Great Comments
Really happy and pleased to see the comments. I like the fact that Saturn still has your interest –
Saturn Sky
we’ll make it worthwhile, take my word for it! Just look at the pictures of the two Saturns we’ll present this coming Sunday at the Detroit auto show. Great new products are hitting the road and many more are on the way — We want you to keep watching and keep talking to us, that’s why I’m out here …
Saturn Aura
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Wow Mr. Lutz, I’m very impressed with the direction Saturn is going under your tutelage. The Sky and Aura are both outstanding. Being a happy ‘02 Saturn L300 owner, I’m especially interested in the Aura, which looks like it’ll be my next car. Sure there are a few details I’d change if I could, like removing the signal lights from above the headlights and less chunky and shiny rims, but overall the Aura is just perfect. And the interior looks great. Take away the emblems and you’d be hard-pressed to convince me it wasn’t an Audi. As long as the bean counters don’t screw up the production version, the sooner the Aura shows up in Saturn showrooms, the sooner I trade in my L300 for an Aura. Black with black leather.
Mr. Lutz, my comments here will echo what I posted at autoblog.com regarding these two wonderful Saturn concepts. First the Sky. While I am very impressed by the design and specs of this car, truthfully I laughed very hard when I heard you were looking to bring this car to the market for $25K. The version you will sell for 25K will most likely not resemble the above photos at all, and that worries me. All too often concepts and even production previews contain the small minor elements that make the car beautiful, but when it hits production those elements are completely lost or are only made available on the most expensive models. Which brings me to your other new release, the Aura. The photos I have seen of this car are again, very impressive. However, I noticed that this car has what appears to be either 18″ or 19″ custom wheels. I say custom because the likelihood of these wheels being offered in the real production model is very small. All too often concepts feature large wheels that wow the crowds and spawn many a magazine article hyping the car. The car that actually hits the parking lot of my local dealer is another thing altogether. Offering impressive wheel options on your cars like the ones pictured in the Aura is a smart move and I believe you should be embracing it more fully. I understand that in production sacrifices are made to keep the cost of the vehicle low, and therefore more accessible to the public but the simple idea of offering “custom” wheels as an option on mid level models is something that your company should look at. As your own research will show, consumers don’t buy the basic model and they don’t buy the top level model, they choose somewhere in between, and that is where we should see options like this. Why as a consumer should I buy a car with basic wheels and then have to replace them and the tires with the ones that I want? The small details are what makes or breaks a car, and things like wheels, grilles, trim, ride height etc. are very important and are what bring buyers onto the lot.
Greetings, Mr. Lutz. Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging. I’m impressed with this initiative, and am looking forward to seeing where it goes.
My son, who’s now 10, will be very pleased to know that Saturn’s future is so bright. From a very young age, he was able to correctly identify his grandfather’s (my father’s) SL1 – and would become very excited whenever he spotted a Saturn vehicle or logo. Saturn figured in his forming an early impression of how important a car can be in someone’s life, and it continues now that my Dad’s on to his second Saturn.
There’s a spirit to Saturn that is somewhat unique in the industry. It’s good to see this being preserved and carried forward in a meaningful manner.
These two concepts are very attractive, but since they’re concepts, I’m leery of what the production vehicles will look like. The Sky is a great looking car, and probably won’t change too much if/when it reaches production.
The Aura is also very good-looking, but I do not like the large chrome fascia in the grille. Surely there is a more attractive way to promote its brand identity. A slight reduction in its height would greatly reduce its visual mass. The rest of the car is beautiful, it doesn’t need something so massive on the front end identifying it as a Saturn.
Now just bring us the gorgeous Holden Torana as the next Malibu or even a Cadillac.
Dear Mr. Lutz:
I am impressed by the Saturn Aura. The problems I see with this new sports sedan are the name (Aura does not sound like a strong name for a strong product), the grille position (it should be placed closer to the bonnet), and possibly the price. In addition, I feel the production version should lose the shiny rims in favour of alloy rims and reposition the signal lights like what thatjerryguy pointed out in the previous comment. Although I am a Japanese car fan, I would be more than happy to trade my Mazda 323 for a Saturn Aura if the production version stays true to the concept.
