2007 Saturn Aura midsize sedan

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2007 Saturn Aura midsize sedan

July 7, 2005 10:33 AM EST | Saturn , Sedans | Email to Friend

If Saturn's L-Series replacement looks anything like the Aura concept, it should go a long way toward reinvigorating Saturn's lineup.

The Aura midsize concept is almost certainly the clear successor to the universally maligned L-Series, and what a replacement it is. Built on the Epsilon platform, which it shares with the Chevy Malibu and Pontiac G6, the Aura was developed jointly with German GM-subsidiary Opel. After taking a beating in the last couple of years, Saturn is seeking to reestablish its brand identity by working much more closely in the future with Opel, whose Vectra belies a great deal of similarity to the Aura. The results have paid off, as the Aura sports, among other things, a seductive leather-trimmed interior that is the very antithesis of Saturn's pedestrian reputation. The engine, a 3.6-liter DOHC V6 with 250 hp, also improves greatly over that of the L-Series. Expected to start at less than $25,000, the Aura has about as good a chance as anything of reviving Saturn's bankrupt automotive capital.