Filed under: Car Buying, Sedans/Saloons, Saturn
Saturn dealers to offer Camry, Accord drives to Aura shoppers
The reinvigorated Saturn is one of the best things GM's got going right now. May 2007 sales were up 68% over the previous year (what a difference appealing product makes), and overall, it's up 30% YTD versus 2006.
Now comes word from Bloomberg News that starting tomorrow, June 11, all but 5 of the 430 Saturn dealers in the US will offer prospective Aura shoppers comparison test drives in the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. According to Saturn's Lisa Hutchinson, its participating dealers are buying the imports that'll be used for the program, which runs through July 31. GM's showing a lot of confidence in its new products -- remember, Chevy dealers will have Camrys on the floor to compare to the new Malibu when it arrives, too. This is all good, and it could probably be even better. Follow the jump for a bit of editorializing.
[Source: Bloomberg News]
Gallery: 2007 Saturn Aura Geen Line
Showing the competition to customers who've already found their way into the Saturn showroom is one thing. Getting even more people aware of the good new stuff in the Saturn showroom to begin with is another story. Saturn sales are decidedly up -- this is an inarguable fact -- but one has to wonder if it could (and should) be an even better story for GM. Just last night, after dinner with some friends, I pointed out an Aura XR leaving the restaurant to one of our companions as it drove by. We were actually chatting about cars at the time, and pleasantly surprised, he gave the "that's a Saturn?" reaction seen in the TV spots the automaker trotted out last year. That kind of response from the public is all well and good at new-model launch, but now, several months into sales, it struck me as being a bit of a problem. Similarly, last week, a friend who was over for a visit asked of the Aura Green Line in my garage, "Why don't I see more about this car?" Why, indeed.
Yes, it's just two people and its purely anecdotal -- I know this. But it makes me think that there are still plenty of people out there who simply aren't aware of the Aura and can't identify it when they do see it -- even if they like it. And make no mistake: both of the friends I refer to above would have no trouble identifying an Accord or Camry. The overall Saturn story right now is a a very good thing, but I'm beginning to wonder if there's even greater upside to be had. It boils down to awareness. GM is right to be proud of its new products and smart to serve up the competition in a side-by-side test for customers -- it communicates confidence, and that's compelling. The trick is to go out and get even more shoppers into stores to take that test in the first place. It seems like there's still untapped potential in that regard.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Andrew 5:32PM (6/10/2007)
this is a bold move by GM. certainly an interesting way of seller your vehicles. i hope they make valid comparisons though (not sticking the Aura v6 vs. an Accord I4)
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Solo Racer 5:46PM (6/10/2007)
It is a bold move as long as it's a straight-up comparo.
I hope Saturn does it right and has a good product to show.
jamesc 5:49PM (6/10/2007)
Well, it's not recognizable as a Saturn, because it's really just an Opel. Not that it's a bad thing, on the contrary. If you take a Toyota Camry or a Ford F-150, you just KNOW that it is what it is, because the name and form has been the same for years. When you dump all your current lineup and replace it by rebadged Europeans, or if you change the names constantly (Taurus - 500 - Taurus) no wonder people are confused. The problem isn't in the name, it's in the product.
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jgp 6:16PM (6/10/2007)
The Aura is just as much an Opel as the Pontiac G6 is.
The Aura does not share doors, roofline, or wheelbase with the Vectra. Only the front and rear ends of the Aura resemble the Vectra.
Actually, the 04-07 Malibu has a stronger resemblance to the Vectra than the Aura does. Compare side-profile shots of the Malibu (non-Maxx), Aura, and Vectra sedan. The Malibu and Vectra have almost the same side profiles, while the Aura's side profile looks completely unrelated.
Also remember that comparing the Aura to the Vectra isn't a compliment. In Europe, the Vectra is considered a cheap, substandard offering that's primarily sold as a company car and is no match for the segment leaders, Ford Mondeo and Peugeot 407. Opel/Vauxhall does have some awesome cars in Europe (the Astra, Zafira, and new Corsa come to mind), but the Vectra isn't one of them.
Dave 5:52PM (6/10/2007)
425 new Camrys for Saturn dealers
+425 new Accords for Saturn dealers
+at least as many Camrys for Chevy dealers
I hope Toyota and Honda send a thank you note
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3cubedminus3squared 6:18PM (6/10/2007)
I was going to say the same thing.
AMcA 7:00PM (6/10/2007)
Naw, it just means a bunch of cars dumped into the used market in a few months. Makes no difference whatsoever.
Tskyline5 12:09PM (6/11/2007)
I read somewhere that the competition's offerings will be rented...
