2007 Saturn Aura Preview Drive

The dark days of Saturn are over

For those who felt sorry about Saturn being cast aside in GM’s vehicle-grinding machine, the sun is shining again. Saturn has been given carte blanche to go and do, which it has. The first volley is the Aura sedan, a vehicle that’s been too long in coming. The Aura, due for release in Fall, 2006, starts at $20,595 for the XE, or $24,595 for the XR version. Saturn also benefits from GM’s new warranty coverage of 5 years and 100,000 miles for powertrain, with 3-year/36,000-mile basic coverage.

First Glance: Going in with the right equipment

The mid-size sedan segment is not for the weak: this is where big boys like Camry, Accord, and Altima compete. Combined, those three sell over one million vehicles a year. The rest of the segment makes up another 1.5 million. If you’re coming here to play, you better know the game.

Saturn joined the team once before, but didn’t bring the right equipment. This time, with the all-new Aura, it has come to not only battle, but to win. At first glance the Aura is everything the previous Saturn sedans should have been. It’s clean, fresh, and looks like a much more expensive car. The cat’s-eye headlamps maintain the new “face” of Saturn vehicles, and flared wheel arches hint at its desire to be more than just transportation. In back, Light Emitting Diode (LED) taillights are expensive but deliver more benefits, so Saturn gave them the green light. LEDs light up faster to give the following driver more reaction time, plus they don’t wash out in sunlight and they last longer; all good reasons to make them standard.

Gotta love the fact that the base tire is a 17-incher, while the XR models go with an 18-inch mated to polished aluminum rims. The small gap between the tires and wheelwell give the Aura a sportier stance.

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In the Driver’s Seat: Good material quality and features galore

My biggest complaint about Saturns has always been their extensive use of cheap plastic. So it was a pleasure to sit inside and see how much of an improvement the Aura is over the older vehicles in Saturn’s lineup. Soft-touch, low-gloss materials and considerably more attention to detail and fit and finish give the impression that the interior designers won a lot of arguments over the bean counters.

Something the domestic brands are good at is loading the interior with a ton of standard features. The XE model gets AM/FM/CD/MP3 playback, power windows, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, cruise control with redundant controls on the steering wheel, vanity mirror, and automatic headlights. It’s a list that gets even longer with standard safety features like OnStar, traction control, antilock brakes, and side curtain airbags. The XR adds remote vehicle start, StabiliTrak, and foglamps. The options list goes crazy, with power-adjustable pedals, sliding panoramic moonroof, automatic climate controls, heated front seats, and leather seating. The XR offers a Morocco Brown interior that dresses it up a bit, but reminds me too much of cars from the ’70s. I didn’t care for this look in the Audi TT, and I’m still not crazy about it here.

On the Road: An easy conversation

There’s nothing more relaxing than a drive up the coast in Santa Barbara, California, unless you have Jill Ladjziak, Saturn’s general manager, riding shotgun. At times like these you have to decide whether to say what you feel or keep your mouth shut. Because the Aura was so smooth, quiet, and powerful on the road, it was an easy conversation. The XE and XR get the 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The XE is tuned for 224 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque with a 4-speed automatic. The XR’s V-6 is bumped to 252 horses and 251 lb-ft of torque with a 6-speed auto with Driver Shift Control, which lets you shift via "paddles" on the steering wheel. I was impressed by the quietness even at highway speeds.

The Aura is on the Epsilon architecture that also sits under the Chevy Malibu and Saab 9-3 is solid and flex free. The XE had more than enough power for smooth take offs and highway passing; the 4-speed is nice but a fifth gear would have be welcomed. The XR’s added power just made driving a bit more fun. The shifting was effortless and quick from GM’s newest transmission, and the paddles on the steering wheel were well placed. I’ve never been a fan of GM’s electric power steering, so I loved the feel of the hydraulic unit on the Aura.

Journey’s End: A great new Saturn -- with more to follow

From day one Saturn has had a loyal following, even though customers didn’t always have the best products to buy. All that’s changed. The new Aura sedan, along with the Sky Roadster, assorted VUE SUVs including a hybrid version, and the forthcoming Outlook SUV in 2007, will give a lot of people reason to come to -- or return to -- the Saturn fold.

Ladjziak has admitted that Saturn didn’t grow the product portfolio fast enough for what the marketplace really wanted from the brand. In truth, she notes that GM executives in the ’90s wanted to keep alive the concept of using polymer panels on Saturn vehicles. Unfortunately, being known for dent-resistant doors isn’t something on which to hang an entire brand’s hat. Other products were offered, but not having polymer doors prevented Saturn from producing those vehicles. Today, the polymer panels are gone, and the products are back. Thankfully, so is brand loyalty because of the treatment and no-haggle buying at the dealership, the regeneration of products, and Saturn’s ongoing dedication to customer service. There will be a new product every few months from Saturn over the next 16 months. The dark days are over for the brand, and the customers, dealers, and Saturn couldn’t be happier.