Saturn Undercuts Toyota with The Aura Green Line Hybrid MSRP

Saturn announced today that the new 2007 Aura Green Line hybrid’s MSRP will start at $22,695 (including destination charge), making it the lowest-priced hybrid on the market for 2007.

In addition to its value-focused price, the Internal Revenue Service has certified that Aura Green Line buyers will qualify for a tax credit of $1,300.

“The Aura Green Line is a great value among the hybrids in the mid-size car segment,” said Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak. “With a starting sticker price over $2,000 less than any mid-sized hybrid sedan and a $1,300 tax credit, it makes true hybrid fuel savings available to more people than ever before.”

The Aura Green Line’s EPA fuel economy rating of 28 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway represents up to a 30 percent improvement in EPA combined fuel economy compared to the non-hybrid Aura XE model (depending on driving conditions).

The Aura is assembled at the General Motors Fairfax Plant in Kansas City , Kan. , and Green Line hybrid models are beginning to arrive at Saturn retail facilities.

The hybrid system in the Aura combines sophisticated controls with a precise electric motor/generator mated to a 2.4-liter engine. The system delivers fuel economy gains by providing electric power assist during acceleration, through early fuel cut-off during deceleration with torque smoothing and by shutting the engine off at idle. The system also captures electrical energy through regenerative braking. The vehicle’s hybrid powertrain produces 164 horsepower (122 kW) at 6400 rpm and 159 lb.-ft. (215 Nm) of peak torque at 5000 rpm.

Saturn’s new hybrid sedan is based on the all-new Aura midsize sedan, which garnered the 2007 North American Car of the Year award. The Green Line features the same comprehensive safety package that earned Aura a full five stars in government frontal and side-impact crash tests, placing it among the safest vehicles available. (Visit safercar.gov for details.) Key standard features include dual-stage front, side head-curtain and front-seat thorax protection air bags; StabiliTrak electronic stability control; four-wheel disc brakes with ABS; and GM’s OnStar safety and security system. The Aura Green Line is one of four hybrids that Saturn has announced. The 2007 Vue Green Line, which debuted last summer using the same hybrid technology as the Aura Green Line, provides the highest EPA estimated highway fuel economy of any SUV at 32 mpg. In 2008, Saturn will offer the Vue Green Line with the first front-wheel-drive application of GM’s new, 2-mode hybrid system that is expected to deliver up to a 45-percent improvement in combined city and highway fuel economy compared with the non-hybrid Vue. A plug-in hybrid that has the potential to achieve double the fuel efficiency of any current SUV, is also in development for the Vue. This hybrid SUV will use a modified version of GM’s 2-mode hybrid system and plug-in technology. A Lithium-ion battery pack, when ready, along with highly efficient electronics and powerful electric motors, will achieve even greater increases in fuel economy.

AMGC55 - 3/20/2007 12:23:54 PM

0 Boost

at the end of the day its still a saturn

ICON - 3/20/2007 12:33:19 PM

+4 Boost

Very limited thinking...give the car a chance..any high mileage vehicle is bound to be a better solution..no matter who the manufacturer is..

jt716 - 3/20/2007 12:31:21 PM

0 Boost

*Correction at the end of the day its still an Opel

SupraNeverBack - 3/20/2007 1:17:23 PM

+5 Boost

Why the world "undercut" is used in the title?

They are different things, get different MPGs and different performance. Green line is not a real hybrid but Camry hybrid is a full hybrid.

You can get a Camry or Accord I4 with 24/34 mpg for less than 20K.

DallasMR2 - 3/20/2007 1:59:04 PM

+1 Boost

that's what i was thinking a few days ago when i read this article the FIRST time on this site... an accord 2.4 4cyl gets 24/34 (26/34 manual)...so why get a hybrid saturn? AND the accord has 166hp.

carfan3 - 3/20/2007 3:03:08 PM

0 Boost

so when gm comes out with their two-mode hybrids, does that make toyota's single-mode hybrids not a real hybrid? they are all hybrids, just varying degrees.

Lexus - 3/20/2007 3:22:02 PM

0 Boost

I belief the gen Prius is going to a plug in type and will get 100+ mpg. I belief they're going to starting saling in the fall as an 08 model.

Lexus - 3/20/2007 5:25:37 PM

+2 Boost

You idiot moron I'm just stating the fact, did I say the Prius is the best looking car? NO........ If you want a good looking car in the Toyota lineup get the Camry SE or wait for Supra to come back.

But if you have more money and want to be a true player get a Lexus.

But it you we are talking about Formula1, you probably be happy with a Kia, you say so youself on the Kia concept post.

