Saturn Straightline Archives

Stop me if you've heard this one before, because lord knows I have. Once again, the rumor mill is churning with news that the redesigned Opel Astra GTC would be heading stateside with a Buick badge. 

This time, however, we've got a little more weight behind the claim. What started out as a report from CnD was later confirmed by a "source familiar with General Motors' plans for Buick" by Automotive News.

And while Saturn never struck gold with the redesigned last-gen Opel Insignia (Aura), Buick is finding great success with the Regal -- a current-gen Insignia. Admittedly, the Regal is a far better car than the Aura, the success of the Regal can't simply be attributed to better metal; Buick has a buzz right now with near-luxury consumers put off by the standard brands, their sales are up more than 50% year-over-year. The odds that Buick can pull off the Astra when Saturn could not seem good. I've always liked the Astra and hoped they'd give it another shot.

The Astra would join the Verano in Buick's small-car fleet.

Categories: Buick,Future Vehicles,Hatchbacks,Opel,Saturn

Text and Photos by Rex Tokeshi-Torres, Contributor

There are some battles that you wish for... Jordan vs. Kobe. The 2000 Baltimore Ravens vs. 1985 Chicago Bears. Audi R10 vs. Peugeot 908. Transformers vs. GoBots. Okay, maybe not that last one -- it would've been one-sided anyways (if you got that, realize that you're also a geek). This year's Formula Drift: Round 7 at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, California (just east of Los Angeles), on Saturday night saw two of drifting's greatest drivers, Tanner Foust and Vaughn Gittin Jr., fight to the end.

With a series that has names like Samuel Hubinette, Rhys Millen, Gittin Jr. and Foust, it's hard to pick a favorite in the beginning of each season since any one of those names could take the championship. Indeed, there are many other drivers on the field who are equally skilled in making a car gracefully drift sideways on a track and that's how Formula Drift grew to where it is now. Grassroots drivers, professional stunt drivers, racecar drivers, you name it -- they're here.

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Categories: Coupes,Ford,Motorsports,Nissan,Saturn,Scion

Congratulations to punkr0csux, who took time out from hating the Dead Kennedys to write an amusing caption on the 2002 Saturn Vue blimp. Well done.

Here are the other captions we laughed over and subsequently deemed worthy of honorable mention:

*shown in optional trim (punkr0csux)
"If you look off to the right you can see Lake Michigan, and off to the left you can see the wreckage of our brand." (mcgs999)
From our Vue in the Skye, the Outlook is grim. (technetium99)
GM's Hindenburg heading to Lakehurst. Oh the humanity... (rsholland)
"We've managed something even worse than plastic body panels: nylon" (prndlol)
Saturn Vue He (chirsch3)
This isn't the only GM asset full of hot air. (rayray633)
To prove his sincerity, Ed Whitacre replaces the corporate jet...  (roadburner)
Are we going to get a winner posted for the last contest? (technetium99)

Thanks for playing, everyone.

Categories: Caption Contest,Saturn

Had to get this one in while we all still remember what a Saturn Vue is.

You know the drill: Write a funny caption, one that makes you laugh. Then, hop over to the Long-Term Road Test blog contest. Repeat.

Categories: Caption Contest,Crossovers,SUVs,Saturn

We're scratching our heads over the camouflaged Saturn Vues our shooters have spotted putting around Michigan over the last week. They still have Saturn badging in the back, but what's with the taped over Chevrolet grille and Buick wheels? And then there's the hybrid badging down the side.

This almost certainly suggests that General Motors is considering a two-mode hybrid version of the Chevrolet Equinox, where you'd have a gas engine joining forces with a pair of electric motors built into the transmission.

But we think there's a chance this hybrid might be a plug-in, judging by the camo over the fender vent -- this is where the plug was on the Saturn Vue PHEV. That vehicle debuted at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.

GM officials had said the plug-in Vue would use lithium-ion batteries and go on sale in late 2010, about the same time as the Chevrolet Volt. Notably, though, it was only going to have a 10-mile all-electric range, which almost defeats the point of having plug-in capability.

