Saturn has a new model. But this car, unlike most other cars, is really a true model, flaunting itself down the freeway, modeling bits of this and flashy pieces of that. Sound a little strange? Let us explain.
The small-car segment is highly competitive with sales totaling more than two million vehicles per year and accounting for 14 percent of the total new-car market. Domestic automakers are constantly up against the high-quality offerings from Japanese manufacturers like Honda and Toyota. So, in order to get competitive, Saturn continues to become more innovative.
The 2003 Saturn Ion was designed to replace the aging S-Series sedan and coupe. It comes in both sedan and coupe versions, with the sedan arriving this fall, followed by the coupe after the first of the year. Both models are full of interesting and innovative features — a blatant attempt to catch the eye of an otherwise potential Honda buyer.
While some of the Saturn innovations are appealing and functional, others are merely, er, gimmicky. Let's begin with the functional basics. The Ion is the first vehicle to ride on GM's all-new Delta small-car platform. With increased dimensions in just about every direction, it results in a larger vehicle both inside and out. The Ion sedan is longer, wider and taller than the previous S-Series four-door, while the coupe has grown in similar proportions. Likewise, passenger volume has increased as well, with the sedan gaining two cubic feet of passenger space and the coupe over three. Available trunk space now stands at 14.7 cubic feet in the sedan and half a cubic foot less in the coupe, giving the Ion the most cargo room of any car in its class.
The increase in size not only makes the car look more substantial, it feels a little more grown-up as well. A new instrument panel design places the speedometer and other related instruments in a center-mounted pod, freeing up space in front of the driver for better sight lines and more steering wheel adjustability. It certainly gives the interior a unique look and we acclimated to the positioning quickly, but on the whole, we could do without the "creative" gauge cluster location.
Another new ploy to snag the interest of finicky entry-level car buyers comes in the way of interchangeable interior trim pieces that allow customers to alter the look of their Ions at a moment's notice. Four different patterns ranging from leopard spots to brushed steel are available and can be installed with simple hand tools. There's also an interchangeable exterior trim piece that runs the length of the roof line to let others see your personal stamp of style.
We applaud the effort on Saturn's part, but the various trim styles weren't quite to our liking. Luckily, the rest of the Ion interior is finished with good-looking plastics in a tasteful arrangement that's a big improvement over the S-Series. The radio and climate controls have been placed higher on the center stack and the individual air vents are closer to the driver and front passenger.
The larger interior dimensions also allow for more seat-track travel and added chair height for a more comfortable driving position. During our day-long drive, we rarely felt cramped or uncomfortable. The seats are surprisingly supportive and well-bolstered, and the various controls were easy to locate and operate.
The Ion coupe is not your standard two-door vehicle, but a quad-coupe instead. It has two additional dual rear-facing doors that allow easy access to the rear seat, whether to climb in as a passenger, or to stow extra cargo. Saturn engineers proudly showed us how to slip a kayak into an Ion coupe by opening the rear-access door (RAD), folding the front seat flat (while using the handy sun-visor-mounted hook to hold the front passenger's shoulder belt harness up and out of the way) and sliding the kayak in so that it ran the length of the car. The folding front-passenger seat is an advantage that the coupe has over the sedan, while both cars have rear fold-flat seats.
Both the sedan and coupe feature the 2.2-liter Ecotec inline four-cylinder engine, which is also used in the Saturn Vue and L-Series models. Generating 140 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 145 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm, this engine puts out 40 more horsepower than the previous base 1.9-liter S-Series engine, and 16 more horsepower than the DOHC version available only in SC2/SL2. Both the sedan and coupe come standard with a five-speed manual transmission, with two different automatic transmission options — GM's VTi, a continuously variable transmission for the coupe, and a more traditional five-speed automatic for the sedan. Fuel-economy figures for the Ion remain promising with the manual transmission sedan providing 26 mpg in the city, and 33 mpg on the highway.
We were only able to experience the five-speed automatic transmission in the sedan, and while we were urged by the Saturn folks to take note of its "European sedan feel," we were unable to confirm its performance on that level. Instead, we merely came away thinking the tranny was an improvement over the previous S-Series unit by being quieter and less obtrusive in its upshifts and downshifts.
The Ion comes standard with some new and interesting features, thanks to its advanced electrical system. Auto headlights that activate when the speed-sensitive wipers are set in motion, remote keyless entry, anti-theft system, auto-dimming mirrors and retained accessory power after the engine is turned off, elevate the Ion a notch in the econo-car segment. Add in safety equipment that includes dual-stage front airbags and side head-curtain airbags; ABS; traction control; and OnStar, GM's roadside, emergency and general assistance system, and the Ion becomes an even more attractive package than its exterior styling suggests.
Is the Ion good enough to be a true contender in the competitive small-car arena, battling for market share against the more reputable products from Honda and Toyota? General Motors certainly hopes so, but we're not sure that a leopard-print wrap will make Civic and Corolla loyalists flock to Saturn showrooms anytime soon.
