2006 Saturn Sky Review

Blue Sky for GMs Saturn Division

If you had told me a year or two ago that Saturn would be vying for best domestic nameplate on my personal pecking order,
Id have said you were crazy.

Well, GMs import fighting division has changed its direction, all for the better. The ION Red Line Quad Coupe started me believing that the brand could build a car that is at least really fun to drive, if not particularly inspired in design or interior execution. The updated 2005 ION is improved inside and out while the Relay minivan, based on the same mid-van architecture as the Buick Terraza, Chevy Uplander and Pontiac Montana SV6, ups Saturns interior quality ante substantially, while showing the brand can be competitive in the mid-van segment right out of the box.

Whats next? A car that until a month ago I would have never expected, or at least not in the form that will debut next week at the North American International Auto Show. I figured
that Saturns first sports car would be based on the exciting Curve concept that debuted at last years Detroit show, but now that Ive been set straight, Saturns future looks to blue sky in more ways than one.

Saturn has chosen the name Sky to represent its new roadster model, pulled from the Sky Concept that debuted the year prior. Unlike the concept, which sported a unique “convertible” two-seat, four-seat configuration, the production Sky will just offer two seats. Actually, GM states there is no design link between the production and concept Sky models at all.

While a dynamic car in its own right, the new roadster will also usher in a completely new styling direction for the brand, one that seems influenced heavily by GMs European Opel division the Skys front grille and headlight design. In actual fact, the Sky was inspired by Vauxhalls VX Lightning Concept, which was created at GMs Advanced Design Studio in Birmingham, England. Vauxhall, if you didnt know, is British for Opel, being that the Vauxhall brand supplants Opel in England. GM says that the Vauxhall styling cues signal “the adoption of an international design language for Saturn.”

“The vehicles strong front end is the new face of Saturn, with a pronounced fender peak and a bold, chrome bar that carries an integrated Saturn badge,” commented Ed Welburn, vice president of GM Design.

The new Skys convertible top folds into the cars rear compartment without the need of a cumbersome add-on cover. Rather, a body-color clamshell cover hides the fabric roof, looking ultra-sporty when in place due to its 50s racecar-style double-bubble shape.

Low to the tarmac and featuring a wide, grounded stance with abbreviated overhangs and a substantial 18-inch wheel and tire package pushed to right out to each corner, makes the Sky look capable of taking on any competitor, and any roadway that winds in between its point of origin and destination. Saturn has equipped it with powerful projector halogen low beams and reflector optic halogen high beam headlamps for optimal night vision, and a top-tier premium-level appearance.

That premium-level experience can be felt inside the cabin as well, but rather than just luxury the Sky is driver-focused featuring controls and displays that are right at hand. Saturn makes use of piano black surfaces, a new trend in the auto industry started with the Toyota Prius and Sienna mid-van, while chrome accents brighten up design details.

High quality cloth will cover the seats and door trim in base models, with optional “technical-grain” leather available. Saturn describes the lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls as “jewel-like”, depicting their execution as “tight” with great “attention to detail.”

GM says the new Saturn will influence the brands styling direction for future products inside and out, a lineup which will double over the next 24 months.

“The new design of Saturn vehicles are heavily influenced by global design trends and conveys a sense of technical harmony,” added Welburn. “Taut, controlled lines combine with fluid surfaces to create a dynamic feel.”

According to GMs press release, the new roadster will be followed by a new midsize sedan, most likely modeled after the Aura concept that will debut alongside the Sky next week. It too, looks an awful lot like sedans built by GMs European Opel division.

To lovers of performance-oriented European cars, this will come as good news. After all, for GM to only produce Opel/Vauxhall vehicles for European sale seems like a poor business model, considering that rivals such as Volkswagen can optimize economies of scale by building the same models for global consumption. For this reason European automakers such as Peugeot and Renault are planning to reenter the North American market.

But GM doesnt need to bring back its Opel nameplate, once sold here in limited quantities, and incur the expense needed to make the North American populace aware of the name once associated with the mini-Corvette styled GT, not when Saturn, already well respected for its top-tier sales process and extremely high customer retention, is desperately seeking passionately designed products to compete head-on with Asian and European competitors.

