2007 Saturn Review

Specifications

Green Line Hybrids to be Value Oriented

Saturns restructuring has been in the news over the past month or two. New vehicles, such as the SKY roadster and RELAY minivan have taken GMs customer-friendly brand into uncharted territories, while staples such as the VUE compact SUV and ION compact sedan and coupe have kept the brand in business. With plenty of other cars just around the corner, such as the European-themed AURA midsize sedan and a larger crossover SUV dubbed Outlook, Saturn officials have just announced a new plan which will help raise the profile of this satellite brand.

Saturns general manager Jill Lajdziak announced in the annual Management Briefing Seminar that the brand would be launching a lineup of hybrid vehicles starting mid-2006. To be called “Green Line”, the name is a clever spin on the “Red Line” nameplate used for sporty versions of Saturns VUE and ION. No doubt, the square chromed badge used for Red Line cars will be identical, except for a green stripe replacing the red stripe.

The first vehicle to wear the “Green Line” badge will be the VUE, slated to arrive during model-year 2007.

According to GMs Executive Director of Hybrid Powertrains, Larry Nitz, the Green Line system for the VUE will be a “mild hybrid” system. The system has been described as, “a very high value hybrid, as close as a hybrid to be to a bolt on system,” which will help keep prices reasonable.

On top of the standard gasoline-powered motor, the “mild hybrid” system will use a high-power 42-volt all-in-one starter-alternator-motor for
electrical assist. It is the heart of the system, and could also be used to restart the motor, should Saturn decide to give it an auto-stop feature. In total, the VUE Green Line is expected to deliver a fuel savings of around 10 percent, when compared to four-cylinder FWD equipped models. While theres no word on which gasoline powertrains will be used, it is expected that the electrical components will be mated to the 143-hp 2.2-liter Ecotec inline-four with the choice of a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The now-defunct CVT gearbox will stay out of the picture.

Though a 10 percent decrease in fuel consumption does not appear to be that great an improvement, it fulfills the objectives of the “mild hybrid” claim. GMs system is said to deliver 80 to 90 percent of the hybrid benefit at 10 to 20 percent of the cost. As it stands, the 2006 Saturn VUE is one of the most affordable compact SUVs on the marketplace with a starting price of $17,390; the addition of a hybrid system with an estimated cost of $1,500 to $2,000 would still undercut its main rival, the Ford Escape Hybrid by some $4,000 or so. Thats a price gap large enough to strike fear in the eyes of Ford execs and salespeople, plus potentially put a hefty dent in the sales of the Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids.

And if you havent already heard, Saturn is giving the VUE a facelift for 2006. Aside from sticking the new corporate grille between its headlamps and tidying up the tail, it offers more standard equipment, optional hi-fi stereo, On-Star onboard telematics and dual stage front airbags, which helped it earn a five-star NHTSA crash-test rating (see new vehicle reviews section in this website: 2006 Saturn VUE PreVUE).

What more could a buyer ask for? Expect to see the 2007 Saturn VUE, along with a host of hybrid-powered Saturns in quite a few more driveways in the years to come.