Saturn Rising

Confession time. I have been a card-carrying Saturn-basher forever, until Saturn rolled out the SKY two-seat roadster a few months ago.

Back in the late 1980s, General Motors took to the countrified setting of Spring Hill, Tenn., to show domestic automakers how to compete with Japanese makes that were pillaging sales from the Detroit brands.

Saturn was to be a fresh brand, operating autonomously from the GM mothership, while engineering and designing their own products. Single-point dealerships proudly advertised a “no-hassle, pay the window-sticker” pricing philosophy and Saturn even organized annual reunions in Spring Hill for its car owners. Unfortunately, Saturn became known more for its dealers than the dreadful cars it built. Yet, the company did boast a very small but very loyal cult-like following of owners.

Independence and autonomy didn’t last long; the loud sucking sound you may have heard was GM pulling Saturn back into the corporate fold. It spit out a re-badged version of the Chevy Uplander minivan called the Relay, which didn’t make much of a ripple. The complete line of Saturn vehicles remained entirely forgettable.

Now, following on the heels of the successful and sold-out SKY comes an all-new mid-size sedan called the Aura. It is Saturn’s first legitimate product offering in the family-sedan segment. Taking styling cues from the SKY and GM’s Europe-only Opel Vectra, the Aura goes a long way toward permanently striking the late and unloved L-Series from our collective memory. Later this year, Saturn will replace the Ion with a model based on the Opel Astra

Based on the same platform as GM’s Saab 9-3, Opel Vectra, Pontiac G6 and Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, the Aura doesn’t have plastic panels and isn’t built in Spring Hill or in Germany. It’s assembled in Kansas City, but drives like an upscale European family sedan and looks significantly more expensive than it is.

For 2007, Aura comes in two trim levels: the base XE ($20,595) and the more powerful XR ($24,595). The well-equipped XE comes standard with a 224-horsepower V-6, front-wheel drive, a four-speed automatic transmission, 17-inch wheels and all the expected power equipment. Upscale touches like body-colored door handles, bright LED taillights and tilt-telescoping steering add to its appeal.
The XR gets more power from a 252-horsepower V-6 and the first-ever six-speed automatic transmission in a General Motors car. The XR even has steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters (borrowed from the Corvette) for those who prefer to select their own gears. XR adds automatic climate control, an eight-way power driver seat, heated front seats, a remote engine start, 18-inch wheels, and fog lamps. Door handles, body side moldings and window trim are chrome and dual tail pipes adorn the rear.

Another model, the Aura Green Line, the first ever GM hybrid passenger car, will debut later this year, according to Saturn.

Options include leather seats, XM Satellite radio, adjustable pedals, sunroof or multi-panel panoramic sunroof and advanced audio packages. Aura does not offer a navigation system.

I drove both models and Aura’s European roots come through in taut handling, confident cornering, minimal body roll and excellent overall poise and composure.

The performance from both models was impressive, but I much preferred the XR with its larger engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration is strong, — the wheels actually spun upon hard acceleration from a standing stop. I clocked an unofficial zero-to-60 time of six seconds. The six-speed automatic afforded ample power at any speed, but was most noticeable when passing another vehicle on the highway.

On the highway, Aura is one of the quietest vehicles I’ve ever tested — and that includes luxury-sedans as much as five to seven times the price. Aura employs an ample amount of sound-deadening materials throughout, including double-paned front glass and laminated “Quiet Steel” that cancels noise like my Bose headphones.

Outside, Aura’s German Opel heritage is evident (check out www.opel.com); the chiseled sheet metal gives it a decidedly European look. The grille features a broad chrome strip from headlamp to headlamp and a prominent red Saturn logo in the center.

I was equally impressed with the overall build quality. Panel gaps are consistent and tight. The paint quality is the best I’ve seen on any GM product and compares favorably with the German luxury brands like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. However, I was disappointed that the Aura’s doors didn’t produce a solid “thunk” when closing, a shortcoming which left me continually checking to see if they were closed all the way.

Inside, the cabin is well executed and tastefully complete. Although some components — like the radio, turn signal, wiper stalks, steering wheel and shifter — are right out of the GM parts bin and can be found on others members of the family.

The front seats are comfortable, although, after a few hours behind the wheel, at least one journalist claimed “rear-end” fatigue. I especially liked the classy looking Moroccan Brown two-tone grained leather embossed seat inserts.

Saturn used padded and soft-touch materials on the dash and door panels but less impressive hard plastic elsewhere. (Skip the unconvincing faux wood trim and opt for the metallic panels, which are more attractive by far.) I think Saturn skimped a bit by omitting rear fold-down armrests and rear-seat heating and cooling vents. But, while Aura needs a little fine-tuning, I found the overall look of the interior certainly on par with Toyota and Honda.

Standard safety features are well represented and include four-wheel antilock disc brakes, traction control, stability control (XR), front, side and full-length side-curtain airbags. Crash-test ratings are not yet available.

Aura comes with the new GM 100,000-mile/5-year powertrain warranty.

Overall, Saturn dealers have to be ecstatic with SKY and Aura in their showrooms. If you’re considering a Camry, Accord, Altima or Sonata, I strongly recommend getting behind the wheel of the new Aura. It’s a classy leap for Saturn and had me burning my Saturn-basher’s card.