The purchase of a hybrid car from a Saturn dealer involves a more complex payment process that works in the client’s favor. First of all, a Saturn hybrid is not in the least cheaper than conventionally-powered cars, but there are tax deductions offered by the government on the purchase of hybrid car. The Saturn dealer could arrange for a drive test so that you can see for yourself, starting to acknowledge the fuel consume level and the technical performances to be expected. Dealership therefore covers a complex range of services that are ultimately aiming at convincing the customer to strike the deal with them.

In recent years, shopping for cars is not that much fun anymore: people can’t afford changing their cars every three years, but they keep their old cars for a longer period of time. From the perspective of a Saturn dealer, the success of one car model on the market does not depend exclusively on the discount they make. Car sales are the result of complex social processes that include income, mortgages, bank debts and the actual need to get a new car. A Saturn dealer could also offer clients older models, in the form of used cars or vehicles sold in public auctions.

Is the reliability of the Saturn dealer an issue? If you do not have any dealership in your area, you can check the Internet to find the closest Saturn dealer to your home. Though most of the time, a car purchase requires an inspection or a drive test, there are clients who purchase used cars from auctions by consulting the technical sheet only. Relevant documents are important for the choice of the Saturn dealer; the company that sells you the car needs to have some form of accreditation or certification from General Motors that they are authorized to sell the Saturn brand.

Car materials these days are chosen to reduce weight, save costs and make cars more environmentally friendly. Steel as a car material today is found only in their frames, and as my Saturn dealer advised me, in “the body parts that face the sky”, such as the car’s hood, trunk lid and the roof. The balance of the car’s body is a composite of fiberglass and polycarbon material, which is lightweight and shock-absorbent, too.

Solid steel and cast iron are no longer the car materials preferred for car engines any more. These metals are too valuable and too heavy to use in the engine, which is subject to corrosion, rust and metal friction at high temperatures. Aluminum is now the standard car material for engine blocks in virtually every car made.

Petrochemical engineering is the source of most car materials for the interiors of modern cars. They represent a triumph over nature as they are water-resistant, preventing the growth of mold and mildew. Polyvinyl chlorides, polypropylene ultra-fine fibers and other synthetic materials make up the car’s interior from the dashboard cover to the floor mats. Some manufacturers are using natural fibers such as hemp for lining and cushioning the headliner (where the sun visors are attached). A large part of the car’s interior is now lined with sound-absorbing cushions of polypropylene.

Think the car material in your tires is pure rubber? Think again. The latex in rubber degrades quickly in humid conditions, even after the vulcanization process which makes rubber firmer. Now a composite of synthetic fibers, steel fiber belts for improved traction, and rubber are used to make car tires.

The number one car material for the wheels used to be cast iron. Then steel was used, as it rusted much more slowly. Now the preferred car material for wheels is cast aluminum, which is good at resisting moisture and is much lighter in weight than cast iron or steel.

A recent technological breakthrough in Britain is helping produce car materials to make “shape memory” fasteners that will retain their shape and release from the car body at a certain temperature. This will allow the cars to be disassembled and recycled very effectively. These car materials include polymers, plastics and metal alloys.

For the present, the car materials used in the world’s most expensive sports cars will include natural fibers such as leather for upholstery, and chromium for window and bumper trim. But the trends towards light weight, recyclability and low cost will encourage manufacturers to create new and useful car materials for the inexpensive, fuel-efficient and more earth-friendly cars the rest of us will drive daily in the foreseeable future.

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Conceived during the 1980s and launched in 1990, GM’s Saturn brand has gone from being an independent car company to becoming just another division in the GM brand portfolio. Its loss of independence and subsequent parental financial woes eventually doomed the brand, one that GM has promised to sell off or close down by the end of 2009.

Two Strong Suitors Have Stepped Forward

Now, at least two strong suitors have stepped forward to acquire the brand, including the Penske Group, which is one of the largest automobile dealer groups in the country. The Penske name is legendary is automotive racing and the company is also the exclusive distributor of Smart cars in the US.

The second suitor is a group of Ohio investors, whose background isn’t as clearly known. However, like some other parties who have expressed interest in Saturn, the group from Ohio may be looking to supply Saturn with vehicles from a number of different automakers. In other words, they would retain the Saturn brand but use retail outlets to sell any number of different vehicles.

