Hooray for Saturn! The domestic "import" brand finally has a compact car to compete with the cream of the compact car crop.

The Saturn Astra, the latest vehicle in Saturn's new product onslaught, will reach North America in the fourth quarter of 2007 and is sure to resonate with consumers. When it is released, consumers won't be able to find a vehicle in Saturn showrooms older than 20 months. How's that for fresh product?

The compact car segment has been on a tear the last couple of years, powered by high gas prices and slick new models offering features previously available only on larger cars. The Astra offers high content, good gas mileage and European styling, because, well, it comes from Europe.

It's a solid new entry into the compact car segment and should stack up well against its Korean and Japanese competition. The snazzy four-door Astra in particular should take a bite out of Mazda's zoom-zoom Mazda3 Wagon sales.

No news yet on what pricing will be like, but I'd expect it to start in the low to mid-teens.