C&G Spy Shots: The Next ION!

[Guest Josh]

The much-maligned ION is being redesigned for the 2008 model year. Still built on the Delta platform, it will share many components with the Opel Astra and Chevrolet Cobalt to save costs. It will be offered with the ION's current powertrains: the Ecotec 2.2L and 2.4L, with manual and automatic transmissions available with both engines. GM has run into a problem regarding the Lordstown plant that will build GMX002. The Cobalt alone is currently almost at the plant's capacity, so either Cobalt buyers will instead buy an ION, or ION production will be lower than the 113,000 units forecasted. It was scheduled to be built at the Lake Orion assembly plant alongside the Pontiac G6, but was changed because of cost issues. Production starts in August 2007, with the program scheduled to run for 4 years (MY 2008-2011). [attachment=6867:ION-Exterior-2008.jpg]

 

[attachment=6868:ION-Interior-2008.jpg]

[s113]

The new one is so much better that it's hard to tell they're the same car. ;)

[Northstar]

The exterior looks sweet. Looks like a combination of the Aura and Insignia. I'm not in love with the interior, but it's still pretty good and hopefully it looks better in different colors.

[Cory Wolfe]

Wow... What a sucky rear. Ugh. Front looks excellent. The interior looks even more excellent. Although... those side HVAC vents are huge! :blink: Oh how I hate the GM that tries to steal my love.

[CSpec]

I really like the look of the new ION. I'm a bit concerned about rear seat headroom and the very small trunklid, but it probably won't be a big deal.

The interior looks to be very high quality and well thought-out. I really like how the shifter flows into the center stack, and that the dashboard wraps around, sort of like the Sky. I think the HVAC vents are huge because they also have the side window defroster in the top part. Having one big faceplate probably saves money.

It's also funny that it goes into production 2 years from now. It will probably be at NAIAS 2007! :lol: :CG_all:

[Satty]

Will it still look good in 18 months when it is actually revealed? Or in 24 months when it finally hits lots? Or in 92 months when it is ready to be replaced? Thats a long time, a lot can happen. The benchmark cars of today will be vastly improved by the time this finally hits lots, lets hope GM knows what they are doing.

[Sixty8panther]

HUGE improvement. Makes the current Ion look even more retarded than it already does... I hope the rear view does not disapoint.

[johnnyb]

If this really is the new Ion, I LOVE IT! Sign me up! :P :P :P

[titan]

I absolutely love it. The only side I need to see is the rear to reserve giving it a slam dunk, but something tells me the whole car will be great. I hope the don't change a thing, especially the interior. They should keep it like that the way the Aura's interior should be left alone.

[jbartley]

2 awesome vehicles in 1 week, excellent! i assume this will be offered as a coupe too?

[turbo200]

Beautiful. Home run. Can't wait to see the rear. Just showed it to a friend who doesn't really know cars, but likes em, and he thinks it's awesome. I love the interior. The way the dash meets the console is perfect.

[pow]

Interior looks like it came from a 3 year-old Nissan. Maybe it's just the color, though. The shapes look fine, if a bit Asian. Love the exterior though!

[turbo200]

I was going to say Nissan too, I think part of it is the color.

[Klutz_33]

Wow now that looks good, way better than the current ION. The interior looks nice too, now all they need to do is make a redline version with a 6spd manual and about 250hp :)

[KaliRover]

THAT'S FREAKIN GORGEOUS..... B)

[Guest Josh]

You bet your ass its GORGEOUS! Just check out that interior

[KaliRover]

the interior is something I'd expect from Scion or Nissan, but Saturn? .... Nice Work GM, I applaud good work, and frown down on half-ass look's.


But wow, that exterior... that’s what I really like.


What happened to the Aura? I haven't been in the forums that much right before C&G went down, and right after it... incase one of you posted info on that car and I missed it... eh, I'll go and check the Saturn forums.

[Croc]

I love it!! Saturn is quickly turning into one of my favorite divisions...and 9 months ago I would have placed it almost last on my list!

[KaliRover]

oh, nvm. I found the answer to my question.

[milleramerican]

This will likely add brand identity because it looks like the Sky in a way, with the creased edges and such. That is so damn nice.