This comparison, and the new 100,000 mile warranty shows that GM is becoming very confident in their new products. Kudos for that.
Owner_Toyota_dealership 6:04PM (6/10/2007)
From the bottom of our heart the guys at Toyota, want to thank you: GM for having all this troubles just for making us look better right in front of YOU.
Its one of the most condescending acts in the Automotive history, in fact, some of us, Toyota-dealeship owners think that you should get a free leasing.
One Last Wish: Please Put the 2007 Honda Accord, NOT THE '08.
Thanks, you are great, without you, WE COULN'T BE #1!
Sincerely, Greg T. Burgos.
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Matt 6:33PM (6/10/2007)
You are number one? At what, exactly, besides sales?
You're number one because my ignorant grandparents, and millions of Americans like them think they have to buy Japanese to get a quality product? Number one because of misinformation, leading directly back to a screw-up Domestics made in the 80s and 90s?
Number one because your Camry, comparably equipped, costs $5,000 more than my G6, and the ONLY feature YOU have that mine doesn't is keyless start on a keyfob?
Number one because your car's front end looks as though you found a bird and bashed in it's beak, or perhaps just found a physically retarded bird?
Because your vehicles are driven by old people, just waiting to die?
Yeah... a LOT to brag about there, buddy.
Why don't you go sell more Tundras with crap frames that warp, receive lower crash test ratings, are worse off as hauling a load, have a chance of a camshaft failure, and only appeal to a) old people, and b) retards who think spending $40,000 on a truck to "be fastest off the line of any other trucK" makes them look cool.
Reality Check 6:46PM (6/10/2007)
Your reply sounds like a child.... I bet your employee's think your an idiot...
Aprime1 6:49PM (6/10/2007)
Your cars still suck.
rob 9:20AM (6/11/2007)
matt - last thing i knew, sales are a pretty good indicator of demand. its a pretty big thing...but i guess since you're so blinded by your hatred for imports you wouldn't remember that.
you also sound slightly bitter - just a little, though. your inferiority complex just shines through. i mean, calling those who buy tundras either old or "retards" is really mature.
and just for the record, i've driven a g6 and its a piece of crap. looks cheap and drives cheap...i even thought the hyundai sonata was better. and i sure am glad i don't own one...i wouldn't want my power steering failing on me and all.
Matt 3:13PM (6/11/2007)
Sales are an indicator of demand, yes, and demand is driven by millions of buyers who are completely ignorant to the current market. GM's stuff in the 80s and 90s was crap, agreed, that has nothing to do with today. My G6 is a 2007, not a 1987. :(
That's funny, my friend's mom has an 05 Sonata. I can't recall a time I've been in or around a vehicle that felt so cheap. Even my friend's 07 Hyundai Accent is of higher quality.
You said the G6 was cheap? I'd imagine a $21,000 car would be cheap compared to what... your pretty little Acura? How's the lack of torque treating you? I'm guessing you're one of those people who bitches about the interior of the Corvette, and then completely gets the idea of the car. It's meant as a budget supercar, if you will. The reason it doesn't have an uber-fine interior is, I would imagine, the same reason it only costs $62,000 instead of hundreds of thousands of dollars more. ;)
Also, I'd love for you to provide a TSB or perhaps something more relevant in regards to power steering failure on G6's? News to me, mine works fine. :)
Grow up a little, kid. Maybe learn how to, at the very least, capitalize your first name? That would be a welcome first-step, if you will.
jrockthamic 2:00PM (6/13/2007)
If you are a CEO, I would like to know what family member died. It took me five minutes to decipher what you were trying to say. Not only ignorant, but stupid as well, a deadly combination to be sure. Have fun with the chapter 11 in ten years.
TriShield 6:20PM (6/10/2007)
#3, the Aura isn't a straight-up Opel import. It's a heavily revised Pontiac G6 styled to look like an Opel. It was engineered and assembled in the US.
In fact the only Opel GM will actually be importing and selling as a Saturn is the Astra, and it's not even here yet.
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AMcA 7:02PM (6/10/2007)
You're only half right. The G6 and the Opel Vectra are brothers under the skin.
And the Aura is almost exactly in almost every detail a Vectra, but with parts sourced differently for assembly in the US.
roar 6:41PM (6/10/2007)
#7. You are a great example of what the CEO of Toyota spoke about recently, be humble, do not be arrogant. That type of attitude will lead to your demise.
roer
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smartmlp 6:57PM (6/10/2007)
I agree with what Matt says. A lot of people are biased toward imports and wont give domestics even a look. Its their loose though, because the Saturn Aura ranks easily with the best in the midsize class.
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smartmlp 6:58PM (6/10/2007)
loss*