Saturn Vue
The SUV produced by General Motors, called Saturn Vue was the best-sold Saturn car until the summer of 2008 when the launch of the Aura model led to a sales drop. Saturn Vue is a pioneer in the car making industry as the first vehicle to be equipped with a GM Theta platform. Several Saturn Vue generations are presently available on the market, and people buy them either directly from dealers or through auctions and classifieds as second-hand cars. In terms of design, there are some common features between Saturn Vue and Opel Antara, Pontiac Torrent and Chevrolet Equinox, and the one-body unitary platform is just one such element.
Since the launch of Saturn Vue in 2002, models passed from 4-cylinder to 6-cylinder design which brought a significant superiority in terms of horsepower, which now reached 186kW. The 4-cylinder Saturn Vue vehicles were manufactured until 2005 when General Motors decided to focus on producing more powerful cars exclusively. Another modification occurred in 2006 when Saturn Vue received a face-lift and considerable upgrades in the interior design concept. Thus, besides the cosmetic trifles that were also added, the quality of the materials was significantly improved. From then on, automatic headlights and cruise control became standard in Saturn Vue models.
Additionally, General Motors decided to produce Saturn Vue cars in two other special lines: the red line and the green line. The former is designed for high performance with improved horsepower and includes sportier features; moreover, the black leather seats, the high-quality visual updates, the ground effect front bumpers and the special audio system make this Saturn Vue vehicle fall in the luxury category. It goes without saying that the fuel consume is higher than with the regular Saturn SUV, and so is the price of the vehicle.
As for the Saturn Vue green line, this is the environment-oriented design that is actually a hybrid model relying of a combination between an internal combustion engine and an electrical motor. The electrical motor is in charge of the stops and restarts of the car; it brings the great advantage of quieter driving and reduced fuel consume. So far, a 20% saving has been measured on the average, but on the long run the initial investment is worth appreciating. The only disadvantage with the Saturn Vue hybrid model is the high price as compared to regular vehicles. Even if in time one gets repaid by the low fuel consume, the financial difficulty of the purchase remains a reality for the average buyer.