Astra Days Supply Heads Upward: What Can Be Done?

The Astra's inventory numbers as of June 1 aren't looking so chipper. Back on April 1 dealers had the equivalent of 326 days of supply for the snazzy little hatchback. On May 1 things were looking better as the first two numbers had reversed and the days supply total sat at 236. I was hoping for an even lower number for June 1, but sadly there are now 306 days worth of supply sitting out there in Saturn land. As you well know, I'm quite taken with the car and am disappointed in its performance. Saturn is "rethinking" its advertising campaign but most of those dollars will be dedicated to higher volume models. What can Saturn do?

I think that Saturn has to do something bold. Something that advertising alone cannot achieve. Saturn has to distance itself from its more popular sister, Chevrolet. How can this be achieved when the overlap between the model lines is so great? I think the answer is in the warranty. Saturn should offer a 4 year/50,000 bumper to bumper coverage or at a minimum, free maintenance for the first few years. This will actually give buyers a reason to chose an Aura over a Malibu or an Outlook over a Traverse. The additional showroom traffic might also allow more folks to discover the Astra for themselves. I don't think that an extended warranty would cause Saturn to bump heads with either Cadillac or Saab and the cost would be relatively minor as compared to any other major campaign to boost the brand's awareness.