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Saturn Aura
Saturn is finally living up to it's import fighting mission.
http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/saturn7e_20050107.htm
http://www.saturn.com/saturn/showroom/future_vehicles/index.jsp?n- av=700
http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/saturn7e_20050107.htm
http://www.saturn.com/saturn/showroom/future_vehicles/index.jsp?n- av=700
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~alpha
Better late than never. Get it to market ASAP!!
Which platform is this car? It would seem to be the Malibu/Saab/G6 as it will be built in Kansas.
The new stuff looks spectacular, however. Thank you Mr. Lutz for saving the brand.
I think that new Vectra tailights will be identical to Auras.
Will most likely need standard AWD to handle the power.
While I like the idea of the extra HP, I'm also curious of GM looking at bringing over some of the Opel Vectra engine choices in terms of the 2.0 or 3.0 turbo diesel.
I'd love to see saturn take over for VW as a brand people can look to for affordable European quality, performance and economy (diesel).
Lastly, when the vectra wagon gets the aura face lift, they need to bring it here to. That would pretty much put a competent contender to the diesel passat variant, and more options are better than one!
Seriously, it would make sense to have the model in Toronto. Chicago is a good local show but the US media either hit the NAIAS in Detroit or wait for New York.
Toronto on the other hand, is the jewel of the Canadian circuit.
I allowed myself some room for optimism when I first heard last year that Saturn would start looking to Opel for its design. I must say the Aura and the Sky were much better than I ever let myself hope they may be.
I had a Saturn a while back. I really enjoyed the dealer experience. I just have not enjoyed the product of late. I really think the Saturn sales network deserve some hits.
Think Passat level prices and you should be close. My theory at least.
this could be the first GM car that's truly competitive against top end accord/camry V6 models and the base passat (passat is going way upstream with the next model).
Venus : I agree. While I think the Malibu is close, this one will have the V6 power and premium interior. Hopefully the base engine will be the 170 hp 2.4L VVT.
Even tho Lutz says "what you see is what you'll get", they also said that maybe 4 or 5 things will change. That scares me since GM has a history of "dumb-ing down" concept cars (even tho this looks production ready). My fear is that the 4 things that will be changed are 1- the instrument cluster, 2- the center console, 3- the center stack, 4- the steering wheel. It's only 4 or 5 things, but any change to them would completely change the look of the car.
The Grand Prix looks good on the outside but the interior is horrible. The Aura looks good inside and out and hopefully anything that changes will be minor like tire size. The only disappointment for me is that there's no talk of AWD.
http://www.fast-autos.net/saturn/saturnaura.html
http://canadianautopress.auto123.com/en/info/prototype/view.spy?a- - - rtid=34160&make=Saturn
http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_shows/naias_2005/0501_saturn_au- - - ra/
http://www.autoweek.com/files/specials/2005_detroit/saturn/aura/p- - - ages/1.htm
I'd suspect a similiar hike in price to.
I actually think dropping Oldsmobile and keeping Saturn was the right move (as much as it pained me to admit since I'm on my second Intrigue and love/d my cars).
Both Saturn and Oldsmobile were doing poorly in sales. The key was the customer base. Olds' loyal customers were getting up in years; Saturn's were younger, lent themselves to imports and very loyal. Both targeted import buyers who also are younger. So, if I had to make a decision to can one, it would be the one with less of a chance to capture this customer base - thus Oldsmobile would have to go.
I read in the new Motor Trend Aura will have the new 2.4L 170 hp VVT as a base motor. They also go on to say it's main target is the Acura TL. The 3.6L will come with auto only while the 2.4L will have a standard transmission option.
Even if it's a little smaller than my Intrigue (which i suspect it will be), I see this as a strong replacement contender.
Basically, if they can make something that drives like a Passat and is as reliable as an Accord, I'll bite.
As far as the Red Line version, anything beyond the 250 hp range in a FWD car is on the edge of sanity, even with StabiliTrak. Perhaps it will feature all wheel drive.
