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Saturn Aura Green Line Hybrid to Offer 25% Fuel Economy Improvement Over Non-Hybrid
4 December 2006
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| Aura Green Line Hybrid sedan. Click to enlarge. |
GM formally introduced the Saturn Aura Green Line hybrid at the Los Angeles International Auto Show (earlier post). Based on the same GM Hybrid system as the VUE Green Line Hybrid (earlier post), the Aura Green Line sedan will deliver at least a 25% fuel economy improvement over the non-hybrid Aura XE for a premium of less than $2,500, according to GM.
The non-hybrid 2007 Aura XE, fitted with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine, carries a fuel economy rating of 20 mpg city, 30 mpg highway.
The Aura Green Line’s base price is expected to start below $23,000, and will be available at Saturn retailers in spring 2007.
The GM Hybrid Belt Alternator Starter (BAS) system in the Aura Green Line combines an electric motor/generator with a 2.4L Ecotec VVT four-cylinder engine, Hydra-Matic 4T45 four-speed transmission and Cobasys 36V NiMH battery pack.
The Saturn Aura Green Line is the first of four hybrids GM will introduce in the 2007 calendar year, more than any other manufacturer. Equipped with GM’s 2.4L, four-cylinder Ecotec engine and the GM Hybrid system, the Aura Green Line will deliver spirited performance, as well as a significant improvement in overall fuel economy compared to the current Aura.
—Tom Stephens, group vice president, GM Powertrain
Aura Green Line’s hybrid powertrain is rated at 164 hp (122 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 159 lb-ft (215 Nm) of peak torque at 5,000 rpm. The GM Hybrid system provides start-stop functionality, early fuel shut-off during deceleration, regenerative braking and intelligent battery charging.
The new GM Hybrid system also provides additional power when required during launch from the electric motor/generator. At wide-open throttle, such as during a passing maneuver, the system enhances acceleration by using the motor/generator to bolster the gasoline engine and achieve maximum power.
The GM Hybrid system also is designed to automatically maintain full accessory functionality when the vehicle is stopped, including climate control, so that hybrid operation is transparent to the driver and passengers. The Aura Green Line delivers an appropriate balance between fuel economy and cabin comfort with an air conditioning system with two selectable modes. The Hybrid A/C mode favors more fuel efficient performance by limiting the draw on the hybrid powertrain, while the normal mode provides maximum passenger comfort in hot climates and enhances defogging performance.
The Aura Green Line hybrid sedan is based on the all-new Aura midsize sedan. The Aura Green Line is one of 12 hybrid models GM has announced, providing customers with several levels of fuel economy savings across different brands at different price points on vehicles ranging from cars to full-size SUVs.
December 4, 2006 in Hybrids | Permalink | Comments (53) | TrackBack (0)
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The Hollow Hybrid. It's a start/stop feature, not a full Hybrid.
Posted by: Andy | Dec 4, 2006 6:18:28 AM
I don't follow. I says it has a pack, regen braking, and an electric motor. What's hollow about it?
Posted by: yesplease | Dec 4, 2006 6:28:00 AM
It is as much a hybrid as Honda's are. as it provides partial assist and regen, not just stop/start.
However the title is a little disenginous, as the 25% compares a v6 to a hybrid 4cyl... perhaps it should be changed to "4cyl hybrid to get 25% better than v6..." or simular?
Anyway, it is exciting to see GM bringing these technologies to market, the more companies offer hybrids the more mainstream they will become.
Posted by: Ash | Dec 4, 2006 6:32:46 AM
The mild hybrid features are ones that can benefit from mass production and be applied to a wider number of models. This would in turn raise overall cafe.
More sophisticated{expensive}systems are being employed in suv's.This exploits early adopter tactics that have worked in electronics and computer world.I am encouraged that this is beginning to resemble a bottom up ,top down plan.Any plan is better than the aimless meanderings of late.
Posted by: earl | Dec 4, 2006 6:44:55 AM
This is the best GM can do when the management ignores the realities of the market. They wait until it is too late, then rush the engineers to get something..anything out.
Posted by: SJC | Dec 4, 2006 6:52:48 AM
As an investor in the battery manufacturer I'll take all the sales GM can generate and Royalties Toyota will pay on the Camry.
