Opel/Vauxhall models coming to US under Saturn name

[Prius]

Saturn is currently in transition. General Motors has given Saturn a wealth of new products including the Sky roadster, Aura sedan, redesigned ION compact sedan/hatchback, redesigned VUE, and a large SUV built off of the GM Lambda platform. To save money, GM decided that Saturn and Opel will share numerous models that differ only slightly. For example, the redesigned VUE will be the same as the Opel Frontera, the Sky is the same as the new Opel Speedster, the next ION will be the same as the next Opel Astra, and the Aura is very similar to the Opel Vectra.

The Saturn brand will be repositioned in the upper-end of the family car market, stopping just south of entry-level luxury. Volkswagen is in the same market position that GM wants to take Saturn (only going as high as the Passat). Saturn faces a struggle in achieving a premium image. When GM showed the Aura to a focus group with no badge on it, participants gave it a rating of 5/5 in terms of desirability and style. When they discovered that they were looking at a Saturn, the average rating dropped to 2.5/5.

The company's independent manufacturing operations are in doubt, however. GM has begun moving Saturn production away from Spring Hill, and announced that that plant would be integrated with the company's regular plant mix, producing product for all GM brands. It is currently being retooled for larger cars, and the shop to produce Saturn's iconic plastic body panels is being dismantled as the company moves to conventional steel panels.

The company will soon offer two sub-lines of vehicles: "Red line" Saturns are performance-oriented, while "green line" cars will be more environmentally friendly. The VUE and ION red line models, launched in 2004, will be joined by a green line VUE in 2007.

I like the idea of them brinking the Speedster on in.

[Cotterik]

You mean the VX220. Thats the vauxhall name for it, sounds better. Why want the VX220 when you can have the elise? and why want the monaro when you can have the pontiac GTO? There isnt realy anything 'new' coming out of it. Its just being more complicated, with yet another partner sharing the same models.

[Rijoh]

Speedster sounds a lot better than VX220!
But it just went out of production, so it won't come to America

[piston_burner]

Basically, GM is turning Saturn into Oldsmobile. Everything that made Saturn unique and a success during the early years is going to be totally gone. I think the worst part is Saturn may become like Oldsmobile and get axed ten years from now. I actually believe Buick will get axed, but maybe Saturn will get it instead.

[Rockefella]

Saturn is in good shape I think p_b, the new Sky roadster will sell like water on a 100-degree day and the Ion and Vue are good cars themselves, including the Redline editions.

BTW, VX220 sounds so much more badass than 'Speedster'. Speedster sounds appropriate for a 9 year old.

[piston_burner]

I still believe if Saturn does not do more to make their brand unique from the rest of GM, they will get shutdown in 10 years. If I was running GM, I would be tempted to cut Saturn and Buick. Cadillac's low end cars are crossing into the price of more then one of Chevrolet's vehicles. When you consider the extra costs in dealing with each brand and you look at the total brands GM has, they could cut out Saturn and Buick without really effecting the market segments they serve. I do not understand the desire to push Saturn more upscale and get rid of their dent resistant doors. It kills off basically all that makes Saturn unique from a consumer point of view. If they want upscale sedans at a modest price, I feel they can do that better with the SAAB brand.

GM is in need of scaling back and becoming a leaner company as well a company that make better cars overall. They have some bright spots, but they still have many areas that need work.This move with Saturn feels more like patchwork solution rather then a real fix for the division. That is just my opinion.

[ScionDriver]

Well GM already said a couple months ago that they are like bringing in a consultant group to look at Saturn, and apparently they did that to Oldmobile before it got the ax, so right now, Saturn is trying a massive image overhaul, if it fails...well then not going to be pretty for Saturn.

I think Saturn could succeed, but they can't completely turn their back on the market that originally made them great to start with....cheap cars. Yes they need to make sure that Saturn buyers second car is a Saturn but they can still bring in that initial customer with the cheap cars and no-haggle pricing.

