By: Jeffrey Ross
Autotropolis.com
Alliterations aside, General Motors’
Saturn division is one of only a handful of American cars that has managed to deviate from the industry trend and actually post sales increases so far in 2007. Of the eight brands under GM, only Saturn and GMC are seeing positive numbers this year. The only other American brands that showed improved sales figures are Jeep and Lincoln.
Starting in 2006, Saturn released the Sky, Aura and Outlook. These vehicles were the first three launched to kickoff Saturn’s image makeover. While the Sky shares its design with the Opel GT, the Aura and Outlook needed a more distinctive look to be successful.
As Saturn continues to improve its image, its new lineup of cars is proving to be quite successful. So far this year, Saturn car sales spiked 49 percent in March alone while SUV sales saw a jump of 116 percent in April compared to last year. In addition to building European inspired, fun-to-drive cars and SUVs, Saturn’s vehicle designs have become arguably better by focusing on appearance and ride qualities instead of dent-resistant panels and haggle-free pricing. With all of this taken into account, it is predicted that the Saturn will turn a profit for the first time since its inception in 1991. 
The most successful vehicle for Saturn is the VUE. The current VUE debuted in 2002 and continues to be Saturn’s top selling vehicle of 2007.The optional packages such as the performance-based, 248-horsepower Red Line model and the hybrid Green Line with a combined 30 mpg EPA rating are probably one of the main reasons for the six-year old VUE’s success. Another contributing factor to the VUE’s increased sales has to be the pricing. The VUE hybrid is the lowest priced hybrid SUV on the market with a starting MSRP of $23,495; a price that is about $1,000 less than the all-new Ford Escape hybrid and $9,000 less than the 2007 Toyota Highlander hybrid. The completely redesigned 2008 Saturn VUE is set to hit showrooms and will continue to offer Red Line and Green Line packages.
The 2008 Astra will finish off Saturn’s image makeover by replacing the aged ION coupe and sedan this fall. The Saturn Astra will be available in both three-door and five-door models. The five-door Astra should compete head-to-head quite well against the Dodge Caliber and the MAZDA3.
While Saturn has yet to post numbers high enough to cause its competitors to be too concerned, the penetration into the lucrative midsize sedan and crossover SUV markets is a step in the right direction.