Posted by: Richard | Dec 4, 2006 7:08:10 AM
Yesplease, it is an improvement over not having any assist. My point was that an oversized alternater/motor and battery are not a full hybrid. I remember this technology being talked about 5-10 years ago. It's really a stop/start mechanism. The assist they speak of is small. Not running the engine in NYC traffic jams is good. But the Prius/Escape is a much better system. The advantade here is the lower cost and scalability to other platforms. This is a MILD hybrid, more of a stop/start idle reduction.
Posted by: Andy | Dec 4, 2006 7:11:33 AM
Better to spend some cash developing a halfhearted hybrid than spend it paying lawyers to fight clean air mandates. Unlike Toyota 's hybrids, this unit can't even creep along in electric only mode. That quiet electric running offered by Toyota hybrids gets people's attention and probably adds a great deal to their mystique. It's not clear to me if adding battery capacity and external charging to this vehicle would be feasible or improve mileage numbers. But the View is no different from any of the current hybrids, in that it derives 100% of its power from gasoline and makes no accommodations for any other energy input.
Only GM could come up with something like "green line". It makes one wonder what their other lines are called, Gray line ? Brown line?. It also sounds temporary. It's just damned hard to pat GM on the back for this vehicle. But it is better than a poke in the eye.
Posted by: Lee Dekker | Dec 4, 2006 8:07:08 AM
Dilutes 'The hybrid advantage' in the public eye. Combined with the new CAFE measurement regime the public will see vehicles for sale with the label 'hybrid' and a much smaller MPG advantage on the window sticker.
Posted by: Ron Fischer | Dec 4, 2006 9:16:29 AM
Andy, it's much more than stop/start.
Just because if falls short of the Prius doesn't make it garbage as a hybrid. Every hybrid now sold falls short of the prius.
It does have asstist in propulsion and does have regen on braking the tow major components of hybridizing.
Posted by: richard | Dec 4, 2006 9:28:18 AM
Any hybrid is better than none. And, 25% improvement is not all that bad - about what the Toyota SUV hybrids get and they are true hybrids. What is even more encouraging is GM's newly announced commitment to electic drives in cars - probably an all-electric in the future - as indicated by the recent speech of their CEO at the Auto Show. Fuel cell, hybrid and all-electric cars would be a big step forward.
Posted by: Peter B | Dec 4, 2006 9:35:28 AM
Redline is their other "line". It is more performance oriented.
I hope it sells well and GM slowly puts idle-stop with mild assist on their entire lineup of vehicles.
Posted by: Patrick | Dec 4, 2006 9:56:53 AM
Calculating price premiums and fuel economy boosts by comparing a 4 cylinder mild hybrid to a 6 cylinder non-hybrid?
Typical GM -- doing the accounting magic dance to hide how expensive and crappy their technology is.
I wonder sometimes if they don't make these things just to say, "See? It doesn't work."
Posted by: nan | Dec 4, 2006 10:05:48 AM
nan:
You called it correctly. GM is trying to fool buyers with this reduced hybrid technology and misleading fuel economy.
Wonder how many customers will fall for it. Remember what Winston Churchill said...
Toyota's hybrids are years ahead and getting better. The Prius III technology is what most people, who want better mpg, will want.
Posted by: Harvey D. | Dec 4, 2006 11:25:26 AM
I think you guys are being overly harsh (and I'm a Toyota fan). Isn't the non-hybrid Aura available only in V-6??? If there isn't a regular 4 cyl. version, why get all bent out of shape over this hybrid?? A theorerical regular 4 cyl non-hybrid version would get maybe 10% better MPG than the 6 cyl version, so a 25% improvement is not bad.
And I'm assuming that the performance of the hybrid vs. non-hybrid will be comparable. So the end result is a car that has as good performance as the 6 cyl version, but get's 25% better MPG. And a good price point, so alot of people are likely to go hybrid. Not perfect, but it's a start. Plus it's better than not having any hybrid version available at all.
Posted by: db | Dec 4, 2006 11:55:23 AM
What does "early fuel shut-off during deceleration" mean? Don't all modern FI systems shut off fuel on coasting and deceleration?
Also, why the hate? This is an acknowledgment that maybe, just maybe, GM will have to get off its SUV habit. It's not state of the art, they need to bring in the Astra, it should be a 2.5 turbo instead of a 3.5 NA, etc etc, but it's better than same-old, same-old. It's good news. I hope it succeeds.
Posted by: dt | Dec 4, 2006 11:59:18 AM
And I'm assuming that the performance of the hybrid vs. non-hybrid will be comparable.
