2006 Saturn Sky Preview

Blue Sky for GM's Saturn Division

If you had told me a year or two ago that Saturn would be vying for best domestic nameplate on my personal pecking order,

If a year ago somebody had told me that Saturn would be vying for best domestic nameplate on my personal pecking order, I would have laughed. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

I'd have said you were crazy.

Well, GM's import fighting division has changed its direction, all for the better. The ION Red Line Quad Coupe started me believing that the brand could build a car that is at least really fun to drive, if not particularly inspired in design or interior execution. The updated 2005 ION is improved inside and out while the Relay minivan, based on the same mid-van architecture as the Buick Terraza, Chevy Uplander and Pontiac Montana SV6, ups Saturn's interior quality ante substantially, while showing the brand can be competitive in the mid-van segment right out of the box.

What's next? A car that until a month ago I would have never expected, or at least not in the form that will debut next week at the North American International Auto Show. I figured

Saturn has chosen the name Sky to represent its new roadster model, pulled from the Sky Concept that debuted the year prior. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

that Saturn's first sports car would be based on the exciting Curve concept that debuted at last year's Detroit show, but now that I've been set straight, Saturn's future looks to blue sky in more ways than one.

Saturn has chosen the name Sky to represent its new roadster model, pulled from the Sky Concept that debuted the year prior. Unlike the concept, which sported a unique "convertible" two-seat, four-seat configuration, the production Sky will just offer two seats. Actually, GM states there is no design link between the production and concept Sky models at all.