I’m really intrigued by the Aura concept — Saturn seems to be moving towards being able to compete in the mid-size class with the best from Europe and Japan. But let me emphasize what will make or break the deal for me: equipment details. Stability control is number one. Active head restraints are number two (already used on all Opels, Subarus, and Saabs — this is a low-cost item that all VWs are getting as standard equipment, too). And, as a health issue in a polluted urban environment, ventilation systems could be a real differentiator for me, too (activated charcoal filters, automatic recirc system — for example, the ‘06 Hyundai Sonata looks set to offer both of these). Outshining (or at least equalling) the competition with these features will go a LONG way towards getting me back into a GM showroom. As a “car guy,” I know that GM has already made great strides in quality. I can honestly say that GM’s current mid-size products are NOT on my potential shopping list SOLELY because of the issues I listed above. Thanks for listening, and I look forward to proudly being able to buy a GM product again.
Mr. Lutz,
Great cars, I’ve always admired Saturn for their customer service.. design left something to be desired for me. The Aura however, looks wonderful. I challenge you to produce this car as is – please don’t be a typical car maker who creates a concept that looks to my eyes to be produceable, and then dumbs it down for production.
I look forward to seeing and hearing Saturn’s direction next week. Oh, and thanks for blogging – it’s quite refreshing to see an exec doing it.
Great work to all those involved in both of the vehicles.
Please, please, please don’t let the Auro be ruined in production form. It is beautiful just the way it is (though I do understand you need to change some items to make it production ready.
I think the Sky and Aura are nice concepts but I don’t think anybody wants a Saturn sports car. If you want to make a sports car bring back the Camaro.
P.S. Can anyone explain to me why there are so many GM brands. The only brands that come to mind are Saturn, Chevy, GMC, Hummer, and Cadillac but there are like 5 more. Why?
Mr. Lutz…Keep up the great work. The new Saturn look wonderful!
Absolutely great looking products. I’m hoping that the Aura will get the 2.8L V6 that is going into the base Cadillac CTS – it seems the only worthy engine for Saturn’s image. In my opinion, going with a 3900 or 3500, while good engines, would be what I would call a “fatal flaw” for the product.
My perfect Aura lineup would be a 2.4L 4-cyl from the Cobalt SS, the 2.8L I mentioned, and perhaps a 3.6L with a 6-speed manual and agressive handling package as the Redline (depending on the weight of the vehicle, of course – a Saab 9-5 turbocharged 2.8L would be equally nice in place of the 3.6L if not more so).
Anyway, keep it up – they look great. Now if I can only forget about that Torrent with the 3400….
I tried to email jill lajdziak, but got nowhere. i’ve got a ‘91 saturn that’s still running like a charm, but
everytime i go to a saturn dealership i ask the same thing: when is saturn
going to offer a hybrid? i just saw the story about three new vehicles
coming in ‘06 and wondered if saturn was ever going to join the hybrid
world. thanks, paris goodnight
I’m glad that GM has decided to go in this direction instead of the Saturn Curve concept, which I thought was the least attractive of the three Kappa platform concepts that GM has shown, along with the Solstice and Nomad. The Sky has great lines and is an aggresive take on Saturn brand styling.
I’m assuming that the Sky is built off of the Kappa platform. Any word on production plans for the Chevy Nomad? That was very attractive.
BTW, Bob, I’ll be blogging the new product and concept introductions at the ‘05 NAIAS in Detroit from the CarBlog.
This is great! I admire the fact that this type of open communuication can come from someone in your position.
I must admit I have never looked twice at Saturns, as I am not a fan of a small car, but these are very handsome vehicles indeed. As noted above, if they make it to production with minor changes, they should do much toward changing Saturn’s image.
One thing still bothers me though… I can very easily see the Aura with a Rocket logo and a Cutlass nameplate. Too bad you didn’t have a chance to impact that decision!
Those designs look much better than previous Saturn offerings — glad to see you paying attention to what consumers like me want.
Currently a BMW owner horrified at what Chris Bangle is doing to the model line… Only the 6-series is even tolerable to me… The 7-series is chunky, the upcoming 3-series looks like a Subaru, and the 5 is nothing to write home about. And I’m all for experimentation and design leaps, don’t get me wrong.
All of which is to say, get the design right and I’ll be at your door banging to get in, no matter what you’ve dished out in the past.