They're not.
per the post:
"Aura Green Line’s hybrid powertrain is rated at 164 hp (122 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 159 lb-ft (215 Nm) of peak torque at 5,000 rpm."
The non-hybrid base Aura has 224 hp and 220 ft-lbs of torque.
Posted by: nan | Dec 4, 2006 12:02:56 PM
I can really see the anti-GM Bias here:
Remember a Prius is basically a Corolla and the MPG improvement is around 25% in real world drive.
Posted by: Mike Z | Dec 4, 2006 12:03:04 PM
Also, why the hate?
Why is any legitimate criticism of a General Motors product, based on hard numbers, labeled as "hate"? You have it backwards. People get disappointed with General Motors because of what the hard numbers tell them.
Posted by: nan | Dec 4, 2006 12:04:23 PM
I can really see the anti-GM Bias here
Heh - right on cue.
Remember a Prius is basically a Corolla and the MPG improvement is around 25% in real world drive.
A Prius isn't a hybrid Corolla. That's such a red herring.
Posted by: nan | Dec 4, 2006 12:05:35 PM
Really: "With the Prius, says electrical engineer Michael Cutajar, "Toyota took a Corolla and added huge amounts of cost and complexity. They don't make any money on it.""
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.02/teardown.html
Posted by: mike z | Dec 4, 2006 12:10:46 PM
But while we're at it, Mike Z - let's run the numbers.
Corolla - 33 mpg (EPA), 27.2 mpg (user reported)
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2001cartablef.jsp?id=23548
Prius - 55 mpg (EPA), 46.9 (user reported)
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/compx2005f.jsp?year=2007&make=Toyota&model=Prius&hiddenField=Findacar
So, the Prius gets 67% mileage per EPA numbers and 72% better mileage per user-reported numbers.
By comparison, the 2.4L Ecotec in a comparable vehicle to the Aura gets 27 mpg.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2001cartablef.jsp?id=22763
The non-hybrid Aura is rated at 24 mpg. A 25% improvement over that is 30 mpg. So, this new Aura will improve fuel economy by 11%.
Thanks for your help.
Posted by: nan | Dec 4, 2006 12:14:35 PM
Really: "With the Prius, says electrical engineer Michael Cutajar, "Toyota took a Corolla and added huge amounts of cost and complexity. They don't make any money on it.""
And the following sentence says "Toyota scoffs at the idea. "We're making money on the Prius."
Thanks again.
Posted by: nan | Dec 4, 2006 12:17:36 PM
The "Green Line" Lineup of vehicles are basically high end micro-hybrids. If you consider them mild-hybrids, they would be marginal at best. Honda's IMA is a better mild-hybrid system. The start-stop capability would help in city driving (esp gridlock), and the systems/accessories running off of electric motors also helps overall fuel economy.
_The full shift from mechanical to electric drive, of accessories and pumps(AC to coolant to superchargers), would provide another 2-5% bump up to fuel economy.
Posted by: allen_Z | Dec 4, 2006 12:27:30 PM
2007-2011 is the timeframe for the rollout of many Green Line, 2-mode HEV, 2-mode PHEV, and Tier2Bin5 diesel vehicles from GM and DiamlerChrysler.
Posted by: allen_Z | Dec 4, 2006 12:35:50 PM
Who is driving a Corolla and only getting 27.2 mpg? My Wife's 07 gets 33-36 mpg in everyday driving.
Dan
Posted by: DCE | Dec 4, 2006 12:36:16 PM
nan,
those are the numbers you get when you use 2001 stats.
Dan is right, a new corolla easily gets 35+ and is rated at 40 highway. Splitting the difference here and using your 46.9 number, you indeed get a 25% improvement.
Posted by: Kevin | Dec 4, 2006 1:17:44 PM
Something (some hybrid) is better than nothing (non-hybrid).
Remember GM used to love the Big SUV's with V8 engines. Now they are selling hybrids with V4 engines. Thats a big improvement for this company.
But they should publish how many Saturn Vue-Hybrids they sold so far.
Posted by: Max Reid | Dec 4, 2006 1:20:31 PM
Who is driving a Corolla and only getting 27.2 mpg? My Wife's 07 gets 33-36 mpg in everyday driving.
That's why we use EPA numbers, since then it washes out individual variation.
those are the numbers you get when you use 2001 stats.
Those are all for MY2007 vehicles. Why don't you pay attention?
