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Thanks, ImSaturn members!

My last post generated some great feedback.

A couple people asked about adding a smaller car to our line-up – something like the Opel Corsa that GM sells in other markets around the world. Well, you probably won’t be surprised that I’m not going to reveal our future product plans today.

I can say that the idea of adding a vehicle like the Corsa to the Saturn lineup illustrates the value of our partnership with the Opel brand. Anytime you see an Opel, you are looking at a potential Saturn, and vice versa. The Saturn-Opel partnership will be the key to us offering a wide portfolio of great styled, fun-to-drive vehicles that are unlike anything else GM offers in North America.

I also have been very pleased to hear from so many people who have purchased their second, third, or even seventh or eighth Saturn. I love all Saturn owners, but I have a special place in my heart for those of you with such tremendous loyalty to the brand. If no one has told you lately, then let me say “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” You are a valued part of this brand.

And thanks to everyone who reads my ramblings, particularly those who take the time to respond. I make sure the key members of our team read your comments, and they are added to the many factors we use to make important decision about our products and marketing strategies.

10 Comments

Comment by Rob on May 21, 2008 at 11:00am: Hi Jill,

Well I for one am glad to finally be able to hear from the 'ultimate' Saturn guru herself! I know you have a hectic life running a major car company so but dang, would be nice to hear from you more often. =)

It is also great that we as owners too get to let you know our feelings, ideas, sentiments about what is going on with Saturn as well as our personal lives. I too agree the Corsa would be a great addition to the portfolio since fuel costs continue to climb.

Look forward to the next phase of Saturn's revitalization.

And THANK YOU and the Saturn team for what you are doing.

Comment by RedLineVUE on May 21, 2008 at 12:04pm: Jill, I'd just like to say THANK YOU as well. You and the other employees with Saturn have taken this company a long way.

The corsa I think might be a great addition. I'd also love to see diesels, or even better bio-diesel ready Saturns in our future. I'd also love to see a Hybrid Sky in our future, Although I do know we don't have one yet due to space constraints. I know not to bother begging for these options being made in Saturn's lineup, I already know and trust Saturn enough to know they are being seriously considered.

Comment by Phil Toney (nasaman) on May 21, 2008 at 1:46pm: Jill, it's great to know you're asking key Saturn people to read the comments offered here!
As to an Opel design I'd suggest producing, my FIRST choice would be the Saturn/Opel Flextreme concept pictured above. I saw it at the Saturn display in the New York Auto Show this March .....it's even more distinctively beautiful when "live" than it is in pictures.

For any here who aren't aware of it, the Flextreme employs an electric drive train that allows most daily travel (up to 34 miles) to be completed without using even a drop of gasoline or causing any air pollution! It costs about 1/3rd what a Toyota Prius hybrid costs to drive, has better performance than most conventional cars, and has a non-stop range of 444 miles between fillups on long trips. It's a sporty, futuristic car that would be a perfect companion to the forthcoming Plug-in 2 Mode Vue. I'd buy one in a heartbeat .....and I'm certain tens of thousands of other people would too!

Comment by Cathy Burke on May 22, 2008 at 8:18am: I just went to the deliver to check out a Sky. I am only 4'10" so sometimes it is hard to find a vehicle that fits. I currently drive an HHR that I bought new in 2006 for $22,000. It has 6-way power seats that makes it very easy for me to adjust and see out of the vehicle. I just went to sit in a $30,000 Sky and found it had no power seats and none are available. There was a power assist to lift the seat which did allow me to see out over the dash but after raising the seat I could not reach the manual lever to pull the seat back once I got it pulled foward. I understand that I am well below the average height and my husband really wanted one of those cars. Without me being able to drive it, it means no sale. I could not believe that I could get the seats in a $22,000 HHR but not in a $30,000 Sky.

Comment by Gord888 on May 22, 2008 at 10:37pm: "Anytime you see an Opel, you are looking at a potential Saturn, and vice versa" ... haha... don't make it too obvious! I'd be very happy to see a nice small car like the corsa. If you do manage to get the Corsa into Canada, i hope you bring the little 1.3L diesel with it. Then you have something for people to talk about: "a fun to drive diesel"???

Comment by PSVUE on May 23, 2008 at 8:11pm: Yes, you do need a smaller car and perhaps more importantly lighter vehicles, better technological solutions and greater fuel efficiency across your lineup of all sized models. Nothing would make me happier in terms of automobiles than to see Saturn become a world class leader in this regard and to bring the most efficient products to the market first, at a price that most Americans can afford. Getting this right is no longer something that can be considered a long term planning process or desire. It is an urgent necessity and it must be done now. Thanks for posting and continuing the dialogue.

Comment by TReg9c on May 26, 2008 at 10:19pm: I wish you guys would make your vehicles "in house" so to speak. I do not like it when one car manufacturer re-badges another car and calls it their own. If I wanted an Opel I would buy an Opel.

Comment by Mike on May 29, 2008 at 10:01am: TReg -
Thanks for you comment. As part of the GM family, the product we share with Opel are built "in house." And the Opel and Saturn versions are never sold in the same markets. Also, the sharing goes both ways. A GM plant in Belguim builds Astras for North America, and we build a version of the Sky and send it to Europe as the Opel GT.

The engineering for all our products is done on a global basis, with input from our techical and design centers in North America, Europe and Asia. We even get some engineering support from South America. By using GM's global resources, we get the best products possible, and we get vehicles that are different from other GM US/Canada brands.
-Mike from Saturn Communications

Comment by Mike on May 29, 2008 at 10:19am: (I sent this directly to Cathy regarding her post, but I want to share with the rest of this chain)

Cathy -

Jill asked me to get back to you regarding your concerns about the Sky.

The Sky is a unique vehicle. As a performance-oriented roadster, our decisions on what content to add have be slanted toward mechanical items that boost ride, handling and acceleration. To keep the price down, there are some "comfort" oriented items that are not offered.

Jill passed your comments on the the Sky product development team for consideration as we work on future model year vehicles.

I'm on the other end of the height scale - 6'5"- and I'm also bummed that I can't comfortably fit is a car s cool as the Sky. Not to make a hard selling push, but you may find that the Astra is a good fit for you, and the hatchback would still give you some of the utility you have in your HHR.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your opinions.

Comment by Richard Curtis on August 15, 2008 at 2:09pm: Please check out the Car Online website to see the new Vauxhall/Opel Insignia wagon. I had to stop being a Saturn owner in the fall of 2005 when I was looking for a mid sized wagon. You (all of GM) didn't have a car to meet my needs so I bought a VW Passat wagon. I felt bad about it since I have owned a slew of GM cars, including two Saturns, since 1963 and a couple of family members work at GM's Oshawa truck plant but if you don't make what the customer wants they will go elsewhere. Concentrating on trucks, CUVs and SUVs may have been good for the bottom line short term but look at where GM is now! Shutting down the most efficient truck plant in the Western Hemisphere! Give us a mid sized, mid priced station wagon, please.