Saturn: A new kind of Aura

Automotive News / August 21, 2006 - 6:00 am

Ion: Production ends in March.

Astra: General Motors is expected to replace the Ion with an imported model, a rebadged Opel Astra. The 2008 Saturn Astra is expected to go on sale at the end of 2007. A sticker price of about $16,000 is likely. That would be nearly $3,500 more than the 2006 Saturn Ion 2 sedan, the base model. Three- and five-door models are expected and possibly a four-door model. The U.S.-bound Astra likely will be built in Antwerp, Belgium.

Aura: The Aura sedan is arriving at dealerships. The Aura is built on the current Epsilon mid-sized architecture. But it is the lead vehicle showing Saturn and Opel design that will carry through to next-generation vehicles on the front-wheel-drive Epsilon 2 platform. The car is assembled in the United States.

GM plans to launch the car with two V-6 engine choices: a 224-hp 3.5-liter and a 252-hp 3.6-liter. A hybrid debuts later in the model year.

A model based on the next-generation Opel Vectra wagon is expected to be offered here as a 2009 or 2010 model. The wagon will be assembled in Germany.

Sky: The rear-drive roadster debuted this year. The high-performance Sky Redline, coming this fall, has a turbocharged, 260-hp, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. A supercharged model is expected to follow in the 2008 model year.

Vue: Saturn plans to offer a hybrid model for the 2007 model year. GM Daewoo Auto & Technology will re-engineer and restyle the Vue for the 2008 model year.

Outlook: For the 2007 model year, Saturn gets a crossover called the Outlook on GM's new fwd mid-sized Lambda architecture. The vehicle seats eight with a third row and will come with an automatic six-speed transmission.

Relay: Saturn drops its minivan during the 2008 model year.

I thought Saturn was getting more thought and attention than this.

No mention on the Aura RL?

No mention on the Aura RL?

183400[/snapback]

[sarcasm] what's that? [/sarcasm] lol