Dan is right, a new corolla easily gets 35+ and is rated at 40 highway. Splitting the difference here and using your 46.9 number, you indeed get a 25% improvement.
Right - just make up any numbers you want and you'll eventually reinforce your weak argument.
Posted by: nan | Dec 4, 2006 1:28:11 PM
Consumer guide actual numbers:
Prius - 45.2
Corolla - 28.5
That's 59% better.
http://auto.consumerguide.com/articles/index.cfm/act/featuredarticles/article/FA_CG_FUEL_CHAMPS.html
So far we have 59-72% better mileage with a bigger vehicle with more bells and whistles. That compared to a depowered vehicle with a higher price premium and an 11% fuel economy improvement.
Posted by: nan | Dec 4, 2006 1:33:18 PM
How about this comparison:
Aura GL: 28 city, 35 hwy (per GM website estimate)
Camry H: 40 city, 38 hwy (per EPA)
Camry H: 28 city, 41 hwy (per Consumer Reports testing)
Camry Hybrid has more power. Comparing Aura real-world MPG results should be interesting, when available, since these are similar-sized cars.
Posted by: Nick | Dec 4, 2006 2:41:46 PM
nan:
Tks for setting the records straight.
The Toyota Prius II hybrid technology seems to have 5+ times the efficiency 'boost' (based on % fuel consumption reduction, i.e: 55+% vs 11%) than the GM Green Line limited-restricted hybrid edition.
The Prius III will have an efficiency 'boost' effet of 7 to 10 times the GM Green Line minute hybrid effort.
It is doubtful that GM can catch up much before 2020. Making up for a 10-year lag may be too much for GM's current organisation and financial position.
GM may regain some of the lost market share by being the first major manufacturer to come out with a mass produced, practical, reliable PHEV, not with another mild-limited hybrid.
Posted by: Harvey D. | Dec 4, 2006 2:55:55 PM
Don't get me wrong. I love the Prius and the THS, IMO, is the best hybrid system out there. I TRIED to get my Wife into a Prius, but she veto'ed the idea. She thought the car was just too "weird". I just don't understand the MPG figures (27.2-28.5) for the Corolla. There must be alot of people out there that drive vehicles harder than I do!
Dan
Posted by: DCE | Dec 4, 2006 3:16:24 PM
Gents -
the Aura is similar in size to a Camry, not a Prius (which is in fact a stand-alone design, not a variant of the Corolla).
Note that GM is working on full hybrids as well but at the economy end of the market they figured a mild one delivers 80% of the benefit for <<50% of the incremental cost. One concept does not fit all. A some point in the next decade, mild hybrid technology will be commoditized, at which point even an 11% improvements actually makes a huge dent in the aggregate CO2 balance. More to the point, many more car buyers end up doing their part.
Btw, the Aura is based on Opel's Epsilon frame from the Vectra. The Ecotec engine is from Opel as well. It's the second example of GM's new corporate strategy of letting GM Europe take the lead in midsized-car for all global markets (the first was the Saturn Sky/Opel GT). The rather homely Saturn Vue will be replaced by a rebadged version of the new Opel Antara before long. Conversely, I've heard unconfirmed reports that Opel intends to bring BAS hybrid technology to the European market.
Perhaps it's unwise to keep bashing GM at Toyota's expense forever. They've worked hard to turn their ship around in the past 18-24 months, but it takes time for such corporate reorgs to bear fruit. As a consumer, you want competition between carmakers because it keeps prices low.
Posted by: Rafael Seidl | Dec 4, 2006 4:14:09 PM
I thought I saw on the Saturn site:
20/30 for the 4 cylinder
20/28 for the 6 cylinder
That could be due to the weight of the
Aura..almost 3600 pound curb weight.
So if they can get 24 mpg around town for an extra $2500, that might not be too bad.
Posted by: SJC | Dec 4, 2006 4:37:32 PM
where can I get information on the Prius III??
Posted by: TheGiant | Dec 4, 2006 5:43:53 PM
I'd explain once again the many reasons why GM's start/stop feature shouldn't be classified as 'hybrid', and how these psuedo-hybrids are as much a ruse as GM's hydrogen fuel cell lemons, but I suspect some here must be working for GM and thus obligated to ignore the truth. GM should have its corporate charter revoked for crimes against humanity.
