PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Most concept vehicles are designed to test public reaction. The Saturn Sky concept, an open-air roadster, does just the opposite.
"It's a reaction to what young people told us they wanted," said Dave Smith, Saturn's newly-appointed brand character chief designer. "They said they were looking for open air and room for their friends and their stuff, balanced with a sense of responsibility. It tested so strongly. We just know this is a concept worth exploring."
The Sky started as an idea created by General Motors' (NYSE: GM) Advanced Portfolio Exploration (APEx) team, and was further supported by research conducted by GM's Innovative, Smart Youth Strategies (iSYS) team. That research confirmed that the old assumptions of what young people wanted were definitely outdated. Unlike the generation before it that longed for a two-passenger roadster that looked "cool" but wasn't very practical, this generation of Saturn buyers was looking for something that was fun and functional.
In designing the Sky concept the designers recognized that it not only had to turn heads, it had to get people talking.
"The research placed a great deal of importance on fostering conversation with their friends," Smith said. "So we looked at fresh approach for Saturn that would lend itself to this idea."
The instrumentation is placed in the center of the vehicle where every passenger can see it. The headrests are arches rather than solid designs so that conversation can flow more easily from the front seat passenger to the back seat passengers.