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It looks pretty similar to the interior of the Insignia I reviewed the other day,
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/review-2010-opel-insignia-20-diesel/
apart from the existence of an A-beam mini-window.
So: interesting, well-made but overwrought. And ultimately pointless.
It looks pretty par for the course for a German car. The steering wheel looks to be pants-on-head moronic, though.
Everything’s ugly now, Robert. Interior, exterior, the whole works.
No
I like the center stack but the cow’s tongue steering wheel is atrocious.
What.
Less ugly than the Ford Fiesta, not as nice as the Focus RS.
Ugly? Not really.
Still lacking cup holders? Check.
A bit too organic, but better than that of the current Civic or Mazda3.
The center stack reminds me of the rear of the Kia Soul.
Whenever you ask “Why didn’t Ford bring over the “Euro Focus?”, ask Saturn how the Astra worked out.
I’m guessing you just don’t like the aluminum\silver\chrome or whatever trim? The design itself looks fine to me… except, I don’t know what that big knob on the center console below the shifter is for.
They’ve taken the pie/pizza slice motif to a different level. Perfect interior for the OCD set.
BDB: The Focus we got in 2000, and still have, is technically the Euro focus, just a generation ago. It’s worked out pretty well for Ford sales wise.
As for the Astra, I’m guessing the lack of a sedan model hurt sales quite a bit. Also, GM scrimped on the details. No cup holders and a clock in military time.
I actually don’t think it’s bad at all, although I’m not sure what to make of those A-pillars.
@carguy622
True, but when I think of most straight Europe-to-America re-badges of smaller cars, they fall flat in sales. Remember the Contour/Mystique? Merkur? Not exactly success stories. Not to mention the Kappa twins (as gorgeous as they are, and as much as I like them).
It looks fine to me. It’s not ugly at all. It could use more color, though.
Looks pretty good to me, a little bit ‘contrasty’, but otherwise good.
For a compact economy car? Not bad.
This is the first mental image that came to me when I saw the center stack
Looks ok to me, but as with most press shots it has been prepped to look like there’s more aluminum used than your average fighter plane and you could drill for ArmorAll in all those surfaces. In reality the silver bits will be gray plastic, the black bits will be dark plastic, the leather bits will be shiny plastic and all the plastics will look, feel, creak and smell like they were made from recycled Lego bricks.
I agree….ugly.
Toned down Malibu anyone? Steering wheel vaguely Volvo-ish, but I love the phrase “Pants-on-head Moronic”!
Ugly it’s not. I’d hit it.
Change the color to beige/light brown and replace the “chrome” accents with something like wood…
Just replace all of the plastimetal accents and it wouldn’t look so bad.
As is, it is really ugly.
I think it looks pretty cool.
Sorry, but I kind of dig it. It’s got the tall, skinny HVAC vents to either side of the center stack, that seems to be GM’s new interior gag. Looks sweet to me.
What is it with black interiors these days. They are depressing, and they get excessively hot.
BDB: The Contour/Mystique were not Euro models imported without change. They were designed at the same time as the Mondeo, but they were intended for the US market. Ford wanted them to replace the much, and justly, unloved Tempo/Topaz compacts. But, the cars were too nice to be sold at the prices the T/Ts commanded. They weren’t intended to replace the Taurus/Sable, and were crippled in rear seat room to avoid doing that. As time went by, Ford decontented the cars to keep the price down. Stuck between the Taurus and the Focus, the cars languished, and were discontinued.
That was too bad. They were nice cars. I owned a 95 and a 99 Mystique. They were fun to drive and, except for depreciation, economical to run.
Ironically, the Fusion is based on the Mazda platform that was part of the same project as the original Contour. They restructured the line up for it by pushing the Taurus up in size, and it may work this time. I hope it does.
Note to any auto interior designer reading this: please, please, please come up with a new theme to cure the virus of brushed aluminum trim that has infected the world’s auto industry since patient zero – the Audi TT. It was good for the first few year but c’mon, let’s move on. Thank you.
Robert–
Thanks for the info, I always just read it was a “rebadged Mondeo” I agree the cars were nice, sadly the market disagreed.
looks good to me. I would hope it ages well.
Excellent lines – me thinks!
Lot’s of black, though, must wannabe and Audi (I would have bought an S4 Avant several times could you get an interior that wasn’t black-black-black, with dark anodized aluminum trim!
Quality of the plastic will make a huge difference here. If it is good stuff, this is a winner, if cheap – it is econocar city.
“I’ll take “Proof that General Motors still doesn’t get it” for $800, Alex”
“Your answer is: “The new Astra interior.”
“What is ugly?”
“That’s correct, pick your next category, please.”
I like it, so I pick “or what”.
I like it, but boy are there a ton of buttons…
Whenever you ask “Why didn’t Ford bring over the “Euro Focus?”, ask Saturn how the Astra worked out.
Actually the Saturn Astra would’ve worked out fine had GM actually spent a little money advertising it, instead of the pointless Saturn is different ads. It also would’ve helped had GM thought to bring over the TDI or the 2.0L and offered the sedan option. The Astra has been Europe’s largest seller for a long time now for good reason.
I like the latest conception of the interior. To be totally honest, it looks like a 3/5th’s version of the new Camaro, including the “cow-tongue” steering wheel.
I have just looked at this very picture at another auto site (my deepest apologies, RF). The picture therein posted reveals that the door panel inserts are red and that there is white-ish stitching on the center of the seat surfaces. It looks much better than what I am looking at on TTAC – though my comment re. the quality of the “naugies” they use still stands.
RF, you should go over there and check out the difference in “look” of the same jpeg. RD
I like it, but I also like the interior in my Civic Si. For truly ugly, please see the Saturn Ion.
I agree with Akitadog, it needs more color. And no, Stingray, beige/light brown isn’t more color. A couple of others mentioned the blackness of it all.
What is it with the black/gray interiors? I prefer an interior that’s light, airy and spacious-looking. Look at the options for today’s cars and the lightest interior you can get is a light gray/medium gray mix. The red accents here are too little, with all that black.
I’m not in favor of a return to the ’50’s coral pink and aqua, but there’s more color in a funeral home than this car.
I like it.
What is it with the black/gray interiors? I prefer an interior that’s light, airy and spacious-looking. Look at the options for today’s cars and the lightest interior you can get is a light gray/medium gray mix.
I think they could bring back blue interiors without it resembling Grandma’s old Buick.
But jeez, more than 3 interior colours? The OEMs would have a fit.
It’s got a stick, which is greatly in its favor. But I agree w/ Jeff Puthuff about the cows tongue steering wheel. That’s exactly what it is, and, well, Moooooooooooooooo.
Better-looking interior than those of Hondas lately.
Aside from the button-festooned center stack and what appears to be a copy of an iDrive controller, it looks quite nice in the pictures.
It’s gorgeous. A bit too many buttons on the center stack, but that’s the usability, not the looks. Plus, it’s The German Way(tm). The lighting is especially nice. To reiterate & paraphrase, “I find your lack of cupholders disturbing.”