2008 Saturn Ion

Our friends in Europe might see this as a facelifted Opel Astra with a redesigned grille, modified air intakes, and new front fascia. But the 2007 Opel Astra could adopt an alternate identity - as the 2008 Saturn Ion.

The Astra has been rumoured in recent weeks to be a stopgap replacement for today's Saturn Ion until a new model with more distinctive sheetmetal can be developed. Indeed, a new Astra is scheduled for the 2010 model year, when it might also be built in America at one of GM's assembly plants.

The rebadged Astra could go on sale as soon as next year. Saturn also is prepping a new Vue SUV for 2008, one that shares its essentials with a new Opel compact SUV. -Brenda Priddy