The other curious thing about the prototypes is that they all have a single exhaust outlet. The Vue Two-Mode Hybrid and PHEV were slated to use a directed-injected version of GM's 3.6-liter V6, and the show cars all had dual exhaust tips. The switch to a single could indicate that GM has decided to use a four-cylinder engine instead -- perhaps the direct-injected 2.4-liter.

We'll have to wait and see how this project develops, but it's clear GM hasn't given up on the idea of building hybrid crossover SUVs.

Update: We've added a photo of another of the "Vue Hybrid" prototypes after the jump. It lacks the Chevy grille treatment (but still has those Buick wheels), but since the shot was taken from the driver side, you can more clearly see the fender-mounted port that would take the charger cable -- not to be confused with the block-heater plug dangling from the front of the vehicle.

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Categories: Chevrolet,Crossovers,Green Tech,Hybrids,SUVs,Saturn,Spy Photos

Long goodbyes are painful (and bad for public relations), so General Motors is offering dealers a big incentive to sell off the remaining Pontiacs and Saturns, according to a Wall Street Journal report. GM will pay $7,000 for every car moved out of new car inventory and into rental- or service-vehicle fleets before Jan. 4.

Said vehicles must then be sold as used cars, but when the dealer passes the cash along to the customer, the savings could be quite significant. However, this can't be combined with the 0-percent, 72-month loan terms or the $6,500 rebate GM has already been offering.

The program is of course expected to inflate GM's December sales, though Saturns and Pontiacs have been very difficult to move in recent months, averaging a combined 13,000 deliveries per month. The problem? Dwindling inventories make it unlikely that you'll still find a car as desirable as this G8 GT. But if it's a G3 you want, step right up.

Wall Street Journal

Categories: Auto Industry,General Motors,Pontiac,Saturn

Penske Automotive Group couldn't save the Saturn brand after its prospective partner Renault decided it didn't want to supply cars. But Penske isn't going to pass on hiring Jill Lajdziak, the well regarded long-time general manager of Saturn, seen here getting a bear hug from Bob Lutz. As the new vice president of sales and marketing for Smart USA, she'll have the big task of turning around the struggling small-car brand.

Lajdziak worked with Penske on the negotiations for the sale of Saturn and was involved in mapping out the brand's future under Penske, which would have included sourcing vehicles from Renault's South Korean partner Samsung.

Auto Observer: Former Saturn Boss Heads to smart USA

Categories: Auto Industry,SMART,Saturn

Curious whether the new 2010 Honda Accord has an optional neck massager? How about the tow rating on the Ford F-150? And what about those European cars, they're always adding some new totally nonessential technological "feature."

Now there's an easy way to find out. Our 2010 Buyer's Guide lists every model change from every manufacturer. From colors to options to full redesigns, it's all there.

2010 Buyer's Guide 

Categories: Acura,Aston Martin,Audi,BMW,Bentley,Bugatti,Buick,Cadillac,Chevrolet,Chrysler,Dodge,Ferrari,Fiat,Ford,GMC,General Motors,HUMMER,Honda,Hyundai,Infiniti,Jaguar,Jeep,Kia,Lamborghini,Land Rover,Lexus,Lincoln,Lotus,MINI,Maserati,Maybach,Mazda,Mercedes-Benz,Mercury,Mitsubishi,Nissan,Pontiac,Porsche,Rolls-Royce,SMART,Saab,Saturn,Scion,Subaru,Suzuki,Tesla Motors,Toyota,Volkswagen,Volvo

Fisker Automotive, which has yet to build its first car, is expected to sign a deal to buy GM's shuttered plant in Wilmington, Delaware that previously built the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to make an appearance in his home state tomorrow to announce the deal.

Fisker has already contracted production of its upcoming Karma electric sedan to Valmet Automotive of Finland. The Wilmington plant would be used to build Fisker's second vehicle which is expected to have a price closer to $50,000 when it debuts in 2012.

And how can an automaker with no revenues afford to buy an entire auto plant? Easy, the government gave it to them. Actually, the government gave Fisker a $528M loan, which should be more than enough to pay for the idled plant. The money will then go to GM which just so happens to owe the government a big chunk of money itself. And just like that, the government gets its money back. Now that's a deal.

