GM Announces Pricing for Aura Green Line Hybrid
19 March 2007
The new Saturn 2007 Aura Green Line hybrid’s MSRP will start at $22,695 (including destination charge).
Based on the all-new Aura midsize sedan, the Aura Green Line hybrid uses the GM Belt Alternator Starter (BAS) mild hybrid system. The Aura Green Line’s EPA fuel economy rating of 28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway represents up to a 30% improvement in EPA combined fuel economy compared to the non-hybrid Aura XE model (depending on driving conditions).
The Internal Revenue Service has certified that Aura Green Line buyers will qualify for a tax credit of $1,300.
The suggested pricing of the Aura Green Line makes it the lowest-priced hybrid sedan on the market. While the Toyota Prius has an MSRP of $22,175 and the Honda Civic Hybrid an MSRP of $22,600, neither includes the desintination and handling charge. For the Prius, that’s $620, for the Civic, $595.
The Prius has an EPA fuel economy rating of 60 mpg city, 51 mpg highway. The Civic Hybrid has an EPA fuel economy rating of 49 mpg city, 51 mpg highway.
If you only cared about ROI and not about aesthetics, comfort, American company, etc... the Aura is a lousy deal when compared to the Prius or Civic.
Sure, it's a few hundred less than the other guys -- let's call it $500. At a 15-20 mpg reduction in fuel efficiency, you'll burn through that $500 in your first 10,000 - 12,000 miles.
But, GM's making an effort. Good for them. Hopefully, they'll figure out how to squeeze a few more mpg for fewer dollars in cost, and make this guy more competitive.
Posted by: stomv | 19 March 2007 at 10:52 AM
Apples to Apples - The Saturn is a mid size sedan, so make your comparisons to a Camry not the prius or civic hybrid.
Posted by: kevin | 19 March 2007 at 11:40 AM
28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg from a 2.4L I4!! Big deal!
GM needs a 36V battery to achieve this performance??
I think they throw in the 36V battery just so they can claim "Hybrid".
Posted by: DS | 19 March 2007 at 12:49 PM
It is to early to dis the the new model. For one the milage is based on the New Milage Standards which are more stringent. The milage stated for the toyota and honda are based on pre 07 standard. I do not know about the honda but most prius driver do not get anywhere near the stated milage. Most drivers get 40 to 45 miles per gallon.
Posted by: louneson | 19 March 2007 at 03:21 PM
35mpg highway for a mid-sized car and less than $23k? Let's see an apples-to-apples comparo:
Camry Hybrid: 40/38, base price $26,200
Accord Hybrid: 28/35, base $31,090
Camry beats on MPG, but it's about $3k more. The Accord is about even in terms of MPG, but the price is just sky high. This is still impressive for a mild hybrid. I'd love to see these systems expand across the entire line of cars on all makes.
Posted by: Cervus | 19 March 2007 at 06:53 PM
uh, sorry, the prius is a mid-size sedan. go to http://fueleconomy.gov/feg/2005byEPAclassf.jsp, choose Midsize Cars, and note that the prius will be at the top of this list.
nice try though.
Posted by: lensovet | 19 March 2007 at 11:30 PM
Huh. I thought it was a borderline compact. Oh well.
Posted by: Cervus | 19 March 2007 at 11:59 PM
Prius mileage figures are unrealistic. 60mpg maybe in springtime in city, but here in the cold Northeast in winter, they only get 30-35mpg. Heck, my '02 Camaro Z28 'musclecar' in 6th gear at 75mph gets 29mpg any time of year! Maybe I should put an extra battery in and call it a hybrid if it's all about mileage here. If you want truly exceptional mileage, wait for the PHEVs on the horizon. These will change consumer perceptions in a big way.
Posted by: Sky King | 20 March 2007 at 05:04 AM
Cervus-
I believe the Camry hybrid EPA totals use the old EPA mileage calculation formula. I'm not certain, but I think the Aura may be using the updated EPA estimates.
Posted by: Green Destiny | 20 March 2007 at 08:42 AM
GD:
I took the mileage figures for both cart directly off the company web sites. As far as I know they're 2007 numbers.
Posted by: Cervus | 20 March 2007 at 08:55 AM
Let’s not forget that the Saturn Aura Green Line is the pre-cursor to the Saturn Vue PHEV-10. The Volt (PHEV-40) will then follow the Vue {PHEV-10).
The first Prius introduced in Japan in 1998 was not much to brag about compared to our standards today. But, the 2nd (Prius Classic), and 3rd generation Prius are the model by which everything else is compared.
