2007 Saturn Sky
By Jim McCraw
On Sale: Early 2006
Expected Pricing: Starting below $25,000
A two-seat roadster is about as far from the original basic-transportation-for-small-money charter of the original Saturn Corporation as you can get, but Saturn is taking a deliberate turn upmarket with this Sky roadster and the coming Aura sedan.
Saturn is no longer a separate company from GM the way it was, and all of its future products will be built on one of GM's platforms from around the world. In the case of the Sky roadster, it is built on GM's small rear-drive Kappa platform that so far is shared only with the coming Pontiac Solstice roadster.
The platform has everything it takes to be a successful fun roadster, including 245-series 18-inch tires and wheels, coil-over Bilstein monotube shock absorbers, rack-and-pinion power steering, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, hydraulic engine mounts to calm down engine vibrations, and near 50/50 weight distribution. The platform features a structural central tunnel design, and it is the first platform to use both hydroformed longitudinal frame rails and hydroformed body panels. Hydroforming, bending steel with water pressure, makes for a very stiff but lightweight chassis that results in greater vehicle response and better handling, says GM.
The simple mechanical top mechanism stows away in the trunk under the decklid with those slick headrests built in, and is held in place with a single twist latch in the windshield frame and two pins on the body. GM puts the Sky's weight at about 2860 pounds.
The Saturn Sky was inspired by the GM Vauxhall VX Lightning concept created at GM's Advanced Design Studio in Birmingham, England, which is why it looks so completely un-Saturn, with lots of chrome in the grille, lots of brightwork in the interior, and a definite European flavor.
The 2007 Saturn Sky will have a 170-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing and the buyer's choice of five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. Saturn pegs the price of the Sky at less than $25,000. It will be built at the company's Wilmington, Delaware plant starting in 2006.
1-800-522-5000
www.saturncars.com
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