S4cabriofoxone - 3/20/2007 7:25:28 PM

+2 Boost

Can they really afford to make their car MORE expensive than the competing Toyota?

What's the point of this article? It's not surprising at all.

XYZZ - 3/21/2007 4:12:33 AM

+1 Boost

you're right S4. the toyota NAME will always command a premium over saturn. they HAVE to sell it cheaper. even more so as the mpg ratings are NOT impressive.

S4cabriofoxone - 3/21/2007 8:36:46 PM

+1 Boost

The way you capitalize emphatic words in your posts is a bit annoying/

S4cabriofoxone - 3/21/2007 8:39:46 PM

+1 Boost

"the toyota NAME will always command a premium over saturn."

Also, this is only partly true.

Thirty years ago, or even better, twenty, if someone associated the name "Toyota" with "prestige," whoever was listening would laugh at loud.

Some companies can make serious strides in that short of a time. Don't be surprised if, in 2030, Saturn is the next "big thing."

XYZZ - 3/22/2007 3:52:42 AM

+1 Boost

s4, 20 years ago, the toyota name was more prestigious than the lexus name. in japan.

2 years ago (when lexus was finally used there), it was still true.

TODAY, and until lexus offers a v12 limo like toyota does, this is STILL TRUE.

austintyson - 3/23/2007 3:56:52 AM

+1 Boost

I will admit I don't like Toyota.. But I was suprised when I sat in the Saturn Aura and the Toyota Camry. I expected to be disappoint by GM. But to me the Saturn seemed to use better plastics and have over all better design. I came away thinking, hell GM seems to be doing something right thats not a truck.. I was shocked... as far as this I don't like Hybrids because they still use gasoline.. why not use a diesel and get not only better mileage but longer use...

TONYRICH - 3/23/2007 9:06:20 AM

+1 Boost

THERES A BETTER WAY TO MAKE A HYBRID INSTEAD OF USEING A ELECTRIC MOTOR TO ASSIST A GASOLINE MOTOR USE AN ELETRIC MOTOR FOR THE MAIN DRIVE AND USE A SMALL GASOLINE MOTOR TO TURN A GENERATOR THE POWER FROM THE GENERATOR WOULD CHARGE THE BATTERY THAT WOULD POWER THE ELECTRIC MOTOR THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE WAY A DESEL LOCOMOTIVE WORKS SUCH A CAR WOULD GET ANYWHARE FROM 80 TO 250 MPG AND HAVE THE SAME POWER AS THE FULL GASOLINE CARS THAT ARE OUT THERE NOW.

XYZZ - 3/27/2007 1:50:06 AM

+1 Boost

if that were true, don't you think someone would've already tried it?

i suspect while such a setup is THEORETICALLY possible, the acceleration would by abysmal. or, to get decent acceleration would require a powerful electric motor(s) and HUGE batteries.

at some point, the gas or diesel engine needed to make enuff juice would be fairly large (depending on power design demands). at which point, it'd make more sense to tap its power DIRECTLY (as current hybrids do).

TONYRICH - 3/30/2007 4:47:03 PM

+1 Boost

PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS I HAVE HELPED THEM DO IT WHAT THEY DO IS FIND AN OLD FIAT OR A CHEVETTE WITH A BLOWN ENGINE TAKE THE ENGINE OUT AND REPLACE IT WITH A 150 OR 200 HORSEPOWER ELECTRIC MOTOR THEN THEY GET 4 SEARS RV MARINE BATTERYS CONNECT THEM IN SERIES TO GET 48 VOLTS WHICH IS WHAT THE ELECTRIC MOTOR RUNS ON THEN THEY GET A GENERATOR OFF OF A JET ENGINE AND USE A LAWNMOWER ENGINE TO TURN THE GENERATOR WHAT IT IS A ELETRIC CAR BUT THE BATTERYS ARE BEING ALWAYS CHARGED WITH THE SMALL GAS MOTOR AND GENERATOR THE REASON WHY CAR MAKERS ARE NOT DOING THIS IS BECAUSE THE GAS MILAGE IS TOO GOOD THE GOVERNMENT MAKES MONEY OFF THE MOTOR FUEL TAX AND IF CARS GET MILAGE THATS TOO GOOD THEY WONT MAKE ANY MONEY THATS WHY YOU WONT SEE MORE THAN CARS THAT WILL GET MORE THAN 50 MPG FOR THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE THE GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING INTO DIFFERENT WAYS TO PAY FOR OUR ROADS EITHER BUY HAVEING A MONTHLY TAX ON OUR CARS OR BUY TAXING US BASED ON ROAD USE WHEN THIS PROBLEM IS SOLVED THEN YOU WILL SEE THE HIGH MPG CARS.