At Westworld on Monday, October 22nd, Saturn is offering a Closed Course Test Drive of the Saturn Astra, Saturn's sporty new compact vehicle. The snazzy new Astra won't be in the showrooms till January of 2008, but Saturn is offering a rare opportunity for local media and the public to take a test-drive on a closed course. Participation in this event is limited, so enroll ASAP at http://www.saturnevents.com/AstraForm.

Attendees at this exclusive preview will be among the first in the nation to take the new Astra for a spin. Registrants must be 21 or over with a valid driver's license, and they bring one guest to share the experience.

"The Saturn Astra is the fifth vehicle we have introduced in the past two years," offered Dan Jonuska of Saturn of Scottsdale. "This new compact replaces the Saturn Ion and finishes the complete revamp of the Saturn line- up, which includes the sexy new SKY roadster, the new VUE mid-sized crossover, the 8-passenger OUTLOOK luxury crossover, and the amazing AURA sedan, which was selected as the 2007 North American Car of the Year by 49 automotive journalists."

The 2008 Saturn Astra will be offered as a three-door coupe or a five-door hatchback, offering both great styling and roominess. Each model has room for five passengers, but if you fold down the 60/40 back seats, there is up to 45 cubic feet of cargo area in the back, making the Astra one of the most versatile sport compacts on the market.

The Astra, while new to the US, is based on GM's Opel Astra, which is the #1 selling vehicle in this segment in Europe. "Because of our new strategic relationship with Opel and this car's European heritage, the Astra has been one of the most closely followed Saturn announcements," according to Dan Jonuska, author of the MisterSaturn.com blog. "Based on the community feedback, we think the Astra is going to appeal to a wide variety of car buyers, both young people looking for a sporty car, and families looking for a versatile and economic compact vehicle."

Saturn of Scottsdale is now accepting pre-orders of the Saturn Astra for delivery as early as January 2008.