Saturn That Was Then This Is Now

Saturn: That Was Then, This Is Now

Summary: The Saturn brand has changed tremendously over the past two decades. One model is giving way to six and the brand is now officially part of the General Motors line up. Is there a Saturn in your future?

Saturn ION, Saturn OUTLOOK, A Cardone, Saturn VUE, Saturn RELAY, Saturn AURA, Saturn SKY, GM, GMC

Article Body: Step back in time with me if you would, about years to be precise, to an era when automaker General Motors was busy making plans for their all new company, Saturn. This wasnt to be just another GM division mind you as Saturn was created as a separate import fighting company meant to take on the likes of Toyota and Honda. By , the first Saturn cars rolled off a bucolic Tennessee countryside assembly line signaling a new cooperation between workers and management. Immediately, the funky little S Series of sedans, wagons, and coupes were a hit and GM was soon lauded for taking a bold initiative.

Today, Saturn is much different from the brand that took on Japans top automakers. Instead of being a separate, wholly owned car company the make is now one of General Motors many automotive divisions. The S Series sold well and the introduction of subsequent models helped the brand, but ultimately parent GM decided to pull the company within the Generals fold as it chose to close down Oldsmobile instead. Current models being sold by Saturn are much different from what was originally offered, but the company has managed to keep one huge attribute that originally propelled the brand forward: people are first. Lets take a look at Saturns current line up and the vehicles soon to be introduced.

ION After a decade of service, the S Series was retired in favor of the comparably sized ION. Unlike the S Series, the ION does not include a wagon, but it does include a four door coupe and sedan. Unfortunately, the car is not very competitive with similar models and GM is looking at an Opel-inspired car to take its place by the end of this decade.

VUE A recent makeover has kept the VUE, Saturns small SUV, competitive. In addition, a pending hybrid model is expected to strengthen the line and talk of an all new compact model showing up in has the auto world abuzz.

RELAY Saturns first minivan is a clone to models sold by Chevrolet and Buick. Unlike earlier Saturn models which featured polymer side impact panels [to limit dents], the RELAY is all sheet metal and simply a copy of other divisions vehicles. Still, the RELAY has filled an important hole in the Saturn line up by offering a larger vehicle for loyal Saturn owners.

SKY Forget what you might have thought about Saturn previously. The SKY roadster is a hit for one big reason: it is absolutely sexy. Sharing components with the Pontiac Solstice, the SKY has radically transformed the brands image all by itself. Priced under $,, the SKY is competitive with the Mazda Miata and is a low cost alternative to the BMW Z.

AURA Another vehicle built to battle the divisions bland image, the AURA steps in to the midsize category replacing the L Series which was discontinued two years earlier. Based on GMs Epsilon platform, the AURA borrows heavily from GMs German division -- Opel while incorporating a style and design that favors the Saturn SKY.

OUTLOOK To be introduced before the end of , the OUTLOOK will be Saturns first bigger SUV. Although considered to be a crossover by many, the OUTLOOK is a passenger SUV meant to complement the smaller VUE. With the addition of the OUTLOOK in the Saturn fold, GM will take a break before tinkering with the Saturn line up.

Truly, Saturn of will look much different from Saturn of the s. For years, Saturn dealers were content to sell only one model the S Series but todays Saturn is going well beyond all of that. With a hybrid VUE in the line up and other variations of existing models also being planned, the once spartan Saturn line up is nearly filled to capacity. This is great news for Saturn loyalists looking for choices beyond the base models and a promise that GM is investing money in its import fighting division.