But where was the Euro 5 years ago? The Astra is only looking attractive now because of the recent decline in the $US. I doubt Wallstreet forsaw the rapid depreciation of the dollar, although they should have, so one cannot blame Detroit for not being ready for it. GM-DAT was an example of an opportunity that GM saw and pounced on.

The Aveo is not 'class leading,' but neither is it embarassing (unlike the Uplander). Considering what the Metro was and considering how little respect small cars got 5 years ago (Cavalier, anyone?), the Aveo is a marvel. Is it enough? No. But I am happy to have it and we can't keep them in stock, BTW.

I'll tell you what: (Enzl, are you listening?) if the Aveo replacement (which we are hearing is in the works for '10) is not 'class leading,' then you will have been proven right. In the meantime, since we all know where the market was 5 years ago (Tahoe, Trailblazer), I am prepared to give Lutz & Co. the next generation to cover the lost ground. If they do what they did to the Tracker, which was class leading in '99 but was allowed to rot on the vine, then I may have to put my purse down and get ugly.

I will be man enough to admit I am wrong but woman enough to argue about it.

The decline of the US$ actually means the Astra is a LESS profitable item to bring to the states from EU countries--that's where flex-manufacturing (& a closer alignment of Opel/Chevy/Saturn Deltas) would have paid dividends. It could be argued that the GMDAT work got in the way of aligning first-world product development.

I'll take that bet regarding the Aveo...the Fit will own it 2 years into its lifespan, no doubt. The Corsa should be here, not the GMDAT products--but that's another story.

I'm not giving GM until the next gen of anything, anymore--they've exhausted their supply of Goodwill...they've got to replace truck revenue with high-profit cars and CUVs and with their indecision with Zeta, bigger than CTS Caddys, Alphas & Saab, I believe they're screwed without perfect product rollouts...

But where was the Euro 5 years ago? The Astra is only looking attractive now because of the recent decline in the $US. I doubt Wallstreet forsaw the rapid depreciation of the dollar, although they should have, so one cannot blame Detroit for not being ready for it. GM-DAT was an example of an opportunity that GM saw and pounced on.

That's incorrect. If the USD depreciates, it makes it more expensive for manufacturers to export to the US.

Was it ever retested after this EuroNCAP result? I can't seem to find anything else at the EuroNCAP website other than those 2006 Aveo results...

I don't think it was. Once the revised model hits the market it might get tested again, but I'm thinking it could be doubtful until an all-new model arrives.

I'll echo (no Toyota pun intended) 'bloke's and Enzl's comments on here.

Oh very droll!!!!

I don't think it was. Once the revised model hits the market it might get tested again, but I'm thinking it could be doubtful until an all-new model arrives.

That would be the new model on the Gamma platform, right?

That would be the new model on the Gamma platform, right?

That's right - at least the Gamma replacement platform which GM-DAT is reportedly going to develop.

These tiny cars are not salvation incarnate, and I hope GM can maintain a broader vision while improving their offerings in this segment.

Nothing short of a Mini has any hope of interesting me when it comes to cars of this ilk.

Nothing short of a Mini has any hope of interesting me when it comes to cars of this ilk.

You really can't logically lump MINI into this segment/discussion. MINI is a premium product, regardless of it's size. The others aren't.

I've been impressed with the Fit's packaging and interior design/quality....and the new one looks to be quite a bit more attractive. In many ways, the Fit is a modern interpretation of the original Honda ideal.....small, efficient, smartly-designed. And it's a decent runner with the stick-shift.

The Yaris, is....okay I guess. I actually think the 3-door is cheeky-cute. I'm not a fan of the centrally-located IP, but the interior seems to be of greater quality than what we've seen in the GMDAT products.....with hard, yet low-sheen plastics and decent-feeling controls. IMHO, the new Aveo has a good-looking interior that just feels/seems way too cheap in too many ways.

If the Fiesta comes to market even close to the style/design inside-and-outside that the 4-door Verve concept showcased, I think it'll be a winner.

I'm not excited about the Versa, but damn it IS big for the segment.....I guess that's it's calling-card.

Rio/Accent offer a driving experience that's far from exciting or sporty. However, a recent Accent 4-door rental showed it to be extremely competent as very-basic transportation. The interior and appointments also seemed again a step above the GMDAT products (though hardly luxurious.) My Accent had a very attractive light-grey interior complemented by a two-tone grey/black color scheme that really broke up the monotonous of a grey interior. Isn't my favorite, but certainly didn't feel like a $h!-box...which was what I totally expected it to feel like.

Nothing short of a Mini has any hope of interesting me when it comes to cars of this ilk.

The Mini is unusual to the B-segment in that it's really designed as a higher-end niche product and priced accordingly. Likewise with the A-segment Fiat 500; if you want to buy the same car at regular prices for the segment, then you plump for a Fiat Panda instead.

Most of the Mini's range is geared towards the sporting Cooper models, whereas its competitors might only be top-flight versions of mainstream superminis, such as the Renault Cio 192 and Vauxhall Corsa VXR.

There are many interesting cars in both of A and B market segments, and for me, what makes them so is the genius of the design in packing modern technology into a small space. The Smart ForTwo and Mercedes A-Class are two notable examples.