Posted by: Wells | Dec 4, 2006 6:13:35 PM
That is a very charitable view Wells..we will take it up with the FTC :)
Posted by: SJC | Dec 4, 2006 8:28:13 PM
Has anybody heard of the new French car engine fueled on compressed air (bottled tanks of air) that can top out at 55 mph coming out next year? (VERY economical to run)
Posted by: Linda Nacamulli | Dec 4, 2006 9:14:56 PM
Has anybody heard of the new French car engine fueled on compressed air (bottled tanks of air) that can top out at 55 mph coming out next year? (VERY economical to run)
Yes. It has a range of about 4 kilometers and will never, ever see the light of day.
Posted by: pomoG | Dec 4, 2006 9:49:00 PM
''Remember GM used to love the Big SUV's with V8 engines. Now they are selling hybrids with V4 engines. Thats a big improvement for this company.''
Max Ried.
GM have never had a V4. Posting stuff like this just makes you sound stupid.
Posted by: James | Dec 5, 2006 3:55:50 AM
How on earth can a belt-alternator starter system add $2,500 to the price of the car? What's the belt made of, antique silk?
This is ridiculous, we have stop-start systems here in Europe (in Citroens etc) and they have nothing like that price premium. Sheer GM BS.
By the way, in Europe our version of the Aura (Vectra) gets 40 mpg (US) on the combined cycle with a CDTi diesel engine.
Posted by: clett | Dec 5, 2006 4:01:05 AM
GM have never had a V4. Posting stuff like this just makes you sound stupid.
And saying something like that makes you sound overly pedantic.
Posted by: linus | Dec 5, 2006 7:15:12 AM
nan - Thanks for your clarifications.
Using their numbers...
25% improvement for Green Line Hybrid:
25 mpg city, 37.5 mpg hwy
When Prius gets 45 mpg and next model is targeting close to 100 mpg with reduced cost? Rick Wagoner should think about sales of Ford Hybrid SUV with only margin mpg improvement. Why would anyone want to pay more for marginal improvement? Especially when they can purchase a car with even higher mpg, save more on gas costs, and get protection from future price spikes.
GM bashing? No, just reality. Mr. Wagoner needs to grow a few brain cells and earn his 6 or 7 figure salary. "The masses" in India & China will be driving EVs for half this price. A little slow now, but fast as hell in the near future with new battery tech. Why isn't GM aiming at this? We could do this with robotic manufacturing. Grow or die!
USA needs a PHEV.
Tesla Motors sold the first 100 of their $100,000 all-electric Roadster in 3 weeks, 250-mile range, 135 mph, 0-60 in 4 seconds. They are targeting an all-electric sedan for $50,000 Add a small generator and you have one fine PHEV with plenty of driving range. GM could be doing this.
Posted by: mds | Dec 5, 2006 7:24:08 AM
I looked at a Saturn VUE yesterday and was a little shocked at its size and weight - '08 VUE:
lb kg
L4 FWD = 3825 / 1735
V6 FWD 4076 / 1849
V6 AWD 4325 / 1962
A lot of weight to push around with the announced two mode PHEV in '09 VUE. I think a lighter weight vehicle stands a better chance for early PHEV success (e.g.SKY at half the Tesla cost.) But GM deserves praise for heading in the right direction.
The current GM "belt alternator hybrid" offerings show that management has heard the call and is repositioning a very large ship. The real challenge is to see if they can combine full electric PHEV technology with their Ecotec engines at mass market pricing.
Indeed, each "mild" hybrid system on the road reduces cumulative CO2, a major GCC target. We ought to keep pressure on GM to innovate further - utilizing the vast resources at their disposal for a "killer" green car... that plugs in.
Posted by: gr | Dec 5, 2006 8:19:34 AM
''And saying something like that makes you sound overly pedantic.''
Not really Linus, it's not too much to ask that people have a little bit of knowledge about cars and engines if they are going to be posting opinions on a website like this. :)
Posted by: James | Dec 5, 2006 9:59:41 AM
it's not too much to ask that people have a little bit of knowledge about cars and engines if they are going to be posting opinions on a website like this
At worst, the person made a minor error in nomenclature. He was simply using shorthand for the general engine size in cylinder numbers, as contrasted with other engines.
Compared to the numerous egregiously false statements uttered here on a daily basis, it's not even worth paying attention to.
