Jalopnik: Saturn

GM revives ancient Saturn Vue as rental-only Chevy Captiva

Justin Hyde — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST

Saying it wants to slake the thirst of rental-car customers for pillowy crossovers, General Motors will exhume the Saturn Vue, slap a Chevy grille on it and sell it as the Captiva later this year for fleets only. Say what? More »

The Perfect Saturn Ion To Survive The Apocalypse

Justin Hyde — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:30:00 EST

The Saturn Ion never generated much of a charge when GM built it, but it looks far tougher with all of its body panels removed and the subframe painted black. Meet a former TV star and future LeMons competitor. More »

Goodbye Saturn, Thanks For The Ride

Charlie Eickmeyer — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST

The end of 2010 also marked the final exit for Saturn vehicles. SaturnFans.com creator Charlie Eickmeyer posted one final article after spending 25 years following the storied brand — Ed. More »

GM Replacing 25,800 Hybrid Battery Packs...When It Gets Enough

Justin Hyde — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:15:00 EDT

General Motors has to replace the battery packs in every Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura and Saturn Vue hybrid sold since 2007, some 25,800 U.S. vehicles. The problem? It doesn't have enough packs to fix what's broken. UPDATE below. More »

Jalopnik Helps "Crappy Saturn Ruined My Life" Guy, Life No Longer Ruined

Sam Smith — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EDT

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In last week's Garage of Horror, we shared the epic tale of a man whose life was trashed by a crappy Saturn. In response, you, the Jalopnik commentariat, got off your collective tuckus and helped him out. You guys rock! More »

"My Crappy Saturn Ruined My Life"

Sam Smith — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EDT

Welcome back to Garage of Horror, where we share your worst wheeled experiences. Today we have just one tale. But it's a doozy. More »

LeMons Torture Test Results: Saturn S Series

Murilee Martin — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST

A great part of the Saturn's LeMons success comes from the mighty Cali Cajuns/Cajun Coonasses, who travel the continent racing a bullet-riddled SC2, but the S Series would still be a serious top-ranker even without the Cajuns' help. For reasons we don't understand, the Saturns have been extremely solid endurance racers, and they have no problem keeping up with the faster imports. Mark my words, a Saturn will take the overall win one of these days! More »

24 Hours Of LeMons 2009 Season Awards: BMW Takes Constructor Champion Prize!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:00:00 EST

With ten races during the 2009 season, 24 Hours Of LeMons HQ decided it was time to deal out season awards. They even used some sort of pseudo-scientific point system to determine the winners, which gave BMW a big win. More »

Saturn Eulogy Redux: Some Plastic Is Not Recyclable

John Krewson — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EDT

Now that Saturn is officially, truly dead, we thought we'd reflect on the history of a GM division that tried, with varying degrees of earnestness, to be a different kind of car company. Luckily, we've done that once already. More »

BREAKING: GM To Kill Saturn

Ray Wert — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:20:00 EDT

GM has just announced plans to "wind down the Saturn brand" — effectively killing it after Penske Automotive announced plans to terminate its discussions with GM to buy the Saturn brand. More »

2010 Detroit Auto Show Main Floor Full (Of Boring Cars)

Wes Siler — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EDT

Reversing last year's emptiness, the 2010 Detroit Auto Show main floor is fully booked. Sadly, those spaces are occupied by brands like Saturn, now separate from GM, and BYD, who's presence is called a "coup." [Freep] More »

Buick To Get First Plug-In Hybrid SUV

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:30:00 EDT

GM just announced plans to give the outgoing Saturn Vue a facelift for Buick and introduce it as a plug-in 2-mode hybrid. It'll use Volt-like batteries and run 10 miles on electricity only, making it the first plug-in hybrid SUV. More »

Goodbye, Blue Sky: Kappa Roadster Plant Closes Doors

Ray Wert — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT

Yesterday marked the end of production at GM's Delaware assembly plant, the home of the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice roadsters. Fan clubs came to pay their respects, stuffing their tear-soaked tissues into awkwardly-placed cupholders. [SaturnFans] More »

Best. Vanity License Plate. Ever.

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EDT

Today's hilariously inappropriate vanity license plate comes from the great State of California and one person who likes... well... just add an "I," a "U" and a dirty mind. NSFW. (H/T to Jeff) [Motive] More »

Civic Station Wagon Leading After Day One At The Laissez Les Crapheaps Roulez LeMons

Murilee Martin — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT

The first day of racing is done, and the mechanical carnage has been horrific; LeMons Perpetrator Nick Pon was heard to utter "Dang, looks like a Taurus grenade done went off in the SHO pits! More »

Penske Officially Buying Saturn From GM

Ray Wert — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:45:00 EDT

GM will officially be selling the Saturn brand to Roger Penske for an unknown sum. GM will continue building Saturns on contract with Penske for them to distribute through Saturn's current dealer network. Full press release below. More »

REPORT: GM Reaches Deal Selling Saturn To Penske

Ray Wert — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT

GM's apparently agreed to sell Saturn to Jalopnik's favorite Detroit-loving, mega-dealer-owning, truck-renting and smart-car-selling Roger Penske, with a deal expected to be announced today. So we guess this means there's now a fourth "U.S." automaker in Detroit. [NYT Dealbook] More »

Believe It Or Not, This Isn't A Ferrari

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:00:00 EDT

We know, it goes against all your better judgment and years of finely honed automobile identification expertise, but we're prepared to shock you with the knowledge that this vehicle is in fact not a Ferrari. More »