AutoObserver: "Old" GM May Offload Plant on New-Age Automaker
 

Categories: Auto Industry,General Motors,Pontiac,Saturn

Just when it looked like the deal was almost complete, Penske Automotive Group said today it has ended its bid to acquire Saturn. The problem, evidently, was sourcing vehicles for the brand beyond the supply period (2010 model year) it had negotiated with General Motors. Penske had evidently identified a likely manufacturer, but the deal fell through. An excerpt from today's Penske statement:

"Penske Automotive Group negotiated the terms and conditions of an agreement with another [third] manufacturer; however, that agreement was rejected by that manufacturer's board of directors. Without that agreement, the company has determined that the risks and uncertainties related to the availability of future products prohibit the company from moving forward with this transaction."

This is not the way GM had hoped things would go, but the company is taking swift action. Aura production has already stopped and will not restart, and company spokesman John McDonald said that Outlook and Vue production will wind down "as quickly as possible."

An excerpt from the GM statement: "Saturn customers and owners will continue to be able to purchase and have their vehicles serviced at Saturn retailers during this process. Once the wind down is complete, Saturn owners will still be able to have their vehicles serviced at other GM dealerships. We will be communicating with our customers very soon to explain the next steps in this process."

Penske

GM

Categories: Auto Industry,General Motors,Saturn

Updated

GM's deal with Penske isn't wrapped up just yet, but Inside Line confirmed today that there will be a 2010 Saturn Aura. It will be built into the 2010 calendar year at GM's Fairfax, Kansas, assembly plant, which also builds the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Malibu.

This is consistent, of course, with what Auto Observer learned in an early June interview with Roger Penske, during which the dealership group made known its plan to sell the Aura, Outlook and Vue for at least three years.

Categories: Saturn,Sedans

Just like old times, only new. The newly not-bankrupt General Motors announced today that Buick -- one of the four remaining U.S.-market GM brands -- will in 2010 begin selling what appears to be a version of the Vue two-row crossover, from the departed Saturn division.

General Motors has not announced a name for the new Buick, but it will by 2011 be available as a plug-in hybrid (a version formerly planned for the Vue lineup in the 2010 model year). That model will use a version of the two-mode hybrid system familiar from larger GM trucks. In the Buick application, it'll be a combination of the 3.6-liter flex-fuel V6 under the hood and an 8 kwh lithium ion battery under the cargo load floor. GM is estimating this combination will be good for about 10 miles of electric-only range and then will, like other hybrids, use a combination of engine and battery power to motivate the vehicle, depending on conditions.

Back when this arrangement of hardware was to be a Saturn, GM was estimating a 0-60 mph performance of 7.3 seconds and a fuel economy rating of 27/30 mpg, city/highway, while delivering 3,500 maximum towing capacity.

The non-hybrid model of the Buick Whatever will be powered by the same four- and six-cylinder engines available already in the Chevrolet Equinox and the GMC Terrain.

Categories: Buick,Crossovers,General Motors,Hybrids,Saturn

Did you see the new Buick commercials that aired during this weekend's NBA title game? They implored viewers to "take a look at me now" as if Buick was some middle-aged housewife fresh out of plastic surgery.

GM's junior luxury division is going to need more than snappier commercials to get attention and according to a GM fan site a hybrid might be its next attempt to gain some recognition.

GM-volt.com says that the two-mode plug-in hybrid system developed for the Saturn Vue may make its way into a new Buick compact crossover. A CBS news report is thought to have revealed a glimpse of the upcoming sport utility and not surprisingly it looked like a downsized Enclave.

GCA: Does New Buick Crossover Get GM Dual-Mode Plug-In Hybrid System?

Categories: Buick,Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Hybrids,SUVs,Saturn

Late last week General Motors announced that Penske Automotive Group made a successful bid to purchase Saturn, saving GM's youngest division from being cast aside like yesterday's lunch as GM heads into bankruptcy.