Posted by: linus | Dec 5, 2006 11:03:39 AM
Wow, it's kind of amazing reading some of the discussion/pedantic arguing/bs that goes on on these threads. Looking at it from a lot of sides, you almost have to agree with most of it. Does GM's PR machine spew crap? Yes. Are they putting out some form of a hybrid/more fuel efficient vehicle? Yes. Is it the best one? Arguably, not even close. If we look at it and move foward though, let's take it in steps. Should GM get credit for at least taking a step in the right direction. Yes, I think they should. Okay, pat on the back. Do we keep pressure on them and say that they can do better? Definitely. It's great to talk numbers, but they don't mean anything until we start to see some real world results from these vehicles. At that point, then we stand on GM's head and ask what the H@ll they are doing putting this out compared to what is available already. So, I don't "hate" GM, but I'll certainly take them to task for the lack of response to their competitors.
Posted by: Russell | Dec 5, 2006 2:29:58 PM
Should GM get credit for at least taking a step in the right direction.
Over $6,000 for an extra 3 mpg? No, that's a step in the wrong direction. It's shameful that they try to mislead people with the "25% better fuel mileage and only $2,500 more", when in reality they are comparing a 6 cylinder conventional vehicle to a 4 cylinder "hybrid".
If Saturn offered a 4 cylinder on the Aura, it would come in at around $17,000 and get 27 mpg. Now they offer this "Green Line" version for $23,000 and it gets 30 mpg?
Base Camry 4 cylinder CE runs about $19,300 and the Camry Hybrid goes for $26,200. That's a difference of about $7,000. But the mileage bumps from 27 mpg all the way to 39 mpg. And there's a lot more creature comforts in the hybrid compared to the base non-hybrid, whereas it's unclear what the situation is for the Aura.
Another difference is that the Camry Hybrid has considerably more power than the non-hybrid, whereas the Aura is actually less powerful than a non-hybrid version of the same engine (eg, in the Pontiac G6 with the 2.4).
I'd really like someone at GM to explain how this minor upgrade on the Aura is worth $6,000, and why they chose to be deceptive in their marketing claims.
Posted by: nan | Dec 5, 2006 3:19:55 PM
Sorry to see this thread has died out -- it was interesting to read. My interest is that I'm going to be getting a new card this year, and the two leading candidates are the Aura hybrid and the Camry hybrid.
Going into the search, my pre-opinion is that the Camry is more expensive and not as nice -- they're going to charge me for the privilege of buying a Toyota. But this discussion shows me that they're more "hybrid" than GM. I'll have to ask them how long the battery is rated to last and how much replacement batteries are.
The other advantage Saturn has going for it for me is remarkably good dealers and service. The only time I've ever been in a Toyota dealership was ten years ago before I bought this car, and they pretty much rudely brushed me off because I wasn't planning to buy a model loaded with options I didn't need.
To me, it's a good thing to have even a partial hybrid at a lower price so more people can choose it.
Posted by: chuckbo | Mar 3, 2007 2:19:11 PM
It is too bad the GM bashers can't get excited about a reasonably-priced American car that gets 28/35mpg. And frankly, if you haven't driven one, compare it to a Camry. You might be surprised.
Posted by: Jake | Apr 26, 2007 3:08:20 PM
It is good idea to hybrid the aura. But I think the hp could be a little higher. Also the E85 is great idea.
Yet the car needs to get better gas mileage. Burn the fuel more efficient.
Posted by: Anthony | Oct 9, 2007 7:46:03 AM
I worked on electrical system schematics for the 2007 PHT (Parallel Hybrid Truck) pickup at GM. I thought of it as pretend hybrid and this looks very much the same. By contrast, I drive a 2005 Volvo V70 wagon, EPA rated 20/30 mpg. On a recent trip to Denver from my home near Phoenix, I measured 31.5 mpg for the 1700+ miles. That from a turbo 5 cylinder 2.5L engine cranking out more power and torque than the Saturn, with max torque starting at only 1500 RPM. The only real advantage the Saturn offers is about $15000 lower price. But it also does not provide the 70 cubic feet of cargo space that is in the Volvo wagon. I made good use of that when I moved here from Michigan.
It was my observation when I worked at GM for 10 years that too little, too late is the name of their game. Then they try to hide it under an advertising blitz pretending to offer something they don't really have. That is usually followed by hype for exciting things that "will be out a few years from now," but almost never are. The place always reminded me of Dilbert.
Posted by: Stuart | Jul 19, 2008 8:21:58 AM
