IN 1982, General Motors took a clean sheet of paper and redesigned the Ameri- can small car. A new manufacturing plant was built in Spring Hill, Ten- nessee; management/labor relations were overhauled; and Japanese lean manufac- turing techniques were in- troduced to the assembly line. TEST DRIVE Saturn was to be an import- fighter — a direct response to the improved quality and reliability of Japanese small cars. Eleven years later, and three years after Spring Hill started production, Saturn is starting to see the fruits of its labor. Despite mediocre styling, Saturn sedans and coupes are gaining respect in the marketplace and are noted for their roomy interiors, economical operation, and value for money. More importantly, they have earned a reputation for reliability. Consumer Reports’ owner surveys indicate that Saturn automobiles are just as reliable as the Japanese cars they compete with. For 1993, Saturn has added a statiun wagon to its lineup of compact four-door sedans and sporty coupes. Based on the four-door sedan, _ the wagon is available in two trim levels, SWi and SW2. The former has a standard 85- horsepower engine, and the latter offers a 124-horsepower, 16- valve, twin overhead cam version of the same engine. The base price of the SWI is $12,995, while the better-equipped SW2 starts at $15,895. The wagon is considerably more stylish than the sedan, primarily because of its handsomer rear end. The wraparound rear window glass and simple, elegant taillights of the wagon contrast with the awkward styling of the sedan’s tail. (. The SW2 Wagon also. of- _ fers twin front fog Jamps, a new front air dam and stylish wheel caps. That curved belt-line along the lower side of the wagon still looks awkward, but overall the wagon is a much more successful styling exercise than the sedan. All Saturns feature dent-resis- tant, rust-proof plastic body panels. The wagon is the first Saturn to use these polymer panels for the roof and tailgate, as well as the bodysides. The hood is now the only exterior panel remaining that is stamped from steel. Phatos submitted THE SATURN sation wagon is new for 1993, with standard driver's-side airbag, 1.9-litre four-cylinder engine, split fold-down rear seats and power-assisted steering. SW1 Wagons start at $12,995. Check out the new Saturn wagons at Morrey Saturn Saab Isuzu at Lougheed and Willingdon in Burnaby. My test vehicle was a jade- green SW2 Wagon with optional four-speed automatic transinis- sion. Standard equipment on the SW2 is extensive, including a driver’s side airbag, tilt’ steering wheel, power-assisted variable ef- fort steering, intermittent wipers, AM/FM stereo radio, 60/40 split folding rear seats and rear win- dows wiper/washer. Optional air conditioning, power windows and door locks, ABS, auto transmission and trac- tion control brought the as-tested price up to $18,410. Like the sedan, the wagon's 1.9-litre engine is noisy under hard acceleration but quict at cruising speeds, registering 2,500 rpm at 100 kin/h in fourth gear. The noise and vibration level has definitely been reduced since the first Saturn was introduced in Canada a couple of years ago. The optional four-speed automatic transmission is one of the nicest of any small car — im- port or domestic -— offering smooth, seainless changes except when sudden kickdowns are re- quired. Driver-selectable Performance and Normal modes provide drivers with a choice of sporty or eco- nomical operation. | would recommend leaving it in Normal mode because the transmission changes sooner for smoother, quieter running. The standard five-speed manual transmission is also a nice unit with quick, precise throws. Fuel consumption is good for this size of car and engine, 9.9 litres per 100 km (29 mpg) in the THE CARGO capacity of the Saturn wagon is about double that of the sedan with the rear seats up, and double that again with the rear seats folded down. city, and 6.6 litres per 100 km (43 mipg) on the open road. The cargo capacity of the wagon is about double that of the sedan with the rear seats up, and double that again with the rear seats folded down. However, the suspension hous- ings on either side of the rear cargo area take up quite a bit of room and fimit the width of items that cun be stowed, A rear cargo net is standard equipment and | would highly recommend ordering the optional sliding cargo cover (for privacy) and the optional roof rack for hauling bulky items such as mat- tresses and sheets of plywood. On the road, the Saturn Wagon offers a very comfortable ride Pe ek . Pars thanks to its long wheelbase and independent suspension. Handling is balanced and con- trolled, steering effort is very light, and the brakes are unusually powerful for a compact sedan in this price range. New this year is optional trac- tion control. Any Saturn equipped with an automatic transmission and optional anti-lock brakes now comes with traction control. If front wheel speed is greater than that of the rear wheels, such as during acceleration on icy pavement, the power required to maintain traction is adjusted through computer management of engine spark timing, transmission gear and fuel controls. At the moment, the Saturn Price as fested $18,410 Base price (SW2) $15,895, (SW1) $12,995 Type four-door, passenger station wagon Layout transverse engine/!ront-wheel drive Engine 1.9-litre, four- cylinder, 16 valves, DOHC, multi-port fuel injection Horsepower 124 @ 5,600 rpm Torque 122 ft-lbs @ 4,800 tpm Transmission four-speed automatic Perf/Normal modes Curb weight 1,134 km/2,499 Ibs Wheelbase in. Length 4,478 mm/176.3 in. Width 1,718 mm/67.6 in. Height 1,364 mm/53.7 in. Tires P195/60HR15 radials Cargo capacity Seats up — 816 litres.. Seats down — 1,594 litres, Fuel consumption City 9.9 L/t00 km, 29 mpg; Hwy 6.6 L/100 km, 43 mpg Warranty three years/60,000 km. five- front 2,601 mm/102.4 Wagon is one of only a handful of compact wagons on the mar- ket. In most respects, it is equal to or better than its competitors and is certainly worth a test drive if you want something made in North America.