The 2005 Relay minivan will be the first Saturn vehicle marketed without plastic fenders and door panels. That will save the automaker money, and it will solve a perceived quality problem.

Now all they have to do is improve the chassis, styling, engine, component reliability and reputation and they got a winner.

 

reason is that plastic is more expensive to make into panels than just stamped steel...we all know its b/c saturn is being pulled back into the gm stable and all its cars will become shared...saturn didn't get the job done and now olds is gone saturn joins the rank and file of cookie cutter branded cars

 

So now every Saturn I see in the next 10 years is going to be a dented POS and not just a POS? Oh GM, save me.

 

The rest of the Saturn line-up is expected to keep the plastic panels. I agree with Jaje, if Saturn is returning to the GM fold and just getting face-lifted derivatives, then there's really no point in keeping them around. I predict that Saturn will be gone in 10-15 years unless they get innovative models (which they haven't been getting).

 

the new ion has the corp ecotec engine and shares the chassis with the upcoming cobalt (cavalier) and sunfire, gran am etc.

the new minivan they have is a rebadged one

gm will sell a small suv with its other divisions based off the vue

the new l series will be shared with its other midsize cars

only the minivan and vue were to keep plastic body panels and the cars won't

 

The VUE Redline sounds like something to get, I think its time for me to sell my CR-V. The plastic door panels are plus.:thumbup:

Saturn needs a new full-size car that looks better than the current L-series....ugh, I can't look at that car with out saying ugly!:ugh:

Now, I just need to find a car that I can trade my TSX in for. G35x is coming out soon, but I want an American performance car, but not many choices and not enough money.

My next SUV will be a GMC Envoy!:naughty:

 

i get to test drive a TL whenever i like (the acura dealer likes us)...that'll be coming up soon

 

AF's original post stated that the minivan would be the first vehicle to drop the plastic body panels. I believe that most, if not the rest of Saturn's line-up, will retain the plastic panels until their redesigns.

 

doh...overlooked that...all cars will be steel when redesigned and the vue will be the only one to keep plastic panels (vue maybe the only profitable saturn they sell)

 

It seems as though GM's priority is Cadillac (understandable), then Buick/Pontiac/Chevrolet, with the other brands filling in as those become overhauled. I don't think that Lutz is a big fan of Saturn, it just seems like he wouldn't like it.