Glad to see you are blogging!
Hello Mr. Lutz,
Thank you and all of the GM team for making these two cars, the Sky and Aura, they are truly simply amazing automobiles. I just wondering if you could do one or two things on the Aura.
Firstly, is to have a hand brake near the stick sift instead of a foot brake. I know it maybe be a little trivial, However I prefer and I think I talk for the majority of people that dislike the foot brake emergency brake. You could locate the emergency brake beside or behind the stick sift. It would seem from looking at the interior photos of the Aura you could lose a bit of storage up front because of locating the handbrake there. That’s not a problem, so this means there won’t be a great space for a very huge 711 slurpy, I can live with that.
Secondly, is to offer a 6-speed manual transmission. I saw in the photos the auto will have Formula One type paddles to sift. I think that is wonderful and I hope it makes it into the production. However a 6-speed manual will be for the consumer who prefers more of a “connected” feel to the car.
That’s it those are the only two modifications/feature I would like to see in the production car. Other than that do not change a thing.
Wow! I look forward to the new Saturns. I had one years ago and it was one of the best experiences I had in car ownership. It had a sporty look and down to earth price. I must admit I was sad when that body style changed. One of my favorite things was the sales department. It was so nice to have the prices up front and no hassle. The birthday cards and treats in the first year were wonderful.
I would be curious to see a hybrid from Saturn one day.
I’m really impressed by the Saturn Aura concept. I look forward to seeing it in the flesh. The styling is exciting enough that I wouldn’t be embarassed to own one.
Mr. Lutz,
These two vehicles are an incredible step forward for Saturn. A concern that is echoed on every car site is that the Aura concept will be watered down in production. Why do they think that? Because it seems to alway happen. The G6 concept (both interior and exterior)is a perfect example.
When the Aura is brought to production please keep the car as is (plus a hand emergency brake).
Things I would expect you to change:
- The center exhaust. It would be shocking if you kept it (shock us please!)
Things that GM would typically change when a car goes to production:
- large wheels (please make them an option!)
- fender flares – if you don’t keep them, you lose a key detail that makes the look of this car. Keeping them will make the car sell like hotcakes.
Please don’t change it!
Just my 2 cents. Thanks for listening!
All I can say is wow! You’ve really pulled it off with these new Saturn’s. I’ve never owned or even considered purchasing an American branded automobile, not out of snobbery or oft times over hyped qaulity issues, but simply because no one was offering what I am looking for, until now that is. I would very seriously and proudly purchase either the Sky or Aura tomorrow. My only concern is that the market will have to wait roughtl a year and half before they can get their hands on them. I’m looking forward the the other new Saturn vehicle you have coming in late 2006. My hat off to you and the rest of the GM team. In the words of one Charlie Donovan, “Things are starting to come together Pepper.”
General Motors is blogging
Who are these people? And how many inches of snow have fallen in Hell so far?
I love the new Saturns. As the former owner of a Miata and one who’s been champing at the bit to get into a Solstice, I expected to like the Sky. But I’m really surprised by the Aura: As long as it doesn’t get too dumbed down in the transition to production (like, say, the Lincoln Zephyr), Saturn has a sure winner on its hands. Thanks for bringing Opel style to GM’s American lineup; I’ve been waiting for that for years.
However, I do have one concern about the Sky. It seems to me that GM would be better served not bringing out another roadster so soon after the Solstice, considering how fickle the market for sports cars is. Instead, I’d bring out the Curve or Nomad or a Pontiac competitor to the 1-series (to finally replace the Sunfire!). Then, a few years down the road, GM could do another roadster to reenergize its sales in the segment.
I’d like to echo the above comments about relocating the turn signals of the Aura. That and possibly look at removing the big silver bar on the grille and seeing if it might look a bit better with just the Saturn emblem in the center of the grille (What’s with all these huge grille bars anyway?) I do like where I see Saturn going with these cars, and can’t wait to see what is coming to replace the VUE and my ION.
I have been a faithful Saturn owner since 1996.
I am on my second Saturn (a 2001 SC2). I love the cars. They are economical, safe, look great
and fit my 5′4″ height perfectly. My daughter
liked my 2001 Saturn so much, she bought the
same one in 2002! Please continue to make these
fantastic cars.
