Saturn auto news

Report: Automakers tussle over owners of 'orphan' makes

When General Motors put down several of its brands in recent years, it also let loose thousands of brand-loyal customers who will eventually need another car.

R.L. Polk Associates estimates there are more than 18 million cars from 16 discontinued makes on the road today. Those "orphan owners" have sales-hungry competitors seeing dollar signs. GM is offering Saturn owners $1,000 cash toward a Chevy Cruze, Caddillac CTS or a GMC Acadia. Ford is giving its Mercury lease customers a chance to get out of their contracts with no early-termination penalty and offering to waive six remaining payments if they drive off in a Ford or Lincoln.

Edmunds.com research shows the efforts are paying off somewhat for GM, with 39 percent of Pontiac owners, 37 percent of Hummer owners and 31 percent of Saturn owners taking delivery of another GM-branded vehicle. But that leaves as much as 69 percent of owners going elsewhere. Ford, Honda and Toyota seem to be attracting many former GM owners.

As Forbes points out, if you're driving an orphaned nameplate, you just might be able to use that to your advantage when shopping for a new vehicle.

GM appears to repurpose Saturn Outlook parts on new Acadia

General Motors unveiled the company's refreshed GMC Acadia at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show yesterday, and if you were paying attention, you may have noticed something curious about the vehicle. While the new Acadia looks considerably better than its predecessor, a few components of the design looked more than a little familiar. Upon closer observation, it appears that GM has simply repurposed elements of the now defunct Saturn Outlook crossover on the 2013 Acadia. Both vehicles seem to share the same wrap-around rear glass, back hatch, tail light openings and exaggerated, squared-off fender arches.

While the vehicles are differentiated by badging, tail lamps and a rear valance, there's no denying the similarities toward the vehicle's rear. Up front, both share similar fenders, though adjustments have been made for the varying headlight designs.

That's good news if you just can't imagine life without the Saturn Outlook.

GM isn't the only automaker to pull something similar. Parts sharing is a smart way to keep costs as low as possible, and recouping the design and manufacturing costs the automaker poured into the Outlook is a smart way to keep GM's earnings headed in the right direction. For example, Chrysler famously reused Dodge Grand Caravan tail lights in the first-generation Dodge Durango. We just aren't accustomed to seeing this sort of recycling on such a grand scale or after so much time has elapsed.

Video: Car thief lands Saturn on Fresno roof

Residents of a Fresno, California apartment building recently awoke to debris falling from their ceiling after a car thief managed to execute a perfect parking job on the structure's roof. Police say 26-year-old Benjamin Tucker stole the Saturn sedan from a nearby house before striking either a curb or some rocks, vaulting the vehicle into the air and onto the roof. After seeing his predicament, Tucker leapt from the roof and fled the scene. Or at least he tried to. Tucker broke his leg in the fall and only made it around a quarter of a mile from the crash when police picked him up.

No one else was harmed in the stunt.

Tucker had two outstanding warrants for his arrest at the time for a hit-and-run and evading police. A special crane had to be called in to remove the Saturn from the apartment roof and the structure will indeed require repairs. Hit the jump for a news report on the incident.

Continue reading Car thief lands Saturn on Fresno roof

Video: Lutz dishes dirt on GM in latest Autoline Detroit

Autoline Detroit recently played host to Bob Lutz, and, as is always the case, the former General Motors vice chairman dished out some great commentary. Lutz was promoting his new book Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business, and talk quickly turned to his role as it related to product development and high-level decision making at GM. While on the topic of brand management, Lutz revealed a few rather interesting tidbits about his former employer:

• All Chevrolet vehicles were required to have five-spoke aluminum wheels and a chrome band up front, as part of the Bowtie brand's overall image.
• Pontiac was required to utilize "see-through" headrests, despite the fact that they cost more to produce while offering no consumer value.
• All Buicks required a sweep spear in the exterior design language.
• Cadillac considered building a 550-horsepower supercharged Escalade.
• Saturn was working on a seven-passenger Vue.
• Many of the non-car person GM board members preferred to drive imports.
• Proportion and shape didn't matter as long as all the brand-image boxes were checked.

Also, judging solely by the above screenshot, we'll cast a vote for Robert De Niro to play Lutz in the inevitable movie about this period in General Motors' history.

Continue reading Lutz dishes dirt on GM in latest Autoline Detroit

REPORT: GM recalling over 44,000 Saturn Vue crossovers because of sticky door handles?!

Some 44,451 Saturn Vue models from the 2008 model year are being recalled, and yours might be a part of the action if it has body-color door handles. What's the deal? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the handles may stick, preventing the door from properly latching.

NHTSA says an unbelted occupant could tumble out of the vehicle as a result of a door that refuses to latch, though one has to figure that you're sort of asking for it by ignoring the safety gear. In any circumstance, doors that pop open aren't acceptable, so the 44,451 vehicles affected will be give chrome door handles by dealers at no charge to customers. The recall goes into full effect by August 18th, plenty of time to get a can of Nevr-Dull to keep those shiny handles looking their best.

Gallery: 2008 Saturn VUE

Kia reportedly takes a liking to Saturn retailers

Most Kia dealerships are in rural and second-tier urban areas because real estate in markets like New York and Chicago are just too expensive. With the contraction of Ford, GM and Chrysler dealerships in those areas, Kia retailers are finding that now is the time to enter the big time.

