Affordability is the main feature of the vehicles in the Saturn car family produced by General Motors; the Saturn collection includes family cars, SUVs, regular vehicles and minivans. The reduction in fuel consume combined with the good price represent essential elements that count on the Saturn car market. This production tendency was adopted by General Motors as a strategic move to gain market preminence over the toughest competitors: Japanese automotive manufacturers. Thus, General Motors came to sell low-priced Saturn car models in the early 1990s; then, this new division got the public attention by the very customer friendly services.
The S Series are the Saturn car models to first impose themselves on the market in their complete array of coupes, sedans and wagons. They distinguished themselves even within the wide General Motors range of products by the use of new special platforms and a design meant to resist to denting through improved durability systems. One single plant in Tennessee is in charge of the whole Saturn car production. Back in the 90s these cars made the best fuel savings of the moment with a forty miles per gallon consume in the case of manual transmissions. Then, depending on the model, a Saturn car brought somewhere between 85 and 124 horsepower.
The beginning of the century didn't bring much novelty in the Saturn car design; the interior was given more attention in terms of good looks, but the Saturn brand seems a bit neglected by the mother company. With lower sales attracting the leaders' attention, General Motors eventually decided to move in the direction of launching a new Saturn car division: the L Series. The concept relied on the use of the sedan to revive interest in the brand: thus the Vue and the Ion followed together with a green line application in the form of a hybrid car this time.
If compared to the first Saturn car models, present-day Saturn vehicles have changed and improved a lot. Instead of the plastic panels used for the first models, steel is now used for safety purposes, not to mention that it is more convenient. Moreover, any modern Saturn car is likely to bear the the similarity with the European GM models like the Opel. Some car owners have complained about the loss of the identity and the stylish polishing of European cars, but generally speaking, one cannot forget or neglect the serious standard level increase made not only in design but in quality and refinement too.
