2002 Saturn SKY Concept - A Halo Car in the Making?
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| Anne Asensio presents the Saturn Sky Concept vehicle at the Montreal Auto Show, Palais Des Congrès, November 21st, 2002. (Photo: General Motors) |
Saturn is a car brand with a great image, comprised of a low key sales experience, an excellent reputation for owner satisfaction and those awesome scratch and dent resistant composite exterior panels. But despite its all-new ION sedan, forthcoming 4-door ION coupe (figure that one out), funky VUE sport utility and slow selling L series, the brand lacks pizzazz. You know, that key element that gets people talking.
What better than a spicy convertible? At least that's what Saturn thought when they dreamed up their latest concept. But unlike the majority of prototype vehicles that come onto the show car circuit to test public reaction, the SKY concept did precisely the opposite.
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| Saturn Chief Designer Dave Smith (R), along with General Motors Chairman Bob Lutz, shows the Saturn Sky concept car to the media 2/5 at Luminaire, a contemporary furniture store, prior to the opening of the Chicago Auto Show. A furniture store was used to show the similarities in modern design. (Photo: Joe Polimeni/General Motors) |
On the subject, Saturn brand character chief designer Dave Smith commented, "It's a response to what young people told us they wanted." He continued, "They said they were looking for open air and room for their friends and their stuff, balanced with a sense of responsibility. We just know this is a concept worth exploring."
But there's more than just room for four and a sizable trunk that makes the SKY accommodating, it's the way it goes about accomplishing the task at hand. It converts from a romantic two-seat roadster to a fun loving four-place convertible via extra seats stored under the rear tonneau cover. Revolutionary? Hardly. Classic drop tops from yesteryear used this configuration religiously. But still, it's refreshing to see it reworked so well in Saturn's new concept.