Saturn Drops Green Line Name For Hybrids

Saturn, General Motors' European-influenced brand, will soon drop the

Green Line naming scheme for its fuel efficient hybrid models. In the future, they'll just be called Hybrid, much like what's occurring at Chevrolet and GMC.

The reason why Saturn is dropping the name is simpler than you might think. Green Line is branding that only applies to Saturn, unlike Hybrid, which most consumers universally understand. Although its cars are often covered in badges that proudly state the vehicle's status, dropping the Green Line name will make it easier for consumers to hone in on Saturn's offerings. In addition, a Saturn spokesperson backed this decision up by saying that it's hard to make a short sentence with a product name like Saturn Vue Green Line 2 Mode Hybrid.

As a marketing tool, the Green Line name was pretty smart. While brands have their own unique names for their hybrid systems, such as Integrated Motor Assist for Honda and Hybrid Synergy Drive for Toyota, the Green Line name was more of a sub-brand. Nowhere on any Green Line hybrid were the words “Green Line” ever written; it's signified by a small chromed square with a green line through it, a clever take on Saturn's performance lineup, Red Line. What's interesting is that while GM opted to drop Green Line, Red Line, as we know it, will carry on into the future.

Saturn will bring its first full hybrid (capable of running on electric power alone), the Vue 2 Mode Hybrid, to market during 2009.