So, GM is having to make up for lost years, and they’re doing it the same way Toyota did it. It’s just that their generation times must be greatly compressed!
Posted by: George K | 20 March 2007 at 02:44 PM
here in italy the people I know who run Prius get 54 -58 mpg , (US gallons ) in normal driving , I do not think you can compare the GM product to the Toyota,
the prius is an integrated system , not a tin can with a few add- ons!
and while we are talking petrol consumption , my first car that I bought in 1978
was a 2litre 1968 triumph Vitesse six cylinder, on a good run ! could average
32-35 mpg at motorway speeds, and this car had engine that was initally
designed for use in a third world tractor !
Posted by: andrichrose | 20 March 2007 at 04:47 PM
Sky King, i have no idea what you're talking about. getting mileage in the 30's means you're doing something really really wrong. my dad, who drove in new jersey in freezing temperatures, regularly got over 50 mpg on his trips to work, as well as other suburban driving. this included highway driving. if you're getting just 35 mpg on a prius, you are really messing something up, or need to have your car looked at.
Posted by: lensovet | 20 March 2007 at 07:45 PM
Good for GM in bringing this vehicle to market. The Prius and Civic Hybrid according to other posters numbers above appear to get 10-15 mpg better, (ball park). And the Camry and Accord Hybrids are 10 mpg - dead even with the Aura. The Aura just judging from eyeballing, is probably a little larger than the Prius/Civic duo and a bit smaller than the Camry/Accord duo. So its essentially a 'tweener. I feel that GM could have a good thing going here if they can make these hybrids durable and of high quality. This kind of Hybrid could be an excellent stepping stone to a Hybrid option for every vehicle, just as you can choose a V-6 or a V-8. Also, the Aura is mildly more expensive than its non-hybrid counterpart, a great encouragement for people who are "testing the waters" for hybrids, but are reluctant to buy full hybrids like the Prius.
I also would like to see far better gas mileage, but I see this Aura as good news in the meantime.
Posted by: Schmeltz | 21 March 2007 at 05:23 AM
OK, as someone who actually sat in the darn thing at the Detroit auto show, let me opine. It's really a beautiful car, very stylish -- and to me (I drive a 2000 Sonata) it's really BIG, a bit bigger than the G6 Pontiac or a similar to a small Buick. You cannot, by a long shot, compare it to a smaller, lighter weight, tinny Prius or the Civic hybrid, and/or their impressive mileage levels. It even seemed bigger than the Camry. It is quite comfortable inside and the finishes are very, very nice. The front seats are thickly padded and the back seat is large enough for three. (The front seats in the Prius are much less substantial.) The best thing, I think, is that the split back seats can still fold down, opening a full pass through to the trunk, despite the battery pack. The Civic can't do this. I actually want to buy this car. It is very true that the hybrid system is lower tech than Toyota's or Honda's and can't propel the car on electric alone (although I think it will let it creep and also decelerate electrically). But the price is so much lower that the gas saved by the other models would only be reached after years and years of heavy driving. Well in eight years I would want a new damn car anyway! Plus, the Greenline option also includes Stabilitrak Stability Control, and some other features not included on the base model. I'd pay the extra grand just for those features alone. So GM really may be the smartest ones here -- they created a basic hybrid for the masses. Their basic BAS syetem may end up saving more gas than all the Priuses and Civics combined if enough BAS-models are sold. Was the Model-T the best car in the world? Hell no, but people bought a LOT more of them than any other! Can GM be faulted for things? Yes. I think they should have maybe done more things to cut weight (although they did swap the spare tire with a pump/sealant to save a few pounds), and possibly should have shielded the underbody to cut drag. Maybe that would have increased mileage a tad. Maybe stripped down the interior finishes a bit? I don't know. Regardless it seems like a great car, despite not beating the Prius' mileage. And at least, finally, it's American.
Posted by: Paul | 21 March 2007 at 07:52 PM
Paul:
Thanks for the informative write-up on the Aura. Do you work for a Car magazine? That was like something out of Motor Trend. You ought to arrange for a test drive of this car and do a more in depth write up. I'm being serious by the way. Just food for thought.
Posted by: Schmeltz | 22 March 2007 at 05:17 AM
Actually no -- but I wish I did! That would be an awesome job actually! (I'm a lawyer... decidedly less exciting.) Strange that Saturn still doesn't have anything about the car on their site as a current model. The local dealer said he is getting one delivered as a demo or something in about 3 weeks. He said most dealers are being sent one by Saturn.
Posted by: Paul | 22 March 2007 at 10:01 AM