Variety may be the spice of life, but automakers can't live without it. Take Saturn's 2007 Aura. Not only are these new midsize sedans far tastier than the bland, slow-selling 2000-2005 L-Series, they add to a model menu that has lately grown to include the Vue compact SUV, Relay minivan, the Outlook large-crossover wagon, and even a genuine sports car, the stylish Sky roadster. All are vital ingredients in a belated General Motors recipe for turning an anorexic money-loser into a muscular profit-maker.
Saturn general manager Jill Lajdziak thinks this product revitalization might just do the trick. "We've always offered a great buying experience and outstanding customer service, but we haven't had the product portfolio needed to grow the brand. That's changing now, because we must earn our keep just like everyone else in General Motors. If we can't, we don't get another chance."
 2007 Saturn Aura |
It's do or die for all Detroit these days, particularly for weaker brands like Saturn. That's why the "different kind of car company" has become simply another GM division. No more the free-thinking, free-spending subsidiary which got its start in the ' 80s and launched its first vehicle 16 years ago with its own vehicle designs, factory, and workers. Can't afford that now. Instead, Saturn will be the U.S. home for cars based on Opel designs from GM's German branch. Aura is the first.
Saturn's changed status is part of a new GM drive to coordinate worldwide vehicle programs as never before. The goal is to create hit products for each region without the costly, time-wasting duplication of effort or needless design variations. The pattern for Saturn, GM says, is the British Vauxhall unit, which has long successfully built and sold retrimmed Opels. Saturn might advise on tailoring a design for U.S. tastes, but innovation is no longer part of its mission. Moreover, Saturns won't necessarily come from the brand's original kitchen in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Auras, for example, are cooked up in Kansas City, Kansas. Other models could be imported.
Regardless of where they're built, Saturns won't be copies of related GM vehicles--or anything else. Cookie-cutter cars just don't cut it in today's cutthroat market. But Saturns have always sold well among "import intenders," so the Aura and other new models will serve up import-flavored design and engineering sweetened with Saturn's no-hassle buying experience. Lajdziak notes that Saturn still attracts younger, better-educated and more-affluent buyers than most other domestic brands. All that's been missing is some sizzle to go with the steak.
Aura's Origins
Saturn's second midsize car shares GM's Epsilon global
front-wheel-drive architecture with the Chevrolet Malibu/Malibu Maxx and
Pontiac G6. Overseas relations include
Opel's Vectra and the premium 9-3 sedan at GM-owned Saab of Sweden. Aura styling mostly originates
with Opel, but is tailored to a 112.3-inch wheelbase, the longest
of three Epsilon spans and the same one used for G6s and Malibu
Maxx hatchbacks. In line with Saturn's new mission, Aura
strives to look more upscale than its domestic cousins and as
classy as leading imports. New brand design signatures are stirred
in, such as a broad, bright T-shape grille bar, swoopy clear-lens
headlamps, LED taillamps, chrome door handles, and premium interior
trim. The interior itself mixes Opel design with Saturn-specific
audio and climate systems, plus locally sourced fabrics, plastics
and leather. To our eyes, the overall result is a blend of
Volkswagen Passat and Nissan Maxima.
 2007 Saturn Aura interior |
Aura bows with two models, each with its own V6 engine and associated automatic transmission. The base XE carries a 3.5-liter overhead-valve V6, a long-serving GM design lately updated with variable valve timing, a claimed first for a "cam-in-block" engine. Horsepower checks in at 224, peak torque at 220 pound-feet, delivered through a 4-speed transaxle. The uplevel Aura XR comes with GM's so-called "high feature" 3.6-liter V6, a dual-overhead-cam unit first seen in Cadillac's premium-midsize CTS sedan. Outputs here are 252 hp and 251 lb-ft. Aura XR and the '07 Pontiac G6 GXP are the only Epsilon models to use this engine thus far. So, too, a new 6-speed automatic transmission with what Saturn calls Driver Shift Control-steering-wheel paddles for sequential manual gear changes.
As expected of sportier sedans, Aura boasts four-wheel independent suspension and ABS four-wheel disc brakes. Traction control is standard for XE. The XR comes with GM's Stabilitrak antiskid system providing both traction and yaw control. Aura departs from Malibu/G6 in using hydraulic steering, not electric. Planners felt the system's superior steering feel was worth its extra cost. Both Auras come with 225/50-section tires, but the XE wraps all-season rubber around 17-inch steel wheels vs. summer tires on multi-spoke 18-inch alloys for the sportier XR.
The Inside Story
With the refined Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in its sights, Saturn paid
close attention to minimizing noise, vibration and harshness. The
body structure, for example, employs beefed-up sill sections, roof
pillars and hinge posts, which also enhances crashworthiness.
High-strength steel is used in strategic areas, and the center
tunnel is formed of two steel sheets instead of one, all for better
isolation. Three reinforcing "torque rings," including a
magnesium bar behind the instrument panel, tie everything together.
Laminated "quiet" steel helps ward off vibration noise
from the wheel housings.
 2007 Saturn Aura |
Both Auras come with a manual tilt/telescope steering wheel and split folding rear seat. Cloth upholstery and manual air conditioning are standard for XE. The XR substitutes leather and automatic climate control. It also comes with power driver's seat, heated front seats, power mirrors, CD-changer audio system with steering-wheel and rear-seat controls, and keyfob-operated remote engine starting. Most of these upgrades are available for the XE. Interestingly, Aura is one the few cars we know of that offers seat heating with cloth upholstery, not just leather. Available for both models are a power front-passenger seat, power-adjustable pedals, satellite radio, a conventional sunroof, and a "panoramic" glass roof with tilt-up front section and three rear-sliding panels behind.
"Let the Market Decide"
Our dictionary defines aura as "a distinctive atmosphere
surrounding a given source." Based on our experience, and with
prices in the attractive $20,000-$28,000 range, Aura seems a fine
"halo" car, promising a Saturn revival matching what the
automaker started with its snazzy Sky roadster. With more models on
its plate and more still to come-including Aura wagons for
2008-this troubled brand may not be so troubled much longer.
Jill Ladjziak and her team believe Aura has what it takes to succeed, but they won't make sales promises they might not be able to keep. "We'll let the market decide how many we should build," she told us. "But we think it will be a good many." We do to
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