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Saturn Vue SUV has the look a custom job with new Red Line
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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MILFORD, Mich. -- At Milford Proving Ground, the automotive research and testing facility for General Motors in suburbs of Detroit, we're in the Red Line with Vue, Saturn's car-like sport-utility vehicle.
True, we're pushing Vue's new Honda-built V6 engine toward the red line while scooting along GM Road at Milford, but there's more to the red line of this vehicle than the tint of the red zone indicated at the top the tachometer's needle.
Saturn, it seems, has devised a new label to describe sporty new modified vehicles for the brand.
Call it the Red Line, with capital letters.
In Saturn's class of 2004 there are Red Line versions of the quad-door Ion coupe and the Vue SUV.
These Red Line models pack punched-up powerplants, performance-tuned suspensions and body styling with special aerodynamic accents applied.
For the Ion Quad Coupe, the Red Line means putting a supercharger on Ion's four-cylinder Ecotec engine to enrich the power curve, with a heavy-duty Getrag five-speed manual gearbox on tap, plus the suspension tweaked and dropped, larger four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock brake system (ABS) aboard plus 17-inch alloy wheels -- all to forge a tuner-style sport compact model that's ready to romp in Saturday races and drive to work on weekdays.
For Vue the Red Line means a special package of optional equipment with the Honda V6 engine and an electronically controlled five-speed automatic transmission for either front-wheel-drive (FWD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction orientation.
Vue Red Line gets the suspension dropped by 26 millimeters, which adds to the look of a 'slammed' and modified vehicle but also reduces the risk of a roll-over by as much as 20 percent.
Front struts and shocks in the suspension are tuned for tighter control, and the electric power rack and pinion steering mechanism is recalibrated for a better on-center feel from the wheel.
The smooth exterior package on Vue Red Line brings the look of a custom car in monochromatic theme with unique ground effects added around the lower rim, black air intakes up front with a mesh screen grille in stainless steel and a chrome exhaust tip at the tail, plus painted cast aluminum 18-inch wheels capped by Bridgestone Turanza all-season touring tires.
And there are three special paint colors reserved exclusively for Vue Red Line -- Onyx Black, Silver Nickel or Electric Lime.
Everything comes together to fashion a wagon with improved handling traits particularly evident in the control of body motion -- Vue Red Line doesn't dip in the rear when accelerating or drop down in front with fast brake work, and in a set of curves, such as the tight benders we encounter on hilly Stobart Road at Milford, the stance remains relatively flat and stable.
Vue in the 2004 Saturn line is in its third year of production, but notable improvements apply to all versions.
Crafted with a unit-body structure typically used for cars rather than trucks, the wagon blends the best features of a traditional SUV -- such as the tall stance and a spacious cabin for a flexible seating system and cargo capacity -- with favored traits of a tightly constructed sedan, like the easy-of-entry to comfortable seats and an easy-to-drive personality.
And it comes with attributes typical of all Saturn vehicles, including a high content of safety-oriented hardware and pliable plastic side panels which are dent-resistant and flex in the face of parking-lot mishaps, along with Saturn's one-price strategy with favorable published price points.
Styling for the compact-class SUV looks rugged and strong but also progressive and friendly. It features the familiar proportions of a sport-ute with a tall stance and boxy cabin section but also clean lines of an industrial design with simple shapes.
Up front the prow of Vue reveals a tall multi-port fascia with integrated bumper and thin strips of horizontal headlamp clusters on upper corners.
The hood rises sharply to the windshield, where front pillars tip rearward into a flat roofline. Door pillars fade to black to blend with tinted windows, while second body-colored pillars slant forward in opposition to the windshield pillars. In back, a boxy wagon's bay is softened by the wrap of dark glass around each rear pillar.
Two doors on each side provide access for passengers into the cabin, while a liftgate in back leads into the cargo compartment.
The space-frame structure of Vue allows placement of front and rear frames below floor level of the passenger compartment. This in turn sets side rocker panels at a low level to create a low step-over height for easy entry to the cabin without having to hike over a tall door sill.
The cabin contains two rows of seats for passengers and a rear bed for cargo.
All trim versions receive new decorative materials on 2004 models such as nickel-finish trimmings, and there are additional acoustical elements wrapping the compartment to block external noise.
For locomotion, Vue pitches GM's Ecotec four-cylinder engine and the powerful new Honda V6 option.
The dual-cam 2.2-liter four-in-line Ecotec plant achieves 143 hp at 5400 rpm with torque muscle of 152 lb-ft at 4000 rpm.
Honda's advanced V6, outfitted with a single overhead camshaft and variable-valve timing, displaces 3.5 liters and comes with electronic throttle control. It produces an exuberant 250 hp at 5800 rpm and 242 lb-ft at 4500 rpm.
Vue's model parade begins with a base edition in FWD format stocking the four-cylinder engine and a precise manual five-speed transmission by Getrag of Germany.
One step up leads to Vue with AWD traction and GM's high-tech VTi continuously variable transmission, which approaches a manual shifter's fuel economy but delivers undetectable shift transitions.
Then the Vue V6 with new five-speed electronically-controlled automatic shows FWD and AWD versions.
Pricing for Vue starts as low as $16,920 for the FWD Ecotec engine and manual shifter, while the V6 Vue with FWD format is $22,405.
Vue Red Line equipment in a package lists for $1,995.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2004 SATURN VUE Specs |
| Description: |
Compact 4-door SUV
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| Model Options: |
Compact 4-door SUV
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| Wheelbase: |
106.6 inches
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| Overall Length: |
181.3 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.2-L I4
DOHC 3.5-L V6
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| Transmission: |
I4 FWD: M/5 Getrag F23
VTi M75
I4 AWD: VTi M16
V6 FWD: A/5 MJ7
V6 AWD: A/5 MJ8
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| Drive: |
I4: FWD
AWD
V6: FWD
AWD
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| Braking: |
I4: Power disc/drum
opt. ABS
V6: Power disc/drum
ABS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + opt. 2 (side curtain)
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| Gas Mileage: |
I4 FWD M/5: 23/28 mpg
I4 FWD VTi: 21/28 mpg
I4 AWD VTi: 21/26 mpg
V6 FWD A/5: 20/28 mpg
V6 AWD A/5: 19/25 mpg
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| Price: |
I4 FWD M/5: $ 16,920, V6 FWD A/5: $ 22,405, RL FWD A/5: $ 24,400, V6 AWD A/5: $ 24,055 RL AWD A/5: $ 26,050 |
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