“Building on its accomplishments in customer sales and service satisfaction, Saturn is introducing a bold new product design to our vehicles,” commented Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak.

The new Sky may not be a big seller, being a niche vehicle and all, but it should do wonders for putting Saturn on the collective radar screens of those, like me, who would never have previously considered the brand.

Import buyers should warm up to the Skys energetic Ecotec 4-cylinder, featuring 2.4 liters that put out a maximum of 170-horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 162 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm, enhanced with variable valve timing. GM has refined its 4-cylinder Ecotec dramatically, now available in 2.4L configuration under the hood of Chevys new Cobalt, Pontiacs Pursuit/G4 and Saturns ION compact.

While 170-horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque might not sound particularly exciting compared to some of GMs 6- and 8-cylinder engines, keep in mind that Mazdas Miata has done extremely well with only 142-horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque. Even the top-line MazdaSpeed MX-5 Miata puts out just slightly more, at 178-horsepower and 166 lb-ft of torque, and its a riot to drive.

Like the new Cobalt SS and Saturns new ION Red Line a supercharged version will no doubt be in the offing, a 2.0L Ecotec 4-cylinder that currently delivers 205-horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque. From personal experience, it will without doubt perform better than Mazdas top-line Miata.

While the MazdaSpeed gets a 6-speed manual, the new Saturn will incorporate a Japanese-made Aisin 5-speed manual as standard equipment with a 5-speed automatic optional, the latter not available in MazdaSpeed trim. Both GM transmissions are very competent, smooth shifting and up to the task of motivating a sports car.

“The Skys performance matches its impressive styling,” said Lori Queen, vehicle line executive for GMs small cars. “Powertrain, suspension and handling components were carefully selected to provide quick and agile performance.”

The new Sky will also feature rear-wheel drive, in true sports car character. The rear-drive layout will be another first for Saturn, but essential in making it competitive with the Miata, the roadster sales leader.

Its hydraulically assisted rack-and-pinion power steering system, 50/50 weight distribution, large 18 by 8 inch aluminum wheels wrapped in P245/45R18 96V Goodyear Eagle all-season performance tires, and wide track join a fully independent short/long arm suspension for nimble handling, while coil-over Bilstein monotube shock absorbers enhance overall control while isolating the car from road imperfections.

Hydraulic engine mounts also isolate noise, this time from under the hood. Adding to the refinement is the cars general architecture, which features a structural tunnel design combined with hydroformed longitudinal rails. The resultant rigidity eliminates squeaks and rattles, while dramatically improving driving dynamics and overall crash protection.

Safety in mind, it comes standard with 4-wheel disc brakes and ABS. Also standard, the cars OnStar system offers Automatic Crash Notification, an automated service that calls one of OnStars emergency advisors if an airbag deploys. If an occupant is injured and cant respond, the systems global positioning (GPS) device will advise the OnStar people where the vehicle is located, and notify emergency services.

Whats more, the Sky will offer GMs exclusive Advanced Automatic Crash Notification system (AACN), which detects collisions or rollovers whether the airbags deploy or not, and then transmits its findings, such as the direction of impact force, the number of and which airbags deployed and the maximum change of impact velocity, to emergency responders so that theyre prepared with what could be critical information before they arrive at the scene.

This system will most likely be offered on other GM vehicles, including Pontiacs Solstice roadster which also rides on the Kappa rear-drive chassis architecture the Sky shares.

Analysts say GMs decision to bring two new roadsters to life in a market that has been all but friendly to sports cars is a bold and potentially risky move. Interest in the sporty segment is down, coupes included, with few models, excepting Fords new Mustang, bucking this flat sales trend.

No matter how well the two roadsters perform on the sales charts, however, the Solstice and Sky will fulfill their first duty of providing an image enhancing halo over the brands each represents, attracting new buyers into their respective dealer showrooms and improving morale among sales staff.

The Sky, expected to sell for less than $25,000, will be produced at GMs Wilmington, Delaware plant. Its an exciting new product from a brand thats totally reinventing itself, from a dowdy pretender to one of the most dynamic players in the industry. Like Lajdziak said, “For Saturn, the Sky is not the limit. Its only the beginning.”