Apparently, my thinking was not too far from the truth. No, I hadn't been sucked up in some planetary black hole, but rather, the Saturn Aura XR is actually based on a European model. Its platform comes from GM's German Opel car division who has a pretty sound reputation in Europe.
Of course, I couldn't just sit there all day admiring this piece of American/German engineering, so with the radio set to XM8 (sounds of the 80's, don't laugh), I set off.
The 3.6L V6 (which produces 252 hp) propels the Aura XR quite nicely. The automatic box works well, although if I'm totally honest, I didn't actually like the paddle-shift idea. It was a little bit "hit and miss", and the controls seemed to work the complete opposite to other manufacturers' setups. This idea may be better suited to a more sports-minded model and although the Aura XR performs reasonably well, I wouldn't place it in that category. I'd term it more of "mild sports-sedan".
The handling follows along similar lines and having owned Opel vehicles in the past, I would hazard a guess that the suspension had received a certain "American tweak" as although it had some elements of the Euro-feel to it, it felt slightly more like a balance between the two.
On the highway, it rides more like a U.S. built vehicle and was quite comfortable at cruising speeds. In fact, the Aura XR is, in many ways, an extremely nice vehicle to travel in, as it is exceptionally quiet and suffers almost no wind noise. It also has plenty of overtaking power when required.
On the back roads, if you think of it as an "out and out" sports sedan, you might be a little disappointed. If you look at it the way I did, you will find it to be a good all-round vehicle with above average performance, handling and comfort.
As most buyers in this segment of the market are looking for just that, I'd say that GM could be onto a winner with this vehicle.
It certainly has changed my views on GM's Saturn division. No longer will I look upon them as the "the geeky company in the corner".
No, with products like this, Saturn might just be the perfect brand to bring a little more Euro-flavor into the North American mix. That could still set them apart from the rest of the crowd, but this time, it would be in a good way.
So, on summing up, I'd say that it's a good car which has been well priced. This only leaves me with the no haggle sales issue. Wait a minute! It just dawned on me... I've just given them the perfect reason why they've no need to haggle!
For more details concerning this vehicle, please refer to the technical specifications and to the standard features list.
If you wish to test-drive or receive a price quotation for this vehicle, you only have to perform a retailer / dealer search in your region.
Photo Credit : Kevin Corrigan
Of course, I couldn't just sit there all day admiring this piece of American/German engineering, so with the radio set to XM8 (sounds of the 80's, don't laugh), I set off.
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| Power comes from a 3.6L V6. |
The handling follows along similar lines and having owned Opel vehicles in the past, I would hazard a guess that the suspension had received a certain "American tweak" as although it had some elements of the Euro-feel to it, it felt slightly more like a balance between the two.
 |
| Not sporty but very competent. |
On the back roads, if you think of it as an "out and out" sports sedan, you might be a little disappointed. If you look at it the way I did, you will find it to be a good all-round vehicle with above average performance, handling and comfort.
As most buyers in this segment of the market are looking for just that, I'd say that GM could be onto a winner with this vehicle.
It certainly has changed my views on GM's Saturn division. No longer will I look upon them as the "the geeky company in the corner".
 |
| A taste of Europe in North-America. |
So, on summing up, I'd say that it's a good car which has been well priced. This only leaves me with the no haggle sales issue. Wait a minute! It just dawned on me... I've just given them the perfect reason why they've no need to haggle!
For more details concerning this vehicle, please refer to the technical specifications and to the standard features list.
If you wish to test-drive or receive a price quotation for this vehicle, you only have to perform a retailer / dealer search in your region.
Photo Credit : Kevin Corrigan
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