2007 SATURN NEW CAR MODEL GUIDE

Saturn, the line of affordable economy cars from General Motors, rattles that image in '07 by constructing a raucous roadster sports car called Sky. Also, Saturn rolls out a dynamic new mid-size sports sedan under the badge of Aura, as well as large crossover SUV Outlook. And Saturn's Red Line of special performance issues extends to the new Sky Red Line plus a four-door Ion Quad Coupe and the slammed and sporty Vue SUV. There's even a hybrid (gas-electric) SUV -- Vue Green Line.

Saturn's new two-seat roadster convertible is gorgeous, with rippled skin stretched like flexed muscles over a long and broad structure which features a prominent prow, mid-ship cockpit and roly-poly rump. A convertible top tucks into the rear compartment and leaves only smooth lines on the deck. Sky's 2.4-liter Ecotec in-line-four engine delivers 177 hp with a short-throw Aisin five-speed manual stick or GM's Hydra-Matic 5L40 five-speed automatic. Mechanical assets include a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) chassis with ideal weight balance and independent suspension designs front and rear with SLA arrangements using lightweight aluminum for upper and lower control arms. [Read RTM's Full Review]

A performance version of the Sky roadster is called Red Line, with capital letters. It packs a punched-up powerplant, performance-tuned suspension and special aerodynamic accents on the body. Engine for Red Line is a twin-cam 2.0-liter Ecotec four-in-line with direct-injection turbo-charging and air-to-air inter-cooling. This plant has the highest specific output ever for GM at 130 hp per liter. It soars to 260 hp. Red Line also stocks electronic stability control (ESC), a dual exhaust system with polished aluminum outlets, 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels and brake cooling vents cut into front fascia.

A new premium sports sedan from Saturn, constructed on GM's mid-size Epsilon architecture which also underpins the Opel Vectra in Europe, arrives in '07 with two trims, two different V6 engines and a carload of safety equipment including curtain-style side air bags. Aura makes a bold exterior statement and brings a five-seat compartment filled with fancy amenities. Aura XE draws from a 3.5-liter VVT (variable valve timing) V6 worth 224 hp using the 4T45 Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission. Aura XR gets GM's dual-cam 3.6-liter V6 with a new 6T70 six-speed automatic to achieve 252 hp.

Saturn's compact cars, conformed as a shapely four-door sedan or four-door Quad Coupe, appear in two trims tagged as Ion 2 and Ion 3. GM's 2.2-liter four-cylinder Ecotec engine motivates Ion 2 with a power boost to 145 hp through a manual five-speed transmission or optional Hydra-Matic 4T45 four-speed automatic. For Ion 3, a 2.4-liter Ecotec VVT four-pack bumps to 175 hp. Ion Quad Coupe has two extra doors set behind the front doors. Hinged at the rear, each back door swings wide and permits easier access to rear seats.

The souped-up edition of Ion Quad Coupe features a sport-tuned suspension, unique wheels and add-on body parts with aerodynamic accents. A supercharger and inter-cooler attach to a 2.0-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine to push it to 205 hp. Also, the plant uses a heavy-duty F35 five-speed manual with short-throw stick. A tuned exhaust, the suspension tweaked and dropped 10 mm, four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock brakes (ABS) plus 17-inch forged alloy wheels and sporty Recaro racer-style bucket seats -- all of these additions come together to form a tuner-style sport compact model.

Saturn's car-like SUV blends features of a traditional SUV -- the tall stance and spacious cabin -- with easy-driving traits of a sedan. The cabin carries front buckets and a back bench for three. For locomotion, Vue offers the 2.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine or a powerful V6. The dual-cam four achieves 143 hp, while the 3.5-liter VVT V6 runs to 248 hp. Vue for front-wheel-drive (FWD) totes the four-pack and a manual five-speed Getrag transmission or optional Hydra-Matic 4T45 four-speed automatic. Vue V6 employs a five-speed automatic for FWD or all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction.

For Vue the Red Line means special equipment with the V6 and five-speed automatic for FWD or AWD. Vue Red Line also gets the suspension dropped an inch, which adds to the image of a slammed and modified vehicle but also reduces roll-over risk. The exterior package on Vue Red Line brings the look of a custom car in a monochromatic theme with unique prow styling and ground effects added, plus painted aluminum 18-inch wheels capped by all-season Bridgestone performance touring tires.

Saturn delivers the lowest price for a hybrid (gas-electric) SUV when the hybrid version of Vue SUV joins Saturn's 2007 line. Called Vue Green Line, the hybrid Vue features a dual-mode power system with electric motor/generator to supply power at low vehicular speeds and run at highway speeds. In addition, the SUV totes a revised 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine. The arrangement coupling a conventional gasoline-powered engine with electric motors is expected to generate a fuel savings of 20 percent. [Read RTM's Full Review]

The boxy exterior package of Saturn's Relay looks like a SUV, yet the stretched wheelbase supports a generous passenger compartment with three tiers of seats for seven plus a flat floor arrangement to handle a load of cargo. Designers at GM describe Relay as a crossover sport van (CSV) that varies from a conventional minivan due to that extended prow and flat cabin floor. Engine for Relay is GM's new 3.9-liter VVT V6 producing 240 hp as teamed to a Hydra-Match 4T65 four-speed automatic. Three trim levels apply to the 2007 Relay, offered strictly now with FWD traction.

The new eight-passenger crossover vehicle from Saturn, based on GM's new Lambda platform, drives and handles like a car but functions like a large SUV. In the big cabin there are three rows of seats plus cargo room at the rear. Access to the back row is easier due to a Smart Slide second-row seat. Powertrain is GM's twin-cam 3.6-liter VVT V6 rated at 263 hp for the base Outlook or 267 hp for uplevel XR model with dual exhausts. A new fuel-saving Hydra-Matic 6T75 six-speed automatic transmission applies, and Outlook offers choices of FWD or AWD traction.