The small-car segment is highly competitive with sales totaling more than two million vehicles per year and accounting for 14 percent of the total new-car market. Domestic automakers are constantly up against the high-quality offerings from Japanese manufacturers like Honda and Toyota. So, in order to get competitive, Saturn continues to become more innovative.
The 2003 Saturn Ion was designed to replace the aging S-Series sedan and coupe. It comes in both sedan and coupe versions, with the sedan arriving this fall, followed by the coupe after the first of the year. Both models are full of interesting and innovative features — a blatant attempt to catch the eye of an otherwise potential Honda buyer.
While some of the Saturn innovations are appealing and functional, others are merely, er, gimmicky. Let's begin with the functional basics. The Ion is the first vehicle to ride on GM's all-new Delta small-car platform. With increased dimensions in just about every direction, it results in a larger vehicle both inside and out. The Ion sedan is longer, wider and taller than the previous S-Series four-door, while the coupe has grown in similar proportions. Likewise, passenger volume has increased as well, with the sedan gaining two cubic feet of passenger space and the coupe over three. Available trunk space now stands at 14.7 cubic feet in the sedan and half a cubic foot less in the coupe, giving the Ion the most cargo room of any car in its class.
The increase in size not only makes the car look more substantial, it feels a little more grown-up as well. A new instrument panel design places the speedometer and other related instruments in a center-mounted pod, freeing up space in front of the driver for better sight lines and more steering wheel adjustability. It certainly gives the interior a unique look and we acclimated to the positioning quickly, but on the whole, we could do without the "creative" gauge cluster location.
Another new ploy to snag the interest of finicky entry-level car buyers comes in the way of interchangeable interior trim pieces that allow customers to alter the look of their Ions at a moment's notice. Four different patterns ranging from leopard spots to brushed steel are available and can be installed with simple hand tools. There's also an interchangeable exterior trim piece that runs the length of the roof line to let others see your personal stamp of style.
We applaud the effort on Saturn's part, but the various trim styles weren't quite to our liking. Luckily, the rest of the Ion interior is finished with good-looking plastics in a tasteful arrangement that's a big improvement over the S-Series. The radio and climate controls have been placed higher on the center stack and the individual air vents are closer to the driver and front passenger.
The larger interior dimensions also allow for more seat-track travel and added chair height for a more comfortable driving position. During our day-long drive, we rarely felt cramped or uncomfortable. The seats are surprisingly supportive and well-bolstered, and the various controls were easy to locate and operate.
The Ion coupe is not your standard two-door vehicle, but a quad-coupe instead. It has two additional dual rear-facing doors that allow easy access to the rear seat, whether to climb in as a passenger, or to stow extra cargo. Saturn engineers proudly showed us how to slip a kayak into an Ion coupe by opening the rear-access door (RAD), folding the front seat flat (while using the handy sun-visor-mounted hook to hold the front passenger's shoulder belt harness up and out of the way) and sliding the kayak in so that it ran the length of the car. The folding front-passenger seat is an advantage that the coupe has over the sedan, while both cars have rear fold-flat seats.
Both the sedan and coupe feature the 2.2-liter Ecotec inline four-cylinder engine, which is also used in the Saturn Vue and L-Series models. Generating 140 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 145 pound-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm, this engine puts out 40 more horsepower than the previous base 1.9-liter S-Series engine, and 16 more horsepower than the DOHC version available only in SC2/SL2. Both the sedan and coupe come standard with a five-speed manual transmission, with two different automatic transmission options — GM's VTi, a continuously variable transmission for the coupe, and a more traditional five-speed automatic for the sedan. Fuel-economy figures for the Ion remain promising with the manual transmission sedan providing 26 mpg in the city, and 33 mpg on the highway.
We were only able to experience the five-speed automatic transmission in the sedan, and while we were urged by the Saturn folks to take note of its "European sedan feel," we were unable to confirm its performance on that level. Instead, we merely came away thinking the tranny was an improvement over the previous S-Series unit by being quieter and less obtrusive in its upshifts and downshifts.
The Ion comes standard with some new and interesting features, thanks to its advanced electrical system. Auto headlights that activate when the speed-sensitive wipers are set in motion, remote keyless entry, anti-theft system, auto-dimming mirrors and retained accessory power after the engine is turned off, elevate the Ion a notch in the econo-car segment. Add in safety equipment that includes dual-stage front airbags and side head-curtain airbags; ABS; traction control; and OnStar, GM's roadside, emergency and general assistance system, and the Ion becomes an even more attractive package than its exterior styling suggests.
Is the Ion good enough to be a true contender in the competitive small-car arena, battling for market share against the more reputable products from Honda and Toyota? General Motors certainly hopes so, but we're not sure that a leopard-print wrap will make Civic and Corolla loyalists flock to Saturn showrooms anytime soon.
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