General Motors launched Saturn in the 1980’s after frustrations of losing market share to Japanese manufacturers. The division began selling small, low priced cars in 1990 and promoted itself as different, with dealers offering no haggle pricing and friendly customer service.
Saturn debuted with the S line of vehicles, available in sedan, coupe and wagon configurations, these cars differentiated themselves from other GM products with all-new platforms and flexible plastic panels meant to resist denting. Just after the brands introduction, GM declared that Saturn would benefit from rapid evolution however, this was not the case. The brand saw one minor redesign in the mid 90’s however this was not enough to keep the brand from faltering with disappointing sales due to a limited range of products. GM responded by ramping up its commitment to the Saturn brand. In 2000, it rolled out the L Series; sharing a platform and an engine with the Opel Vectra (one of GM’s European products) the sedan was the opening salvo in GM’s fight to resuscitate the struggling brand. An SUV, the Vue, was unveiled, as was a minivan, the Relay. The S Series was replaced by the Ion, which was available as a sedan and a coupe. GM also added a hybrid to the lineup, with the introduction of the Saturn Vue Green Line. Today’s Saturn vehicles have changed a great deal. Recent models have been based on other GM vehicles and the plastic exteriors of yesterday have been replaced with more conventional steel body panels. Saturn’s lineup has also been filled out with models imported from GM’s European brand, Opel. The upside of Saturn’s loss of individuality is a marked improvement in overall quality. Some issues regarding a relative lack of refinement remain, but currently, Saturn is known for crafting vehicles that offer good value for the money.
Automobile Magazine Saturn
Automobile’s comprehensive new and future cars section covers all the news, prices, specifications, photos, and more for every 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 make and model that will be in the showrooms soon including concept cars.
Saturn: 1982-2009 Thursday, 1 October 2009, 3:10 pm
Saturn’s fate is sealed. The brand will die alongside Pontiac and seems to have a plot next to Oldsmobile lined up.
Saturn’s fate is sealed. The brand will die alongside Pontiac and seems to have a plot next to Oldsmobile lined up. Here are the most significant moments in Saturn’s brief history:
Photo Gallery: Saturn: 1982-2009 – Saturn Timeline, History, Milestones – Automobile Magazine
First Iteration of GM’s new Global Mid-Size FWD Platform Revealed Tuesday, 10 June 2008, 8:06 pm
The new Opel Insignia, and its badge-engineered Vauxhall Insignia twin, are the first expression of General Motors’ new Global Mid-Size architecture, likely to be the base for a larger Saturn in the next few years.
The new Opel Insignia, and its badge-engineered Vauxhall Insignia twin, are the first expression of General Motors’ new Global Mid-Size architecture, likely to be the base for a larger Saturn in the next few years. Presented statically at Opel’s new Design Center in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the car is far more convincing than earlier GM Europe designs. It is sized to compete with the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat, but comes across as a more substantial vehicle, in part because the overall tire diameter, kept the same whether the wheels are 16-, 17-, 18- or 20-inch, is the biggest in the class.
Photo Gallery: First Iteration of GM’s new Global Mid-Size FWD Platform Revealed – Latest News, Features, and Reviews – Automobile Magazine
2008 Saturn Flextreme Concept Sunday, 13 January 2008, 8:01 am
Saturn borrows from Opel once again – this time they’ve repurposed an entire concept car. We see no end to this Euro-American lending, and that’s probably not a bad thing.
Saturn’s romance with Europe’s Opel brand continues with the introduction of the Flextreme concept. The American division’s diesel/electric plug-in hybrid show car is a rebadged Opel Flextreme, a concept introduced at the Frankfurt show this past September.
Photo Gallery: 2008 Saturn Flextreme Concept – Latest News, Reviews, and Auto Show Coverage – Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: 2008 Saturn Flextreme Concept – Latest News, Reviews, and Auto Show Coverage – Automobile Magazine
2009 Saturn Vue Green Line Two-Mode Hybrid Saturday, 5 January 2008, 8:01 pm
Saturn adds a second Vue Green Line for 2009. This one features GM’s Two-Mode system paired with a direct-injection V-6 engine.
After seeing what GM’s new Two-Mode hybrid system can do in the company’s full-size SUVs, we named it our 2008 Technology of the Year. Now, the 2009 Vue Green Line Two-Mode is the first application of Two-Mode technology in a front-wheel-drive vehicle.
Photo Gallery: 2009 Saturn Vue Green Line Two-Mode Hybrid – Saturn Hybrid, 2008 NAIAS Detroit Auto Show – Automobile Magazine
Photo Gallery: 2009 Saturn Vue Green Line Two-Mode Hybrid – Saturn Hybrid, 2008 NAIAS Detroit Auto Show – Automobile Magazine
2008 Saturn Astra Wednesday, 19 December 2007, 6:12 pm
Saturn enters foreign territory.
Some may say that the new Saturn Astra is a big improvement over its predecessor, the Saturn Ion. We say, how could it not be? The hapless Ion was a strong contender for America’s worst small car and the most recent example of our storied incompetence in that arena.
Photo Gallery: 2008 Saturn Astra – Latest News, Features, and Reviews – Automobile magazine
Preview: 2008 Saturn Astra Thursday, 1 November 2007, 4:11 pm
So what if it’s a rebadged Opel Astra? Saturn gets the entry-level car it deserves.
ON SALE: DECEMBER / $15,000 (est.)
Photo Gallery: Preview: 2008 Saturn Astra – Latest News, Features, and Reviews – Automobile Magazine
2008 Saturn Model Year Changes Tuesday, 31 July 2007, 9:07 pm
Saturn completes their model line update this year with two new cars: the Vue and the Astra. Read about them here.
Saturn has been busy filling their lots with new cars lately. Last year, they released three brand-new models: the Sky, Aura, and Outlook. For 2008, those cars are joined by the Vue and the Astra, which are also both all new. This makes the Saturn lineup the freshest fleet around.
Photo Gallery: 2008 Saturn Model Year Changes – Latest News, Features, and Reviews – Automobile Magazine
2009 Saturn Model Lineup
- 2009 Saturn Vue
- 2009 Saturn Outlook
- 2009 Saturn Sky
- 2009 Saturn Aura
- 2009 Saturn Astra
