Changes are relatively minor among the 2009 Saturns, and the biggest news is the launch of the 2009 Saturn Vue Two-Mode Hybrid early in the 2009 calendar year. Unlike the (exceptionally) mild hybrids Saturn has offered to date, this hybrid Vue is the real deal, as it combines a V6 engine with a pair of electric motors housed in the automatic transmission assembly. Other developments include the addition of direct injection to the V6 engine in the 2009 Saturn Outlook, and a newly standard six-speed automatic transmission for the 2009 Saturn Aura inline-4.
2009 Saturn Astra: Saturn is trying to make the Astra a little less Eurocentric this year. The date display in the trip computer is now month/day/year instead of day/month/year, and the clock now displays in 12-hour format instead of 24-hour format.
More substantive changes on the 2009 Saturn Astra include a newly optional oil pan heater to take the edge off cold-weather starts, and the availability of the premium audio system on five-door XE models. New tan seat-cloth inserts are available on all models, and the XE gets a new 16-inch wheel cover design. The rear Saturn badge moves higher up on the Astra's rear hatch in '09, and Olympic White and Quicksilver are new color options.
2009 Saturn Aura: The 2.4-liter inline-4 is available on both XE and XR versions of the 2009 Saturn Aura. It comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, which is good for another 3 mpg on the EPA highway rating. The 3.5-liter V6 engine option has been discontinued on the Aura XE.
Stability control and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls are standard across the board, while leather upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel are standard in XR models. Bluetooth is also standard on the 2009 Saturn Aura XR and optional on the XE.
A new All-Season package includes rubber floor mats and splash guards, and you can now see the performer name and song title simultaneously when listening to satellite radio. New exterior colors include Gold Mist, Polar White, Quicksilver and Urban Moss.
2009 Saturn Aura Hybrid: Saturn will no longer use the name "Green Line" in reference to its hybrid cars, so this car is now called just the 2009 Saturn Aura Hybrid, and all Green Line badges have been removed. However, "Hybrid" badges have been added to the windshield and back glass.
Flashier 17-inch wheels replace last year's 16s, but as this is a hybrid sedan, the bigger wheels are still wrapped in low-rolling-resistance rubber. Leather upholstery and Bluetooth are new options, and you can now see the performer name and song title simultaneously when listening to satellite radio.
2009 Saturn Outlook: The 3.6-liter V6 picks up direct-injection technology. This allows a higher compression ratio, and the result is more power and better fuel economy. A 2009 Saturn Outlook XE with the single exhaust system makes 281 horsepower (up from 270 hp in '08), while an XR with the dual-exhaust setup makes 288 hp (up from 275 hp). The tow rating for a properly equipped Outlook is up to 5,200 pounds compared to 4,500 last year.
Leather upholstery and Bluetooth are now standard on the Outlook XR, and you can get them as options on the XE, which also benefits from new standard seat cloth. Nav-equipped XR models get real-time traffic and OnStar Destination Download features.
On the options list you'll find a back-up camera for both the XE and XR, and it doesn't require a navigation system. There's also a Touring package with 20-inch wheels, in case you're keen to muck up the Outlook's otherwise compliant ride quality. A true 5.1 Bose surround-sound system is the top audio upgrade available for the 2009 Saturn Outlook. New paint options include Quicksilver and Silver Moss.
2009 Saturn Sky: Bluetooth is standard on the 2009 Saturn Sky Red Line and optional on the base Sky roadster. There's also a new 18-inch wheel design, and it comes in three different finishes. The Ruby Red and Hydro Blue Special Edition packages offer a new split-spoke wheel design, along with unique paint. Evening Blue is another new color for the Saturn Sky.
2009 Saturn Vue: Saturn adds a panic assist feature to the antilock brake system on all 2009 Saturn Vues. There are also a number of equipment changes. Bluetooth and a cargo net are standard on the XR and Red Line trim levels, and optional on the XE. Real-time traffic is available on Vues equipped with a navigation system, and you can download OnStar directions to the nav screen.
Cosmetically, all 2009 Saturn Vue XE models have charcoal-color door handles, and all XR and Red Line models have chrome handles. If that's not enough, there's a chrome package with chrome skid plates and fender vents. New colors include Aquamarine, Chili Pepper Red, Gold Mist and Quicksilver.
2009 Saturn Vue Hybrid: Two different Saturn Vue hybrids will be offered in 2009, and Saturn will no longer use the Green Line name to identify them. The first will be the simpler, four-cylinder Vue hybrid, which carries over from last year. This is a mild hybrid in the strictest sense, because the electric motor provides very little motive assistance and instead is mainly used to restart the Vue's 2.4-liter gasoline engine when the idle-stop feature engages.
The second Vue hybrid, which arrives early in the 2009 calendar year, is much more complex and will cost significantly more. This is the long-awaited 2009 Saturn Vue Two-Mode Hybrid, and it combines a 255-hp version of GM's direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 with a pair of 55-kilowatt electric motors integrated into the SUV's automatic transmission. As a full hybrid, the front-wheel-drive Vue two-mode hybrid can run on electrical power alone at low speed. The motors get electrical current from 22 nickel-metal hydride batteries tucked under the backseat.
Saturn says the 2009 Saturn Vue Two-Mode Hybrid will reach 60 mph in 7.3 seconds while returning an estimated 28 mpg in combined city/highway driving.
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