[red]

Very nice exterior. I like the the sheetmetal crease in the rear - adds some definition. This is not a knock-you-out-of-your socks design but it is very well done. I am a little disappointed with the interior. The gaps in this drawing seem quite large. Additionally, all the materials used seem to be hard plastic, unless they incorporate a cushy "rubberized" material on either side of the controls. Furthermore, I do not like the black plastic that dominates the center controls and switches...why not cover it with piano black, real aluminum, corian? Lastly, this interior design is too similar to that of the 2002 Nissan Altima (look at the wraparound upper dash, waterfall center controls, tall vents). But with this criticism, I applaud GM for doing a commendable improvement on the current ION's worst-in-class interior! All in all, great exterior, ho-hum interior. Hopefully some additional rear seat legroom, more power, better handling & you've got a winner. GM should see a sustantial sales increase with this new model...but man is it far off!

[gt1750]

Nothing new except the rear, looks similar to Astra. The interior is quite different, but the gauges are exactly the same. Opel still remains my second favorite GM brand (after Corvette of course :) )

[Supremus]

An improvement, no doubt. But, as someone already said, will it be enough three years from now? Also, GM should change the name. Calling this ION would be like put the Cavalier badge on the Cobalt. Edited September 22, 2005 by Supremus

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

Looking sharp! Just as long as they don't cut corners, and put some REAL CLOTH UPHOLSTERY IN THIS TIME!!!! NO MORE SYNTHETIC FAKE JUNK!!!! (Are you listening Chevrolet Cobalt, Malibu, Malibu Maxx, and Pontiac G6?)

[z28luvr01]

YES!!!!!! Finally, a center stack that flows gracefully into the console. Very nice car, all around. This'll be timed well with the supposed Cobalt refresh in '08. My only gripe (if it's legitimate) is that the 2.2 and 2.4 should probably see some sort of hp/torque upgrades by then, just to keep them ahead of the pack.

[Cadillacfan]

Wow. Huge improvement. GM can totally own the market with this if they do everything right. It better have a super or turbo powered engine standard. If not, people will just see this as a fancy Cobalt. I also hope that the next Cobalt will get the rumored AWD option because that means this will too. Edited September 22, 2005 by Cadillacfan85

[Dsuupr]

That's BEAUTIFUL!! That could take me away from my Cobalt, especially if they offer a diesel engine.

[Dsuupr]

I do wish they would have done a little more with the interior. Maybe something more show car like.

[99camaroSS]

we dont actually expect it to still look this good by production tho? right? that never ever happens

[Dsuupr]

Looking sharp! Just as long as they don't cut corners, and put some REAL CLOTH UPHOLSTERY IN THIS TIME!!!! NO MORE SYNTHETIC FAKE JUNK!!!! (Are you listening Chevrolet Cobalt, Malibu, Malibu Maxx, and Pontiac G6?)

[post="18377"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I like the feel of the "fake" junk over the sticky velour.

[Guest Josh]

This is production.

[ToniCipriani]

A step closer to the Cobalt/Pursuit twins. I'm pretty sure the greenhouse will be the one on the Cobalt. Rims look like the one from the Pursuit GT media shot earlier. For some reason, I'm starting to see Mazda3 in the front. Import biased people will call this copying, and it might look dated by the time it makes to the showroom. I like this interior compared to the Cobalt one, although the HUGE vents on the sides look wierd.

[Cadillacfan]

Might I ask where you got these pictures from?

[Guest Josh]

Check the front page Cadillacfan

[Dsuupr]

It just dawned on me while reading the front page again. The Cobalt plant is at full capacity. My local dealer has very few if any 06s. The magazines seem to be ignoring the fact that the Cobalt is a hit. With only a $500 rebate to boot. Edited September 22, 2005 by Dsuupr

[Robert Hall]

Look good...and they put the gauges where they belong!