The new cars look to me like a step in the right direction, in terms of features, technology, and performance. However, I just can’t get past the ugly nose of the Aura. I think lower profile headlights would make the front end look better. (In other words, make it more like the front of the Acura TSX than the North American Honda Accord!) Also, I find the chrome strip on the grille to be overkill.
I do think it is truly a shame that Saturn is losing the dent resistent polymer body panels. I guess GM has already made that decision final, but I would like to see GM reconsider and at least offer dent resistent door panels and front fenders. I will be much less likely to buy a Saturn in the future, given the lack of polymer body panels on its new models.
Mr. Lutz,
I am,always have and always will be a GM fan. I love the new Saturns. Will this new premium derection be seen on any restyled Malibus and G6s for a midcycle revamp say for ‘07 or ‘08. The Cobalt got far more effort into it on interior and exterior design than the Ion. The Aura obviously had more than the Malibu and G6. If other future GM products are influenced by premium design like the Aura.(Of course I realize that Saturn is trying to be more upscale than Chevy and/or Pontiac much like Olds of yore)I think GM is going to have an avanlanche of not just gotta have products but, products that we can’t get enough of.
Ok, here’s my two big questions.
1)Is Saturn eventually going to be sort of the brand that Olds was in its golden days or is Saturn completely different?(Olds maybe should have merged with Saturn if Saturn is going to be what Olds should have been.)
2)Will a future Malibu ever(Say by 2010) make the Camry look cheap and feel cheap by comparison?
Please get DOHC V-6s (hopefully on Epsilon 2)in Chevy and Pontiac cars and car-based SUVs.
Keep up the good work,
Jay
Hey! Speak for yourself, Quinton! I would absolutely LOVE a true Saturn Sports car! I adore the 2 Saturns I already own, an LS1 and a Vue, but I would really like a sporty something to zip around in, and the coupe just ain’t it. I very much look forward to seeing this car come to market. I was jazzed when I saw the posters for the Curve concept car in my local dealership, I would have bought one of those beauties in a heartbeat. Looks like the Sky will be just as cool, keep up the good work!
Mr. Lutz will Saturn get a Zeta or 2 someday? If so that would be great. Saturn could use a 4.3L V-8. That’s cool.
I don’t work in the auto industry and have not purchased a new car in over 20 years (someone has to buy those expired lease cars), but this year it will be different.
I plan to buy either the Saturn Sky or Pontiac Solstice. Until now, I could not believe that GM could put stylish and affordable in the same vehicle. But what a surprise–I was so taken with both of these vehicles that I went back to their displays at the auto show no less than three times. What a winner in both cars.
I just hope the quality is good, i.e. no recalls.
Mr. Lutz:
I applaud all that you have done to bring new life to GM’s product stable, particularly with Saturn.
My question to you is what happened with the GM minivans? Basically, new snouts and tails, and a retread engine, on an 8 year old design? Why can’t GM devote the resources to the minivan line to come up with a product that is truly world class in terms of design, engineering, and functionality? I guess we will be shopping Honda & Toyota, yet again….
Thannks for listening.
Dear mr. lutz : as a gm employee i thank you for all the good you have done but one of our biggest problems with getting people to buy our cars is the horrible service you get at the dealers if we could get a grip on that it would make help us get some of that market share back and if you need some ideas im willing to help for Free!!!!! i just want to win!!! im so tired of losing !!! also that gto show car that was in the woodward cruise is is a real muscle car please bring it to market !!!!! it is hottt thank you stephen brooks 1st line supervisor
Mr. Lutz,
Thank you for all your efforts in making GM a better car company.
A word about headlights:
If you will, please permit me to comment on GM’s headlights. Unfortunately, most GM cars and trucks have unattractive headlights. For example — the Cadillac CTS is generally a gorgeous car, with the exception of its headlights (and the unpainted plastic license plate pockets, which I believe you’ve corrected, thank you). The headlights have a dark, obscured background. As a former student of human perception, I know that most people look at the front of a car and they see a face. They look at the headlights and they equate them to eyes. What qualities are considered attractive in eyes? Symmetry, clarity, and brightness! All GM headlights should have these qualities — regardless of their size or location. Why is the new Malibu not doing as well as expected? Those awkwardly shaped headlights make it look like a frog with bulging, crossed eyes! Why doesn’t the Impala sell as well as it should (retail)? It looks like it lost a fight with a Hummer and got 2 black-eyes in the process! Please consider the need for symmetry, clarity, and brightness (and attractive shapes) in the design of all future GM headlights.
