Friday, October 25, 1991 — North Shore News pore om oes sa Photos submitted An economy car designed to attract import buyers Greg Wilson TEST DRIVE THIS YEAR, Canadians have their first opportunity to drive General Motors’ ‘‘import-fighters,’’ Saturn SL, SLI and SL2 compact sedans, and the sporty SC coupe. Saturn engineers openly admit that Saturn cars were designed to drive, ride and feel like the best- selling Japanese small cars. Engineers spent years studying and driving Japanese cars to find out exactly what North Americans like about them, and the result is an entirely new type of North American-built automobile. It’s still too early to tell whether Saturn automobiles will lure away traditional import buyers, but ini- tial quality and owner satisfaction surveys done by J.D. Power and Associates and Saturn’s own research department are encourag- ing. Saturn’s internal surveys in- dicate that the majority of their U.S. customers think their car’s quality is as good or better than Japanese competitors. Currently, there are two body styles, a four-door sedan with a relatively long 2606 mm (302 inch) wheelbase, and 2 sporty two-door coupe with a shorter 2520 mm (99 inch) wheelbase. The sedan comes in three trim levels with a choice of two alumi- num alloy four-cylinder engines. The SL and SL! models have an 85-horsepower, 1.9 litre single overhead cam four-cylinder engine with two valves per cylinder, while the SL2 sedan and SC coupe have a 124-horsepower, 1.9 litre dual overhead cam four-cylinder powerplant with four valves per cylinder. The SOHC unit offers singte point (throttle body) elec- ironic fuel injection while the DOHC unit has a multi-port system, All steel Saturns have a spaceframe with thermoplastic panels bolted onto the vertical surfaces (doors, fenders, quarter panels and front and rear fascias), while horizontal surfaces (hood, roof, trunk) are made of steel. The plastic body panels are rustproof, dent-and-ding resistant, and recyclable. In addition, they can be removed easily to service the inside of doors. My test car this week was an SLI sedan. Its most attractive feature, in my opinion, is its price. The base price of $11,080 includes the SOHC 1.9 litre engine, a standard five-speed manual transmission, a five- passenger cloth/vinyl interior with split fold-down rear seats, speed- sensitive variable-effort power steering, AM/FM _ stereo radio, tachometer, intermittent wipers, adjustable steering whcel, and a fully independent suspension. A Price as tested $11,555 Base psice $11,080 Type 4-door, 5-passenger sedan Layout transverse front engine/front-wheel-drive Engine i901 cc 4 = cylinder, SOHC, single-point electronic fuel injecuon &4 On the road, the Saturn SLI has the nimble feeling of a smali Japanese car. The steering is direct and precise in its feel, handling is agile and quite neutral Jor a front-wheet-drive car, and the ride is very comfortable. 99 fairly big 11.9 cubic feet trunk with a bumper-level trunklid is also standard equipment. Major options include an elec- tronically-controlled four-speed automatic transmission, an anti- lock braking system with four- wheel disc brakes, power sunroof, air conditioning, leather trim, power door lacks and windows, optional sound systems, 15-inch alloy wheels and a_ rear-deck spoiler. Horsepower 85 @ 5000 rpm Torque 107 ft-lbs @ 2400 rpm Transmission 5-speed manual (4-speed elec.-controtled auto) Curb weight 1049 kg/2313 Ibs Wheelbase 2601 min/102.4 in Lengt 4478 mm/176.3 in. Width 1718 mm/67.6 in. On the road, the Saturn SLI has the nimble feeling of a small Japanese car. The steering is direct and precise in its feel, han- dling is agile and quite neutral for a front-wheel-drive car, and the ride is very comfortable. The base SOHC engine seems 10 have more pep than its 85-horsepower would indicate, and provides plenty of acceleration. Equal length drive- shafts help to eliminate torque See 1992 page 38 Height 1334 mm/52.5 in. Trunk space 334 1/11.9 cu. ft. Fuel economy City 8.5 1/100 kms/33 mpg, Hwy 5.6 1/100 kms, 50 mpg Tires P175/70R14 Warranty Complete 3° yrs/ 60,000 kms.