Saturn Lines Up Vues: Green, Red Line

 

 

Saturn has a pair of Vues for theChicago auto show – the hybrid Green Line and the higher-performance Red Line.

The Red Line is the successor to the current model, though it now features GM’s excellent 3.6-liter V-6 with 250 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is the only gearbox offered.

 

Available in front- or all-wheel drive, the Red Line sports a revised front-end air intake, a lower suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels, and chrome exhaust tips. Inside it gets a black interior with leather seats and suede inserts, along with special floor mats.

 

The Green Line hybrid consists of a 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder with electric motors and batteries and a modified four-speed automatic transmission. The new Green Line system shuts off the engine at low speeds and uses regenerative braking to charge its batteries along with the engine’s power. A second hybrid Vue is being planned; it will use GM’s new two-mode hybrid system that promises even better fuel economy than the version being shown in Chicago . A plug-in Vue hybrid is also in the works.

 

Neither version has been rated for fuel economy as of this report. Saturn promises the Vue Red Line for the third quarter of 2007, while the Green Line will emerge in the fourth quarter.

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