1997-2002 Saturn Coupe: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Redesigned for 1997, the front-drive sports coupe featured new styling on a longer wheelbase. Basic construction continued as before, following Saturn's practice of installing dent- and rust-resistant polymer vertical body panels, mounted on a spaceframe. Two models again went on sale, but the SC1 and SC2 now displayed the same styling. Among the modest differences in this generation, the SC1 got black outside mirrors and door handles, whereas those items on the SC2 were body colored. Fog lamps were standard on the SC2 coupe. Both coupes had standard Daytime Running Lights. Wheelbase was now 102.4 inches, identical to the Saturn sedan and station wagon, which had been redesigned a year earlier. Prior coupes rode a 99.2-inch span. Rear leg room grew by a whopping 4.5 inches. Front and rear head room gained about an inch. Dashboard designs remained essentially as before. Powertrains also continued from the 1991-96 generation. The SC1 held a 100-horsepower, 1.9-liter 4-cylinder engine. A dual-overhead-cam version, rated 124 horsepower, went into the SC2 coupe. Both models had a standard 5-speed manual transmission, with 4-speed automatic optional. Antilock braking was optional, and included traction control.