The new Saturn Aura got off to a rip-roaring start when it won “Car of the Year” at the 2007 North American Auto Show in Detroit. The judges raved. Matt DeLorenzo of Road and Track said, “The Saturn Aura is a breakthrough car for General Motors. The road manners are solid, the interior is beautiful, and the overall fit and finish is top-notch.” John Davis of Motor Week called the Aura, “a striking and entertaining family sedan alternative to Camry and Accord.”
That was the buzz from Detroit, and before the Green Line version was introduced. As the Aura Green Line made the rounds to the auto reviewers, the story changed. The styling continued to receive high marks, but a chorus of auto journalists dinged the Aura Green Line for "anemic" performance and a "stripped-down" feel.
Why did the Aura Green Line get accused of being cheap? Because affordablity (a.k.a. cheapness) was General Motors' goal in producing Saturn hybrids. The company argues that consumers won’t buy a hybrid if they can’t justify any extra costs with a quick return. So, all of the company’s first hybrids, including the Aura Green Line, use a less expensive gas-electric system that calls on electric power mostly to prevent the vehicle from burning gas during idle, and only occasionally to give the car a minor boost during certain driving conditions. This technology, commonly called “stop-start“ is a no-frills system for improving fuel economy by about 10 percent.
While Saturn manages to keep the additional cost of the Green Line version within a couple of thousand bucks of the conventional four-cylinder Aura (especially when considering the hybrid tax credit), its real competition is not the standard Aura—but the Toyota Prius and Civic Hybrid. Unfortunately, the bare-bones entry-level versions of those cars are about the same price as the Aura Green Line. And those vehicles beat the Aura Green Line's fuel efficiency ratings by 13 mpg and 16 mpg respectively. To make matters worse (especially for those calculating the environmental impact of driving), The Aura Green Line is rated as a Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV), four steps below its competitors, which score the Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle rating.
Specifications:
| Base MSRP |
$22,140 |
| Style |
Midsize Sedan |
| Seating |
5 |
| Mileage |
32/24 |
| Tank Size |
16 gallons |
| Emission Rating |
LEV |
| 0 - 60 Performance |
11 seconds |
| Passenger Space |
113 cubic feet |
| Cargo Space |
30.8 cubic feet |
| Net Power |
170 horsepower |
| Electric Motor Power |
6.7 horsepower |
| Gas Engine Torque |
162 lb.-ft. @ 4,400 RPM |
| Electric Motor Torque |
48 lb.-ft. |
| Displacement |
2.4 liter |
| Battery Output |
500 volts |
| Drag Coefficient |
.26 |
Reviews:
The 2007 Saturn Aura Green Line succeeds in its mission statement of being a cheap hybrid. While its stripped-down cabin disappoints, its entry-level drive train technology delivers decent fuel economy gains over the V-6 gasoline model.
Cnet
Possibly the biggest thing the Aura Green Line has going for it is that it's a Saturn Aura. The Aura is a handsome car that handles and drives more like a European sedan than a typical GM car. But with its 4-cylinder engine and smaller wheels wrapped in low-rolling-resistance tires, the Aura Green Line loses much of the power and pleasure that marks the top-line Aura.
CNNMoney
At $22,695, the Aura Green Line is the cheapest hybrid on the market, at least until the stripped-down 2008 Prius arrives later this month. However, to get to that price, GM cut some corners. Not enough to turn Picasso into Cezanne as in years past, but still enough to make you scratch your head.
Motor Trend
The Saturn Aura Green Line is a handsomely styled, midsize sedan with anemic-feeling gasoline-electric hybrid power and lackluster fuel economy vis-à-vis its Japanese competitors. And starting in 2008, the Aura Green Line no longer is the lowest-priced hybrid production car. The Aura Green Line, which is priced higher than an Aura with V6 and weighs about the same as a V6 Aura, gets only 164-horsepower from its 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine with electric motor assist. And the lower power is noticeable and disappointing.
MSN Autos
My biggest gripe with the regular Aura was its cabin, which has fit-and-finish issues that are hard to ignore. Unfortunately, the Green Line isn't an improvement in this regard; it has some glaring panel gaps you wouldn't expect to see in a brand-new model. Still, if you're looking for a hybrid on the cheap and want a sedan, the Aura Green Line, which starts at $22,695, is a sensible choice that doesn't ask the owner to make any significant compromises.
Cars.com |