:-(
As someone else posted, it appears the Aura has red rear turn signals. They could be amber ones in disguise, though. Even if they're red, I doubt if they're the same lamps as the brake lamps, although this is also allowed under the current (stupid) US law. The old Chevrolet S10/Blazer and GMC Sonoma/Jimmy had the all-in-one red lamps. Audi, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda have all been guilty of using red instead of amber rear turn signals in some models, even though in their home markets, amber ones are required. I will concede that making the entire taillamp red may be more aesthetically pleasing than having an orange portion, but using a clear lens near the backup lamp with an amber bulb will have the same effect. Bottom line, this is just a stupid habit that all the manufacturers (except some of the Europeans) practice in the US because it's allowed. There are guys here who put European market taillamps on their Corvettes, and I would probably put them on my Aura.
Didn't realize the automatic is a six-speed. I might consider the 3.6 after all.
The depreciation curve of the Saturn scares me, though.
The 2.4 remains an unknown player as of yet, but has promise.
From what I have read, GM has done a lot of tinkering on what was already a great start.
Logic : The 2.4L sounds like it will be a great little motor. I too like the Ecotec . I think the 2.4 is going into the Solstice also.
It can be done but it won't be easy. I think the Cobalt is in the same boat. It's a top tier car in most respects now but it will take a long time for people to realize or believe it.
That's all Saturn needs if they don't want to exist in a decade. The Trailblazer is a dud, and any Saab or Saturn based on it will be no different. Consumer Reports recently ranked the Trailblazer as one of the least satisfying midsize SUV's to own. Imagine, a car too dull for Consumer Reports...
All good and WAY over due in my opinion!
While it's not the same car and likely the Aura will get more refinement than the Chevy, there are some things that will likely carry over (and a few I hope that won't):
Good points:
-- V6 is STRONG. Shocking how powerful the Malibu is from a dead stop up to highway speeds
-- tight suspension. Driving over scraped streets being prepared for paving was excellent. What would have made other cars bounce and jiggle was a minor annoyance in the Malibu (really didn't feel like the street was torn up; ride was smooth/er than my Intrigue).
-- kickin' radio! It sounded "almost" as good as my Pioneer MP3/WMA/CD player I installed in my Intrigue. Not as good but good enough that I wouldn't be in a rush to replace it.
-- ROOOOOOOMY!!! I'm 6'8" mostly in the legs. My Malibu had no power seat yet I fit fine behind the wheel (which is tilt/telescopic). With the seat ALLL the way back, there was enough room for a woman 5'7" to fit comfortably. I sat in the front passenger's seat with the seat all the way back and could swing my legs. No foolin'. Not as much room as the Malibu commerical with the basketball players turning to midgets because of all the room, but pretty darn close. The wheelbase for the G6, Aura and Malibu is 112.3"; just to make the point, the Bonneville's wheelbase is 112.2" & the Grand Prix and Intrigue is only 110".
-- brakes have good feel
-- quiet. Not Buick/Lexus quiet but good.
Bad points:
-- climate control fan is noisy. Turn it to setting 3 and the radio turns itself up because of the increased noise.
-- steering is too stiff at low speeds. Parking felt like old Chevelles back in the day w/o power steering. High speeds are good.
-- engine not refined. Sounds a little coarse compared to the Intrigue 3.5 although I think it responds better than the Intrigue 3.5.
-- emergency flasher sits high in the dash. Even I had to stretch to reach it.
Overall, a good car. I'd consider buying one. I should note that the Aura will probably be closer in refinement to the Pontiac G6 than the Malibu. I haven't had the opportunity to drive one but would love to see if my assesment of the Malibu lines up with others views of the G6 as kind of a sneak preview of the Aura.
Since the Aura already has looks on its side, the platform will do the rest. But to target a Saturn against Acura TLs, the mechanical refinement will need to be top notch.
If I recall correctly, thats one of the reasons why the Aura will not feature the low tech, unrefined 3.5L motor. (BTW, if you think that engine is strong, you should try a V6 Altima or Avalon whose engines are the same size but even quicker). Rather, I believe the engine option on the Aura will be GMs OUTSTANDING 3.6L DOHC engine.
~alpha
I read somewhere recently, Saturns will only have OHC engines going forward also.
In my humble estimation, Aura will be substantially more refined that Malibu. Hopefully I am right because I look at the car as a possible replacement for my Intrigue also.