36 -— Friday. February 19, 1999 - Norih Shore News

THE 1999 Saturn SC1 and SC2 coupes have a new third door on the driver's side, that hinges from the rear. It's designed to make entry and exit easier for passen-
gers, but is of most use for throwing in parcels and light cargeo.

IT seems like a no-
brainer — a third door
to improve access to
the rear seat of the
Saturn SC coupe.

It’s been done successfully
on GM's compact extended
cab pickup trucks for years,
so why not sporty coupes?

Like the rear doors on
GM's pickups, Saturn’s dri-
ver’s-side rear door panel is
hinged from the rear and can
be opened only after the dri-
-ver’s door is opened. There

* are no sear door handles on
the outside or the inside —
the door handle is on the
door jamb. This is to prevent
someone opening it before
the front door is opened.

For rear passengers, the
new door makes entry and
exit to the rear seat casier and
mere dignified. For the dri-
ver, the third door is handy
for throwing small parcels
and shopping bays into the
rear seat. However, since
Most rear passcngers enter
from the passenger (sidewalk)

side of the car, it would make
more sense to have the rear
door on the passenger side of
the car — or perhaps have
two rear doors, one on each
side.

The reason the rear door
is on the driver’s side is
because Saturn Counce own-
ers are predominantly young
singles without children who
rarely transport rear passen-
gers. What they do need is a
rear access door focated next
to the driver’s door for
parcels, sports equipment,
laundry baskets, library
books, and the like.

In any event, the Saturn
$C2 is a 242, nota family

sedan, and the rear seat is not
a comfortable place to spend
much time. While there's
adequate legroom for two
passengers, the seat cushions
are short, the backrests are
upright, and headroom is just
adequate for adults.

Like most sporty coupes,
the Saturn SC2 is a two-
seater car with a couple of
small seats thrown in the
back for occasional use.

All the media attention to
the Saturn’s third door has
overshadowed another
important advance on Saturn
Coupes for 1999 — a major

Price as tested: $20,848

Type: three-door, four-passenger coupe
Layout: transverse front engine /front-wheel-

drive

Engine: 1.9-litre four-cylinder, DOHC, 16

vaives

Horsepower: 124 @ 5,600 r.p.m.
Torque: 122 Ibs.-f. @ 4,800 rp.m.
Curb weight: 1085 kg (2,390 ths.)

The Saab 9-3 offers you performance in the broadest sense of the term.
For us at Saab, performance is more than simply having a powerful, free-
rewing engine up front. Every detail which can sharpen your control
behind the wheel is related to performance. We've designed the Saab 9-3

reduction in noise and vibra-
tion in the passenger com-
partment.

Both the SC1"s 100
horsepower 1.9 litre SOHC
cight-valve four-cylinder
engine and the SC2’s 124
horsepower 1.9-litre DOHC
16 valve four-evlinder engine
have redesigned crankshafts,
lighter pistons, a new timing
chain, and a new front cover.
The DOHC engine in the
SC2 also has a new, lighter
valve train with less operating
friction.

In addition, a new exhaust
system, introduced halfivay

Technica! data

through the 1998 model
year, has reduced mid-range
frequency noise peaks.

On the road, the differ-
ence is noticeable. The
engine no longer sounds
thrashy at high revs, the
cabin is considerably quieter
when accelerating, and drive-
line vibrations have been
reduced to a comfortable
level. .

The Coupe’s retined pow-
ertrain is complemented by
revised suspension dampers
which have softened the ride
slightly.

Still, this remains one of

Wheelbase: 2,601 mm (102.4 in.)

Length

#2 4,574 mm (180.0 in.)
Width: 1,709 mm (67.3 in.)

Height: 1,333 mm (53.4 in.)

m.p.g.)

Trunk space: 323 litres (11.4 cu. ft.)
Fuel consumption: City
(31 mp.g.); Hwy — 5.8 1/100 km (49

— 9.1 1/100 km

Warranty: three years/60,000 kms

to provide a close, intuitive link between driver, car and road — to
enhance your perception of all chat is happening. You éan drive more by
instinct, leaving you free to concentrate even more on the traffic.

the best-handling sporty
coupes on the market.

Its fully independent sus-
pension (front MacPherson
strut/rear multi-link) pro-
vides fully predictable, forgiv-
ing handling with high timits.
SC2 Coupes have slightly
better handling than SC]
models due to their larger
195, /60R-15 inch tires,
wider 15 X 6 inch alloy
wheels, and extra rear stabi-
lizer bar.

Both meadels have stan-
dard power-assisted, variable- -_
effort rack-and-pinion steer-
ing which offers precise direc-.
tional control and quick feed-
back. :

The longer I drove my
SC2 test car, the more I liked
it.

I was disappointed chat
$C2 models are no longer
available with optional four
wheel disc brakes — front
disc/rear drum brakes are
now standard on both SC]
and SC2 models. However,

See Third page 34 -

on ast $8 OG

Month. 3
- 36 mos with
$6,110 Dn + taxes;
total paid $26,474

ISUZU 294-1831 1

feo cere

www.morreyautogroup.com -