A possible manufacturing site for the next VUE is Spring Hill, Tennessee, long time home of the Saturn brand. Despite recent
rumours of its demise, the Spring Hill plant is alive and well, only recently receiving a commitment of $400+ million USD to upgrade its production capabilities. It is a modern facility that is already able to produce several different models, so GM can add other theta-platform derivatives alongside the VUE, or possibly other Saturn products that have yet to be revealed.
Lest we forget, Saturn is not shy about adopting Opel's genuine European styling, which GM will go on to build locally. Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak addressed the media recently and had this to say: "We do have a relationship with Opel, and there may be opportunities within the Opel portfolio for us to look at."
Beyond the VUE, Saturn will soon introduce the next generation ION, which is
modeled closely after Opel's Astra, currently a fine looking coupe and five-door hatchback, but perhaps we will see a sedan version as well. Another Opel, the Vectra, is very familiar as the next-generation version was previewed by the Saturn Aura concept last January in Detroit. The Vectra OPC seen here in Frankfurt is ripe for translation as a Red Line edition for the Aura. One more possibility to keep an eye on is the Opel Zafira, an adaptable compact minivan in the size bracket of a Mazda5, but with even greater flexibility. This is a market segment that is expected to grow, as long as fuel prices remain high.
So if all the planets align to GM's advantage, look for Saturn to start running rings around the SUV competition in the near future.
Specifications:
Body Type: 5-door crossover SUV
Layout: front engine, AWD
Engine (est): 212-hp, 1.9L, twin-turbo diesel
Transmission: 6-spd auto with manual mode
Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS
Acceleration (0 - 100 km/h): less than 6 seconds
Web Site: www.gmcanada.com
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| Saturn is not shy about adopting Opel's genuine European styling, the upcoming Aura sedan being a good example of the two brand's cooperative efforts. (General Motors of Europe) |
Lest we forget, Saturn is not shy about adopting Opel's genuine European styling, which GM will go on to build locally. Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak addressed the media recently and had this to say: "We do have a relationship with Opel, and there may be opportunities within the Opel portfolio for us to look at."
Beyond the VUE, Saturn will soon introduce the next generation ION, which is
 |
| So if all the planets align to GM's advantage, look for Saturn to start running rings around the SUV competition in the near future. (Photo: General Motors of Europe) |
So if all the planets align to GM's advantage, look for Saturn to start running rings around the SUV competition in the near future.
Specifications:
Body Type: 5-door crossover SUV
Layout: front engine, AWD
Engine (est): 212-hp, 1.9L, twin-turbo diesel
Transmission: 6-spd auto with manual mode
Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS
Acceleration (0 - 100 km/h): less than 6 seconds
Web Site: www.gmcanada.com
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