Why is the Saturn SKY such a hit at the NAIAS? At least in part because of those headlights. They are symmetrical, clear, bright, and have an attractive shape — and thus the car has an attractive face — which enables the car to have an overall attractive appearance.
Thank you for your continuing efforts to bring world class designs to GM cars.
Drew
Like some others here, I have been avoiding GM products for years because of the poor quality of their interiors. The ubiquitous gray plasic bottons turned me off so much I wouldn’t even consider buying a GM vehicle. All I can say is they must have gotten a whale of a deal for all of the gray plastic GM bought. My only hope is that they run out of it soon!
Thank you Mr. Lutz,
I have been a GM fan for quite some time now, ever since i started taking an auto tech class.
One reason that i am so excited about these saturns coming to the United States, is because I have been hoping for a long time, that someone in GM would get their head screwed on right, and bring Opel across the Atlantic, it turns out to be, as i hear it, you who made the call. Now i can trade in my opel scale models for saturns, and possibly buy and drive them! Happy Trails Mr. Lutz
-Chris
Mr Lutz,
I hope your folks at Saturn have learned a good lesson from Saturn Ion. Poor execution kills. Personally, I like the styling better than Cobalt and I do love the Aura and Sky (I prefer spellin it Skye…visit the place and you’ll know why) but please execute, watch every detail and don’t settle for less…
Let the beautiful Sky and Aura show some character within.
Good Luck
I almost feel like I should start extolling the virtues of the Camry or the new BMW 6 series. Wait a minute. I’m on a blog site for an AMERICAN auto exec? Well, I must say this is about as un-American auto industryish as it gets. Robert Lutz on his own blog site?
I can’t recall where I got the link for this site but I applaud Mr. Lutz. I’m a mid-life professional degreed in engineering with a career in sales & marketing who grew up vehemently defending GM, Ford and Chrysler when the Japanese really first started putting the screws to the American auto industry in the late ’70s. It surely must be unfair trade, I thought. And it is costing my beloved family and friends jobs.
Not much has changed except my awakening. American auto workers are still being downsized because of extremely poor management vision and execution, debt loads appear to be approaching junk status, brands are a net negative and American auto designs are nearly as ugly as ever sans a few winners. Nearly every domestic GM auto brand has been decimated to the point where GM finds the only way to bring hot new cars to the market and give them a fighting chance is to do so under the Saturn brand. And about the only good news out of Detroit is that Daimler finally seems to have injected a winning strategy of quality and superior product design into good ole Dodge. Good ole Teutonic management. Doggone efficient, if not pleasant!
Now all of that said, I have one fan in the American auto industry. His name is Robert Lutz. I do not say this lightly that the very future of GM as we know it is in his hands. He is a maverick. A throw back to America’s greatness. Even Alfred Sloan would have loved him. For God’s sake, I love him. But is he too late? Will he be able to return the group of brands at GM to their former glory? Only time will tell. But then, I wonder what will happen to the good ole boy’s club at GM when he retires. Actually, what am I talking about? I know what will happen: 35 more years of mismanagement and decreasing market share. That is, unless they bring in a car guy who knows how to execute like the one they have now.
Good luck Mr. Lutz. As an American who wants to see Detroit succeed, I root for you!
Just stopped back and saw Mr. Lutz had replied to another poster’s comments about “Why buy American?”
I couldn’t help but respond to a point Mr. Lutz made about quality and the strides GM has made along with “perception” issues on Toyota and Mercedes quality. While I will give Mr. Lutz some wiggle room on the improvement in quality GM has made, I beg to differ on the issue of Mercedes and Toyota quality leadership. I know Mr. Lutz knows there are many definitions of quality as he has been an advocate to improve the quality of GM interiors and componentry versus the standard GM plastic parts bin left over from days of the incredibly wonderful Cadillac Cimarron.