[Lagonda]

I still believe if Saturn does not do more to make their brand unique from the rest of GM, they will get shutdown in 10 years. If I was running GM, I would be tempted to cut Saturn and Buick. Cadillac's low end cars are crossing into the price of more then one of Chevrolet's vehicles. When you consider the extra costs in dealing with each brand and you look at the total brands GM has, they could cut out Saturn and Buick without really effecting the market segments they serve. I do not understand the desire to push Saturn more upscale and get rid of their dent resistant doors. It kills off basically all that makes Saturn unique from a consumer point of view. If they want upscale sedans at a modest price, I feel they can do that better with the SAAB brand.

GM is in need of scaling back and becoming a leaner company as well a company that make better cars overall. They have some bright spots, but they still have many areas that need work.This move with Saturn feels more like patchwork solution rather then a real fix for the division. That is just my opinion.

Very well put. I completely agree. GM is being run by complete idiots and the company is in constant suffering.

[Prius]

/\ couldn't of said it better myself!

[Prius]

Saturn is in good shape I think p_b, the new Sky roadster will sell like water on a 100-degree day and the Ion and Vue are good cars themselves, including the Redline editions.

BTW, VX220 sounds so much more badass than 'Speedster'. Speedster sounds appropriate for a 9 year old.

accually, the Ion is slowing down in sales and is low rated in quality. That's another reason why people believe tha Saturn is doomed.

[Prius]

I still believe if Saturn does not do more to make their brand unique from the rest of GM, they will get shutdown in 10 years. If I was running GM, I would be tempted to cut Saturn and Buick. Cadillac's low end cars are crossing into the price of more then one of Chevrolet's vehicles. When you consider the extra costs in dealing with each brand and you look at the total brands GM has, they could cut out Saturn and Buick without really effecting the market segments they serve. I do not understand the desire to push Saturn more upscale and get rid of their dent resistant doors. It kills off basically all that makes Saturn unique from a consumer point of view. If they want upscale sedans at a modest price, I feel they can do that better with the SAAB brand.

GM is in need of scaling back and becoming a leaner company as well a company that make better cars overall. They have some bright spots, but they still have many areas that need work.This move with Saturn feels more like patchwork solution rather then a real fix for the division. That is just my opinion.

accually when you think about it, they are turning saturn INTO Buick. Leave buick the way it is, keep saturn to economy cars, Saturn to keep up with Japan, and Buick to keeep up with Europe, that's what I think though.

[piston_burner]

Part of me thinks the reason GM is not cutting loose Saturn right now is they all already have a public image of a sinking ship. People are no longer wondering if GM will be replaced by Toyota as the biggest manufacture of automobiles in the world. The question is when. I want to see GM and Ford do better, but the only two remaining US owned large scale automotive manufactures continue to struggle to match the quality of Toyota and Honda while reconnecting with the public with product that will excite them. Toyota did not get to where they are over night. GM and Ford have some good things going for them, but they need a lot more and to keep improving for years to come if they expect to win back consumers.

If you had to keep Saturn, I would try to make their cars as unique as possible and keep the low price target market they were started as. It does sound like they are making it into a Buick in many ways. If anything, Saturn could be a good brand to make sport compact cars. Saturn was top be a youth targeted company and it has lost that. If all the brands go with fixed pricing like Saturn is supposed to still have, then there really is no reason to keep Saturn based on the GMs future plans for the brand.

[Rockefella]

accually, the Ion is slowing down in sales and is low rated in quality. That's another reason why people believe tha Saturn is doomed.

I disagree, I've been in an Ion and Vue for 500+ miles each w/ a friend, it was a nice, comfortable ride, and nothing went wrong. It's a good car for the money imho.

[Prius]

nothing will go wrong until about 1,000 miles, that's what many people say when they rant about owning a crappy car. Consumer Reports has proven that the Ion is a poorly built car that needs major imporvement if it wants to move Saturn foward, if they are selling them below invitory, and freezing the production for 2 weeks so invitory can drain out, it must not be such a good car, and the most trustworthy magazine proved that. It may be well built adn comfortable, but it doesn't mean that it will hold up well.

[NuclearCrap]

You mean the VX220. Thats the vauxhall name for it, sounds better. Why want the VX220 when you can have the elise? and why want the monaro when you can have the pontiac GTO? There isnt realy anything 'new' coming out of it. Its just being more complicated, with yet another partner sharing the same models.

What about VXR? Wait, nevermind, I still thinks Exige is better.