FIRST LOOK: 2008 Saturn AURA Green Line

[Flybrian]

GM @ LAIAS

2008 Saturn AURA Green Line Image Gallery

2008 Saturn AURA Green Line Press Release

[HarleyEarl]

Whats with those vintage wheels from the 90s? 'Oh we have some leftovers in the warehouse, lets use them'. Sure could use a vinyl roof option too.

Edited November 29, 2006 by HarleyEarl

[PurdueGuy]

Whats with those vintage wheels from the 90s?  'Oh we have some leftovers in the warehouse, lets use them'.  Sure could use a vinyl roof option too.

221625[/snapback]

I like 'em Overall, the car looks classy... because it looks just like the regular Aura, but with fairly subtle badging. I'd be tempted to take the "hybrid" badges off, though, and just leave the small square green line badge on.

[GM4ever]

Whats with those vintage wheels from the 90s?  'Oh we have some leftovers in the warehouse, lets use them'.  Sure could use a vinyl roof option too.

221625[/snapback]

What? those wheels look awesome, if you love off road looking sedans. Edited November 29, 2006 by GM4ever

[HarleyEarl]

It does have an off-road look. 'Honey, I need to stop and shift into 4-wheel drive and then we are going to do some bitchin' hybrid mudding'.

[caddycruiser]

Pretty much your standard base Aura, save for some more interesting guts underhood. Blah wheels, definately, but otherwise a nice piece.

Hopefully the real-world benefits are worth it for the price, at least in comparison to the more expensive but really well done Camry Hybrid, etc. Even if it's a lot cheaper, buyers will still inevitably draw comparisons.

[Croc]

For some reason I like the interior better than in the currently-released AURA...but I don't know why as it looks the same. Are there some subtle tweaks I missed? Maybe I just hate the fake wood enough that the metallic trim looks that much better to me...but for some reason it seems different from the XE too? I dunno...maybe it's the lighting.

[Aura XR]

Whats with those vintage wheels from the 90s?  'Oh we have some leftovers in the warehouse, lets use them'.  Sure could use a vinyl roof option too.

221625[/snapback]

Actually, those aren't alloys....they're steel wheels that are cut-out to 5 spoke and a plastic hubcap that lines up with the steel wheels.

[Bimmer325]

[caddycruiser]

Actually, those aren't alloys....they're steel wheels that are cut-out to 5 spoke and a plastic hubcap that lines up with the steel wheels.

221670[/snapback]

You sure? The plastic-capped steelies are standard on the current XE model, but these new wheels on the Hybrid definately look like typical machined aluminum. Looks aside, that would make sense, being lighter for the Hybrid.

On another note, something I just noticed--boy does having a leather-wrapped steering wheel make a difference! I know a lot of cars don't have it, but even in these pics, and at least with what the standard wheel is made out of, it sure looks quite a bit downscale, even if just a steering wheel.

[BB_454]

That sidewall just looks way too thick, wish they went a little more low profile.

[Drew Dowdell]

If I could buy one loaded up like an XR but with the Green-Line engine, I would.

You listening GM?

[american_revolution_2005]

Those rims are from the 06 Malibu LT if any one noticed. They are not wheel covers.

[nzr]

Worst tires/wheels ever. Looks like you can take it off-road.

[C.H.U.D.]

I love how everyone bitches about the smaller wheels. Anyone ever heard of "weight savings"? This is supposed to be a model of efficiency. not a runway diva.

[jbartley]

i think those rims are better than the XR rims...

but that's not saying much!

[Northstar]

Wait, this actually has a battery pack? I thought it was just going to be a BAS?

[nzr]

I love how everyone bitches about the smaller wheels. Anyone ever heard of "weight savings"? This is supposed to be a model of efficiency. not a runway diva.

221720[/snapback]

Doesn't mean it has to look like a pile of $h!.

[caddycruiser]

Wait, this actually has a battery pack? I thought it was just going to be a BAS?

221748[/snapback]

Huh? What do you think Hybrid means? It's a mild version, so it can't power itself 100% on electric like some can, but the electric is there to assist the gas engine and to run things at stops when the gas engine shuts down briefly. Same deal as the VUE Hybrid that came out recently.

As for the wheels & tires, they still don't look that bad, and if anything, on a Hybrid you want the wheels to be light and the tires to have low rolling resistance (i.e., not too grippy). This setup seems perfect. And no, to whoever said it, these wheels are NOT from a Malibu.

[Northstar]

Huh?  What do you think Hybrid means?  It's a mild version, so it can't power itself 100% on electric like some can, but the electric is there to assist the gas engine and to run things at stops when the gas engine shuts down briefly.  Same deal as the VUE Hybrid that came out recently.

221911[/snapback]

I was under the impression that the VUE only had a belt alternator starter and not the battery pack, but obviously I was mistaken.

[I hope GMRULES again]

I like the Malibu wheels better than the Sebring wheels the other models have.

[ketch]

Whats with those vintage wheels from the 90s?  'Oh we have some leftovers in the warehouse, lets use them'.  Sure could use a vinyl roof option too.

221625[/snapback]

since when did Saturn start using chevy wheels? LOL

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Oh god, another HORRIBLE GM wheel job...

WTF, man... Were the wheels THAT MUCH of an afterthought?!?!?!?

"Lets just yank some crappy wheel off the Malibu and slap them on there even though they don't flow with the car at all"

Seems like GM could've at least spared the change to machine them (Like the nice wheels on the new Civic Hybrid)

They'd also look much better if they were 16 or 17s.

And to top it all off the inept GM photographers added insult to injury by shooting UP at the car which makes it look like it has an even larger "lift"

[GMTruckGuy74]

On another note, something I just noticed--boy does having a leather-wrapped steering wheel make a difference!  I know a lot of cars don't have it, but even in these pics, and at least with what the standard wheel is made out of, it sure looks quite a bit downscale, even if just a steering wheel.

221684[/snapback]

I have to agree 100% with you here caddycruiser. My AURA XE doesn't have the leather-wrapped steering wheel or shifter knob because it doesn't have the leather interior option (it's the same with the XR without leather). I think with the AURA, Saturn/GM should have made an exception and included the leather-wrapped steering wheel as standard equipment. As nice as the interior is, the non leather-wrapped steering wheel looks & feels cheap. I don't miss the sunroof, I'm okay without the leather seats, but the cheapy steering wheel is a turn off for me. Today as I was driving my 15-month old to his doctor's appointment, I was thinking that I might start searching for a totalled SKY to grab the leather steering wheel out of and get it installed in my AURA.

[Cory Wolfe]

What? those wheels look awesome, if you love off road looking sedans.

221629[/snapback]

Looks cheap and horrible if you ask me.

[Bimmer325]

The non-leather-wrapped steering wheel is terrible.

The Aura at NYIAS had it and it looked and felt like NERF ammunition.

[Chicagoland]

Umm, this day and age, not too many people keep stock rims. Also, any dealer can swap out to something esle. It not as if they are welded to the axles!

[pow]

Actually, those aren't alloys....they're steel wheels that are cut-out to 5 spoke and a plastic hubcap that lines up with the steel wheels.

221670[/snapback]

They're actually one-piece alloys, even though they look like the G6 steelies.

At LAIAS, no one cared about this car. Saturn hid it in the back and didn't even bother to light the display. Based on the show, you would have never known Saturn had a product revolution.

Edited December 2, 2006 by empowah