[regfootball]

i can't say this wows me. I don't like the Maxima/Altima sort of sweep of the doors into the dash (in fact, i fricking hate it), and the interior itself isn't wow, except that I like the gauges. The gaps and QC look rather atrocious. As an example, I think the current Astra interior is much more fetching. Still, its a new look for Saturn and an improvement over the current car. I know the exterior is a rednering, but it does nothing for me. This car better have some rear leg room. If they don't fix that issue, its pathetic. the seats and steering wheel are carry over. I wonder if the new dash isn't just partially a new skin to cover over the existing guts underneath what's there now, so they maybe didn't have tons of design freedom to redo everything. Edited September 22, 2005 by regfootball

[bdc]

Looks great, but two years is a lonngggg way off. Really it should be out in the fall of 06.

[SimonDavid]

So is this going to be an Astra clone or isn't it? If it is then that means the current Astra has had a short production run - it was released only last year yet would be replaced in 2008 by a delta based product. I agree that the name Astra sounds better than Ion. Wouyld be better for global production figure bragging rights as well - Astra + Saturn Ion + Zafira may well top Corolla. If it's not then GM still has a way to go to align Saturn and Opel.

[thedriver]

now if only they would make the vertical body panels plastic. . .

[Brandon Lutz]

Excuse me, I need to clean my pants now after seeing the interior and the whole car :D

[Fah-King-Cool]

that is one fah-king-cool interior. im hooked on how it looks. and some nice big sci-fi vents

[caddycruiser]

Much better overall, and even nicer than the Cobalt in many aspects, but that rear end is worrying me. Looks like the roofline is cut too quickly and low, which looks good, but really cramps the back seat even more. That, and the trunk/rear fender profile looks like it might resemble the Cobalt sedan's worst feature a little too much. Also hope it doesn't end up with the same jacked-up, off-roader height of the Cobalt sedan. Otherwise, cool car, and GREAT for Saturn.

[stickmax]

Absolutely gorgeous. I just wish it was coming sooner. My ’92 Saturn SC isn’t likely to last until 2008. Any chance of a coupe or fastback sport hatch version. A MSRP of $16,000 to $22,500 with a Red Line version at $23,500 sounds appropriate.

[PeterJ]

I'll agree with others that are saying it's a vast, vast improvement over the current ION but not ground breaking from what we're seeing here. About on par with the current Mazda 3, which is a great car, but it's been on sale for two years and this one is two years away. Is it a forgone conclusion that there will be no 5-door hatchback version of this car? I don't want to hear any excuses about how Americans don't buy wagons hatchbacks, because it's a bunch of crap. People over 45 might have that bias, it's an emerging trend for the rest of us. If they miss on that, it's a major oversight, particularly for this segment. Not everyone wants to buy a cute-ute to get the added utility (and IMO better looks) of 5 doors. It usually means sacrificing another 5-10 mpg also. Edited September 22, 2005 by PeterJ

[boblutzfan]

The car looks wonderful - but what will it look like in two years... GM needs to fast track this to production.

[sciguy_0504]

Talk about a HUGE improvement. It's like the current Ion (or current GM brass) overdosed on Viagra or something. I love the exterior. It's eyecatching and stylish. I'm not worried about the fastback-look or supposed lack of rearseat headroom. It looks good, period. A hatch/wagon needs to be offered, the car is calling for it. The interior looks alright though I'm not crazy about the side HVAC vents or Nissan-inspired design. The difference in colors is weird, too. I'm not really liking the puke-gray. I admit it's better than all gray or all black, though. The materials look slightly cheap, the plastic hard. We are talking about an economy car, however, so no one should be expecting to see Bentley materials. Overall, a much-needed improvement.

[Ghost Dog]

Hmm


http://us.tnpv.net/2005/WKA200506/WKA2005062749937_pv.jpg

[vt_hokie]

HUGE improvement. Makes the current Ion look even more retarded than it already does...

Amen! Definitely a huge improvement. But it really sucks that GM is getting rid of the dent resistant plastic body panels. Thanks to those panels, my 1997 Saturn SL2 with 220,000 miles is free of door or fender dings. Edited September 22, 2005 by vt_hokie

[titan]

Hmm
http://us.tnpv.net/2005/WKA200506/WKA2005062749937_pv.jpg

[post="18580"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Very cool find. What is that. Is it just a design study?