Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.
General Motors’ fastest growing brand Saturn recently announced the pricing for the 2008 Saturn Vue. The redesigned midsize crossover SUV is one of the latest efforts by General Motors to revitalize its Saturn brand. Last month, the brand posted the highest sales increase in terms of percentage of all automotive brands in the United States auto market.
The 2008 model year version of the Saturn Vue will have a starting price of $26,990. That is $3,425 more than the 2007 Saturn Vue which was introduced in the market at a price of $23,565. Despite the increase in price, the Saturn Vue is expected to gain attention from auto buyers, thanks to its redesign. The new Vue, according to General Motors, is equipped with many standard features as well as driving-oriented technologies. The styling of the redesigned Vue is also a strong selling point for the auto model.
In terms of safety, the 2008 Vue will be equipped with a complete lineup of airbags. Front, front seat side and side curtain airbags come as standard features for the 2008 Vue. Seat belt pretensioners, disengaging collapsible pedals, active head restraints are also thrown in as added safety features for the 2008 Vue. The new Vue will also be equipped with General Motors’ StabiliTrak electronic stability control system. An electronic Trailer Sway Control feature also comes with the newest Vue.
Three engines are offered with the Vue - all come with Saturn oxygen sensors. A 2.4-liter Ecotec engine will be used on the base FWD version of the Vue. The said engine will be mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. The AWD XE variant of the Vue will be using a 3.5-liter V6 engine. The said V6 can produce as much as 222 horsepower and 219 lb-ft of torque.
For the XR and Red Line variants of the Vue, General Motors’ direct overhead camshaft 3.6-liter V6 engine will be used. This improved V6 can produce 257 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque. Aside from these three engines, the Vue will also be offered as a hybrid which will use General Motors’ two-mode hybrid technology.
Aside from the announcement of the pricing for the 2008 Saturn Vue, the company also reported that they are thinking about injecting their current lineup with smaller and more fuel efficient cars. “We think there is definitely room at the bottom for an economy car for Saturn,” says Lisa Hutchinson, Saturn's director for product development. “There is a growing interest in fuel economy as prices have gone up,” she added in an interview with Bloomberg in New York.
Currently, the brand’s smallest car is the Saturn Ion. Aside from the Ion, Saturn’s lineup includes the convertible Saturn Sky, the midsize sedan Saturn Aura, the redesigned Saturn Vue, the outgoing minivan Saturn Relay and the new premium midsize crossover SUV Outlook. While, it is apparent that Saturn will be producing small cars for the United States auto market, the company declined to reveal when they will be introducing the small car. What the company announced though is that the new Saturn Astra will be available by fall this year. It will be a rebadged Opel Astra and it was first seen at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year.
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