust the amount of light streaming through the sunroof.

Exterior design features are driven by the Astra’s long wheelbase and wide stance, which pushed the wheels to the corners and enabled designers to “wrap” the sheet metal over the chassis for a lean, taut appearance. In addition, Astra’s bold proportions provide exceptional roominess and generous storage capacity. Each side of the 60/40-split folding rear seat also folds with the touch of a high-mounted lever. With both rear seat sides folded, the five-door Astra offers 44.7 cubic feet of storage space.

Safety was a paramount priority during development and the Astra features a comprehensive list of safety systems to help protect occupants in the event of a crash, including six standard air bags, standard OnStar with one year of Safe & Sound service, and StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with traction control standard on all three-door Astras, and available on five-door models.

The 2008 Saturn Astra adds to Saturn’s growing product portfolio as the fifth all-new product since early 2006. In fact, when the Astra arrives in showrooms later this year, the “oldest” vehicle in Saturn’s portfolio will be the Sky roadster, which debuted in March 2006. Other new models include the all-new Aura sedan and Aura Green Line hybrid, the redesigned Vue SUV, including the Vue Green Line hybrid, and the Outlook crossover.