While Mercedes has had some rough years as it pertains to some “initial build quality” issues, there is absolutely no doubt Mercedes products are engineered to high standards. The customer views quality as something more than an initial quality survey from JD Power. Otherwise, GM would have already completed its turnaround given their regular placement on that list. Mercedes, Honda, Toyota and Nissan (Which has had intermittent and lingering build quality problems) all have a different feel than GM’s product mix prior to Mr. Lutz’s arrival. Even today, that gap exists albiet to a lesser extent under his leadership.
Quality means many things including the customer experience pre- and post-sale, initial product quality, long-term product quality, quality of componentry, quality of build and on and on and on. There is no doubt that the leaders mentioned above, amongst others, excel more often than not at all of these. And the one thing they don’t have to deal with that GM does is winning back customers in the market.
Winning back a disheartened or suspicious customer because of direct or third-party shared experiences takes 10 or more times the effort than keeping an existing customer happy. That is why GM simply cannot be “me too.” Today, they are struggling to get to break even, and the competition is pouring more gasoline on the fire. I know Mr. Lutz has to put a positive spin on his responses but GM has a very long road ahead. And it doesn’t help that their marketing and branding to nontraditional consumers is AWFUL.
Personally, I think GM should worry less about the consumer who is likely to buy GM no matter what and more time on building brands the competition wants. And GM is not considered an innovator even though they may be the global leader in the technology race. An example is the release of the Prius. Where’s GM’s hybrid? Late. And it would have been never if the pressure put on by Toyota wasn’t there. Lots of great concepts for the auto show circuit. It is irrelevant if the Prius is going to make an appreciable profit. It is irrelevant if the Prius isn’t in enough volume to satisfy finance. It is irrelevant if the Prius doesn’t actually help the environment because the batteries and components create a disposal problem. (I’m sure Toyota will have an environmentally-friendly disposal plan for end-of-life.) It’s perpetuation of the perception as an innovator and market leader. GM needs to get new and innovative product out the door — not just to the auto shows.
My tone may be to the point but the reality is I am a client GM wants. In order to get there, GM needs to continue to make strides at an increasing pace or be marginalized in the North American auto space. Sound a little far-fetched? If GM management doesn’t get up every day and worry about this, I’d be extremely surprised.
Dear Mr Lutz,
I prayed for a rwd car like the Solstice 10 years ago and that’ll be my next car. I’m not all that crazy about that rear clamshell setup, but I’ll give it a try. Since I’ve been a longtime Chevy buyer I was hoping for the Nomad or even a sporty coupe on the Kappa platform to replace the Camaro. If my memory serves me right, the original was quite affordable
Help GM buy buying a Toyota/Lexus/Honda.
All to cars are amazing. But as I am huge fun of sport cars. Saturn sky is more suited for my sport willing – speed, design forma and so on!
Love the new sky and aura. I do wish the back of the car was designed a little better, very bland. Reminds me of the 2001 sl series.2 tail light split, very bland.
Bob,
I thought you said there is no magic bullet, yet there it is. The Aura sedan.
You know the best thing about General Motors and Bob Lutz is flavors. GM has eight distinct flavors, and Bob seems to be the great flavor taster. The perfect person to define what the taste will be and to bring it out.
The depth of the flavor of these new Saturns speaks to the depth of your career and obviously GM and America is blessed to have you.
I can’t wait to see what you do with GM’s other flavors. Just make sure they don’t mix them.
I wish you and GM God speed with a tough year that just past. But to look at it another way, you came just in time.
May God continue to bless General Motors and all that sustain her.
I too was impressed with the Saturn VUE. Not impressed with GM sales person who points out the sticker is the price, no negotiating so I say fine, then give me a price on my trade and we can cut to the quick. Either I can afford to buy at this time or not.
Dealer has the nerve to insult my intellegence by offering me an auction value price that’s 40% below NADA and Kelly Blue book.
I walked out without a new car. No sale here. Betting there are at least 10,000 other’s who are going to face the same reality soon and GM will just have a lot of new cars sitting there this spring. Plenty of buyers, no deals.
I was a fan of the dent resistant GM panels, simultaneously owning a Pontiac Transport, a Saturn, a Fiero and a Corvette (I know, Corvette is fiberglass). I will be much less inclined to purchase any of the new Saturn offers due to what I feel is a step back in commitment to inovative construction.