2008 SATURN NEW CAR MODEL GUIDE

Originating as a line of economy cars from General Motors, today Saturn now offers a variety of dynamic vehicles including a raucous, roadster sports car called Sky and a full-size crossover utility vehicle (CUV) named Outlook. New to the 2008 line is the Astra, a sporty three-door and five-door compact hatchback, and the newly redesigned, mid-size Vue CUV.

Aura
Saturn's premium sports sedan — constructed on GM's mid-size Epsilon architecture — arrived in 2007. The vehicle continues this year with two trims, two different V6 engines and a carload of safety equipment including curtain-style side air bags. The Aura XE draws from a 3.5-liter, V6 with VVT (variable valve timing) for 224 horsepower using a Hydra-Matic four-speed automatic transmission. The Aura XR gets GM's dual-cam, 3.6-liter VVT V6 with a six-speed automatic. The model's tastefully trimmed passenger compartment provides lots of new amenities and seating for five.

Astra
A new compact-class hatchback pops up in Saturn's 2008 line, appearing in two configurations — a five-door, sedan-like version and a sporty, three-door coupe. The Astra's standard powertrain is GM's economical 1.8-liter Ecotec dual-cam four-in-line engine, which makes 140 horsepower in concert with a standard five-speed manual or optional electronically controlled four-speed automatic transaxle. There are two trim designations for the five-door Astra (XE and XR) and one trim (XR) for the three-door Astra. Six air bags, including curtain-style side air bags, go into every 2008 issue.

Sky
Saturn's two-seat roadster convertible is gorgeous with rippled skin stretched like flexed muscles over a long, broad structure, which features a prominent prow, mid-ship cockpit and roly-poly rump. The convertible top tucks into the rear compartment and leaves only smooth lines on the deck. The Sky's 2.4-liter Ecotec in-line-four engine delivers 173 horsepower. Mechanical assets include a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) chassis and independent suspension designs front and rear using lightweight aluminum for upper and lower control arms. GM's StabiliTrak skid controls and a limited-slip differential come as standard equipment in 2008, as does XM satellite radio.

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

Outlook
Based on GM's Lambda platform, the eight-passenger Outlook CUV drives and handles like a car, but functions like a large SUV. Inside the large cabin there are three rows of seating, plus cargo room at the rear. Access to the back row is made easier due to a Smart Slide second-row seat. The base powertrain is GM's twin-cam, 3.6-liter VVT V6 rated at 270 horsepower, while the uplevel XR model gives 275 horsepower and dual exhausts. A fuel-saving, Hydra-Matic 6T75 six-speed automatic transmission applies, and the Outlook also offers front-wheel-drive (FWD) or new Active-On-Demand all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction.

Vue
Saturn's 2008 mid-size CUV sports new exterior styling that's sculpted and clean with large jeweled headlamps up front and sweeping lines over the roof. The 2008 Vue comes in XE and XR trims, in addition to a performance-oriented Red Line and Green Line hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) models. The Vue XE FWD and the Vue Green Line stock a 2.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine worth 169 horsepower, while the Vue XE AWD uses a 3.5-liter V6 with 222 horsepiower. However, the Vue XR and Red Line score GM's 3.6-liter V6 with VVT for 257 horsepower. A traction control system (TCS) and StabiliTrak go into all 2008 models.

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