In particular, Kia appears to be interested in Saturn dealerships. Kia executives told Automotive News that they like Saturn stores because they're newer, more exclusive, and - more to the point - available. Kia is going after Saturn dealers in three ways: Current Kia dealers are opening up additional locations at former Saturn sites; Saturn dealers are converting their stores to sell Kias; and Kia is asking Saturn store owners to open a separate Kia store close-by, then share a common parts and service center.

One Kia dealer, Billy Fuccillo, has turned a Saturn dealer near Syracuse, NY into a $2.8 million super Kia dealership equipped with such indulgences as granite-lined bathrooms. Fuccillo already owns the top-selling Kia dealership in the US, and he says his new store, in a more prominent location, will fare even better. He plans to sell more than 3,000 vehicles per year and as many as 500 this month. As part of his opening marketing push, Fuccillo will give away five Kias and four Hyundais to one person. He's going to deliver all nine vehicles via car-hauler to the individual's home. That's a bit crazy, but converting Saturn dealerships to Kia stores seems to be anything but.

GM to discontinue mild hybrid Malibu, Vue, Aura for 2010 model year

It's being reported that General Motors has decided to discontinue its existing mild hybrids going into the 2010 model year. The Chevy Malibu, and Saturn Aura and Vue have been available with GM's belt-alternator-starter (BAS) system since 2007, but have never sold in any significant volumes. The system primarily provided automatic start/stop functionality with a little bit of electric boost and regeneration. The system was limited by a weak motor and 36V battery system.

We checked with GM's hybrid spokesman Brian Corbett about the status of the mild hybrids. Corbett told AutoblogGreen that currently there are no plans for retail sales of any of the mild hybrid models.

"There will be some MY2010 production. We will fulfill some MY2010 fleet orders for the Malibu Hybrid. As part of the Memorandum of Understanding between GM and Penske Automotive Group, Saturn plans to offer the Aura, Vue and Outlook models in 2010. Specific details of which versions (i.e. hybrids) has not yet been determined. "

Gallery: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu hybrid

Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading GM to discontinue mild hybrid Malibu, Vue, Aura for 2010 model year

Saturn Vue two-mode dead, Chevrolet Equinox hybrid unlikely to hit until 2011

When word came in the last few days that General Motors had reached a tentative deal to sell the Saturn brand to Roger Penske, the obvious question then became, "What about product?" The Penske deal apparently includes an agreement to continue supplying some current Saturn products on an interim basis until Penske lines up a new supplier and Penske has said that EVs are a priority. One of the most anticipated products that was scheduled to come from Saturn soon was the first front-wheel drive application of the two mode hybrid system in the Vue. GM had completed development of the two-mode Vue in mid-2008 and production was originally scheduled to start in November of last year. However, when GM's finances went from bad to worse, the hybrid launch was delayed first until spring 2009 and then summer.

GM hybrid spokesman Brian Corbett spoke with ABG at the opening of the company's new battery lab and gave us the bad news. The Vue two mode hybrid will never be, despite the Penske deal. While the two mode system will be installed in other as yet un-named vehicles (likely including the Chevrolet Equinox), those models won't appear until at least calender year 2011. The delay is likely due to an engine change. The Vue was to use the 3.6-liter V6, and that engine is not currently used in the new Equinox or the new Cadillac SRX, the other rumored recipient. Most likely, GM is switching over to using the new 3.0-liter direct-injected V6 or perhaps even the new 2.2-liter DI four cylinder.

Gallery: First Drive: Saturn VUE 2 Mode Hybrid

Top 7 Good Cars From "Bad GM"

General Motors makes more than a few world-class automobiles. As true as that statement may be, that alone wasn't enough to stall the automaker's steady decline - fueled as it may have been by the global economic downturn - into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. To expedite GM's return to viability, the Obama Administration plans to split the giant automaker into two parts, a so-called "Good GM" made up of GM's best assets and "Bad GM," which is what we're examining in today's Top Ten list.

In case you're not aware, Bad GM happens to include the entire lines from HUMMER, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn. Instead of dwelling on the oft ignored, underdeveloped and stagnant vehicles in Bad GM's lineup, we're taking a look at the best that Bad GM has to offer. Try as we might to make this into a true Top Ten list, we were only able to come up with seven suitable vehicles to lament - which admittedly does tell us something. Some were obvious, a few not so much. That said, follow along as we pick the Top 7 Good Cars from Bad GM.

REPORT: GM says it has 16 buyers interested in Saturn

General Motors' bankruptcy filing is only a few days old, but the struggling automaker already seems to be pressing ahead full steam. The General has already announced 14 plant closings, 23,000 more job cuts, 1,300 dealer closings, and a buyer for the Hummer brand. Company CFO Ray Young told reporters at a recent conference call that GM has three buyers interested in Saab and an astonishing 16 suitors for the Saturn brand.

Saturn is likely appealing to investors because it has a right-sized, ready-made, stand alone group of dealerships with a stellar record for good customer service. The terms of any Saturn sale will likely include GM supplying vehicles in the short term until the new buyer can attract vehicles from other automakers. GM hasn't yet revealed any potential Saturn buyers, but names ranging from Roger Penske to Malcolm Bricklin have been discussed as candidates.