Edmunds' AutoObserver talked with Roger Penske on Friday about his plan to sell GM-made models in Saturn showrooms while also shopping the globe for other vehicles to sell. Penske said he then hopes to convince the offshore manufacturers of those vehicles to build them in the United States.

For now, GM will continue to build the Saturn Vue, Outlook and Aura for Penske to sell through Saturn dealers for at least three years.

"Concurrent with that, we'll go around the world to see what products could be brought into this country," Penske said. "Those foreign-made products will begin filtering into Saturn showrooms in 12-18 months."

Inside Line news: Penske Opens Up About His Plans for Saturn

Categories: General Motors,Saturn

GM has officially announced that it intends to sell its Saturn brand to megadealer Roger Penske pending regulatory approval.

"This is the combination of two iconic teams: Saturn and Penske," said Saturn general manager Jill Lajdziak. "GM had the vision to create Saturn and has the desire to see it succeed in the future."

Under the proposed deal, GM would continue to build the Aura, Vue and Outlook under contract for Penske. Rights to the Saturn brand and certain other unspecified assets are part of the deal as well. Financial details were not discussed. The deal is expected to go through by the end of this year.

Categories: Auto Industry,Celebrities,General Motors,Saturn

GM Vice Chairman Tom Stephens used the company's Fastlane blog to reassure hybrid fans that a plug-in hybrid is still in the works. Originally planned for the Saturn Vue, GM's plug-in system is currently being adapted to another similarly-sized vehicle. Looking at GM's new "core" brands, that means either the Chevrolet Equinox or GMC Terrain.

Inside Line News: GM Confirms It Is Prepping a Second Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle

Categories: Chevrolet,Crossovers,Future Vehicles,GMC,General Motors,Green Tech,Hybrids,SUVs,Saturn

According to the Wall Street Journal, General Motors is considering the idea of selling its Saturn unit to Renault. The French automaker would use the Saturn dealer network as a launching pad for a new lineup of small, fuel efficient vehicles.

Renault already controls Nissan and Samsung Motors, so Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn may consider the acquisition of Saturn a cheap way to get its European products into the U.S. market.

WSJ: GM Considers Turning Over Saturn to Renault

Categories: Auto Industry,General Motors,Renault,Saturn

The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that megadealer Roger Penske is one possible buyer for the Saturn brand. Both Penske and GM declined to comment.

There was no speculation in the report about what Penske would do with Saturn, but Penske does sell the Smart ForTwo through a small network of dealers now. Maybe he's looking for a broader distribution network in anticipation of bigger sales numbers down the road. 

Update: This is the official statement from Penske regarding Saturn inquires.

"Regarding our involvement with Saturn, we confirm that we have an interest in looking at future opportunities with the Saturn brand.  Penske Automotive has not made a proposal to General Motors for this business and the time frame involved is extremely tight.

Penske Automotive buys and sells dealerships as part of our normal operations; we have experience in the distribution business and are constantly looking for opportunities to grow our business and further diversify our overall operations."

WSJ: Roger Penske Is Possible Buyer for Saturn Unit

Categories: Auto Industry,Celebrities,General Motors,Saturn

In this morning's press conference, GM CEO Fritz Henderson said that the company doesn't anticipate building any Hummer or Saturn vehicles beyond 2009.

Sounds dire, but the situation could change in either case if new owners decide they want to contract with GM for additional production. Saturn in particular has said it will try to restart itself as an independent company and contract with GM to build the current lineup until it completes its lifecyle in two or three years.

Future owners of the Hummer brand could theoretically do the same, especially given the fact that the current Hummer models are based on GM truck platforms that aren't expected to change much in the next several years.

Categories: General Motors,HUMMER,Saturn

The Wall Street Journal reported today that an investor group is talking to GM about buying Saturn. The plan would include selling GM products initially and then importing "smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles" from a range of companies.

In a statement, group spokesman John S. Pappanastos said, "GM will be relieved of liabilities related to retailer franchise agreements and avoid the downstream financial fallout on their other brands that would result from closing Saturn retail facilities."

AutoObserver: Investror Group Interested in Saturn, Journal Reports

Categories: Auto Industry,General Motors,Saturn