Time Is Of The Essence

General Motors is still working out its restructuring in advance of an end of May deadline where the company could be forced into bankruptcy protection. Under bankruptcy, GM may have more options available to itself as it seeks to divest itself of several brands including Saturn, Saab and Hummer. Recently, GM announced that its iconic Pontiac brand would be shut down, selling its last vehicles before 2010 comes to a close.

GM has hired an independent advisor to review the Saturn bids with an eye to narrowing the list to three or four suitors. The automaker plans to continue to accept bids for Saturn until early June, hoping that the brand would sell before the end of the summer.

One group of potential buyers who has expressed strong interest in Saturn is the brand’s own dealer network. This group has been looking at purchasing GM vehicles from other divisions including Holden in Australia and Daewoo in South Korea, vehicles which could be badged as Saturns. However, it appears that the most likely scenario is the retail shop option where Saturn will be more of a “Best Buy” type retailer, selling several different brands to customers.

25 years after the Saturn idea was hatched, it appears that the curtain will be drawn on the show or at least repurposed to market a variety of cars underneath the Saturn umbrella.

Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who resides in North Carolina. Matt is a contributing writer for Andy’s Auto Sport an aftermarket supplier of quality parts including Ford wheels and Ford rims.

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Step back in time with me if you would, about 20 years to be precise, to an era when automaker General Motors was busy making plans for their all new company, Saturn. This wasn’t to be just another GM division mind you as Saturn was created as a separate import fighting company meant to take on the likes of Toyota and Honda. By 1990, the first Saturn cars rolled off a bucolic Tennessee countryside assembly line signaling a new cooperation between workers and management. Immediately, the funky little “S Series” of sedans, wagons, and coupes were a hit and GM was soon lauded for taking a bold initiative.

Today, Saturn is much different from the brand that took on Japan’s top automakers. Instead of being a separate, wholly owned car company the make is now one of General Motors’ many automotive divisions. The S Series sold well and the introduction of subsequent models helped the brand, but ultimately parent GM decided to pull the company within the General’s fold as it chose to close down Oldsmobile instead. Current models being sold by Saturn are much different from what was originally offered, but the company has managed to keep one huge attribute that originally propelled the brand forward: people are first. Let’s take a look at Saturn’s current line up and the vehicles soon to be introduced.

ION – After a decade of service, the S Series was retired in favor of the comparably sized ION. Unlike the S Series, the ION does not include a wagon, but it does include a four door coupe and sedan. Unfortunately, the car is not very competitive with similar models and GM is looking at an Opel-inspired car to take its place by the end of this decade.

VUE – A recent makeover has kept the VUE, Saturn’s small SUV, competitive. In addition, a pending hybrid model is expected to strengthen the line and talk of an all new compact model showing up in 2009 has the auto world abuzz.

RELAY – Saturn’s first minivan is a clone to models sold by Chevrolet and Buick. Unlike earlier Saturn models which featured polymer side impact panels [to limit dents], the RELAY is all sheet metal and simply a copy of other divisions’ vehicles. Still, the RELAY has filled an important hole in the Saturn line up by offering a larger vehicle for loyal Saturn owners.

SKY – Forget what you might have thought about Saturn previously. The SKY roadster is a hit for one big reason: it is absolutely sexy. Sharing components with the Pontiac Solstice, the SKY has radically transformed the brand’s image all by itself. Priced under $25,000, the SKY is competitive with the Mazda Miata and is a low cost alternative to the BMW Z4.

AURA – Another vehicle built to battle the division’s bland image, the AURA steps in to the midsize category replacing the L Series which was discontinued two years earlier. Based on GM’s Epsilon platform, the AURA borrows heavily from GM’s German division — Opel – while incorporating a style and design that favors the Saturn SKY.

OUTLOOK – To be introduced before the end of 2006, the OUTLOOK will be Saturn’s first bigger SUV. Although considered to be a “crossover” by many, the OUTLOOK is a 7 passenger SUV meant to complement the smaller VUE. With the addition of the OUTLOOK in the Saturn fold, GM will take a break before tinkering with the Saturn line up.

Truly, Saturn of 2007 will look much different from Saturn of the 1990s. For years, Saturn dealers were content to sell only one model – the S Series – but today’s Saturn is going well beyond all of that. With a hybrid VUE in the line up and other variations of existing models also being planned, the once spartan Saturn line up is nearly filled to capacity. This is great news for Saturn loyalists looking for choices beyond the base models and a promise that GM is investing money in its import fighting division.

Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who lives in the Raleigh, NC area. Please visit his top notch automotive blog — The Auto Writer — for all of the latest car information.

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