2010 Opel Astra Gets "Full Lutz" Skirt-Lift

Ray Wert — Mon, 11 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT

Opel's revealed a set of skirt-lifting-like-Lutz shots of the next-generation 2010 Opel Astra by head designer Marc van der Haegen and Laszlo Kreth, the engineering coordinator. As expected, that's not a Saturn. More »

REPORT: Renault A "Serious Suitor" For Saturn

Ray Wert — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:00:00 EDT

WSJ: Renault, Geely both "serious suitors" for GM's Saturn. Say that ten times fast. [WSJ] More »

In Case Anyone Was Wondering, GM's Still Trying To Sell Saturn

Ray Wert — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:30:00 EDT

In case anyone's worried or wondering, yes, GM's still trying to sell Saturn — or kill it. Heck, they've even put out a press release to make sure you remember. More »

Saturn Rental Car Never Gets Oil Change, Engine Carnage Ensues After 30,000 Miles

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:00:00 EDT

Enterprise Rent-A-Car delivered a Saturn Outlook to the dealership shop after the check-engine light appeared and the engine quit running. The problem? Enterprise records showed zero oil changes after 30,000 miles. Brutal results below. More »

Killing Saturn Kills 25% Of GM Hybrids

Ray Wert — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:30:00 EDT

Killing Saturn kills 25% of GM hybrids. Damned if they do... [AutoNews via AutomobileMag] More »

What Are The "Four Core" GM Brands?

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:30:00 EDT

Fritz Henderson, GM CEO and possible cyborg, said the company's plan is built around "four core brands." He also said people shouldn't speculate, which we're guessing was a joke. What will the four brands be? More »

Saturn Guy Mocks Hyundai Assurance Program

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EDT

When we compared payment protection plans we determined Hyundai's was the most thorough, but this was predicated on the idea you'd want to give up your car if unemployed. A concept Saturn somewhat appropriately mocks. More »

24 Hours Of LeMons Texas Gator-O-Rama 2009 Über Gallery: The Americans

Murilee Martin — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 21:00:00 EDT

As you know, American-made vehicles took four of the top five places at the 24 Hours Of LeMons Gator-O-Rama, and the Stars And Stripes flew proudly over the Index Of Effluency winner as well. More »

Google Street View Drives Along Lake Como on Wrong Day, Misses Concorso d'Eleganza

Peter Orosz — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:00:00 EDT

Now that Google Street View is trickling down the European highway system, it’s time to go on the prowl for fancy cars. More »

The Top 95 Lemons Of The Gator-O-Rama 24 Hours Of LeMons

Murilee Martin — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:30:00 EST

For the first time ever, Detroit iron dominated a 24 Hours Of LeMons event, with American-built machinery taking four of the top five positions (if you consider a California-built Corolla to be American-built, that is). More »

Saturn E-Mail To Owners Outlines "Exciting Time" For Just-Axed GM Brand

Ray Wert — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST

Jill Lajdziak, Saturn's General Manager, dropped an e-mail to current owners yesterday discussing this "exciting time" for the soon-to-be-dearly-departed Saturn brand. Also, you'll be able to get parts until, you know, at least 2011. More »

Saturn, A Eulogy: At Least Plastic Is Recyclable

Wes Siler — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:20:00 EST

Yesterday, GM announced the Saturn brand will cease to exist at the end of this product cycle. Let's take a look back at the reasons why "a different kind of car company" failed. More »

GM To Officially Kill Saturn Brand, Most Of Pontiac

Ray Wert — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:46:00 EST

Our sources tell us GM's viability plan set to be released at 5:00PM will kill the Saturn brand by 2011. Pontiac will also go away as a division. But the nameplate will sorta live on. More »

Lutz: Saturn Has Good Cars, Still Probably Dead

Ray Wert — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:20:00 EST

According to Automotive News, on-the-way-out "Maximum" Bob Lutz claims despite a bevy of "good cars," GM's Saturn brand's probably dead. Simultaneously, we're also hearing Saab talks have broken down. More »

Opel Insignia OPC: Full Frontal Shot Slips Out From EVO Mag

The Auto Insider — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

Well, hell's bells. Look what happens when you let an image slip out of the bag. Thanks to EVO and Autoblog.it, you're looking at the upcoming 2010 Opel Insignia OPC in all its naked glory. More »

2010 Toyota Camry Fuel Economy Increased To 33 MPG, Matches Chevy Malibu

Ray Wert — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:40:00 EST

The newly-revealed 2010 Toyota Camry's fuel economy officially increased to 33 MPG, matching the previous high-mileage champs, the Chevy Malibu, Saturn Aura and Pontiac G6. Well, that was a fun race, wasn't it? [Kicking Tires] More »

GM Sucks Up To Obama. Hard.

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:20:00 EST

Rather than announce a new model or another plan to save their business, GM invited the 2009 Detroit Auto Show press corps to watch a biracial expression of joy for Barack Obama. More »

REPORT: No One Wants To Buy Saab

Wes Siler — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:00:00 EST

Looks like Saab is joining Hummer and Saturn on the list of brands GM is trying to sell, but can't find buyers for. More »

GM Cutting Q1 Production By 250,000 Units, 30% Of Capacity

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

General Motors announced today they will cut production in the first quarter of 2009 by 250,000 units, or approximately 30% of total capacity, affecting 21 plants in three countries. More »

GM Sends Congress Plan Asking For $12 To $18 Billion, "Alternatives" For Saturn Brand

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:10:00 EST

GM's response to the congressional ultimatum, just released, outlines a need for $12 billion in loans, plus potentially $6 billion later, and plans to reach profitability by pursuing "alternatives" to the Saturn brand and making Pontiac even less desirable. More »