September 30, 2002
General Motors established its Saturn division in 1990 in hopes of gaining a foothold in the entry-level market segment then dominated by Japanese manufacturers. It's taken a while but the strategy is showing signs of success.
GM says that Saturn will have record U.S. sales of about 300,000 vehicles this year and it's predicting 10 percent growth next year, when the new Ion compact debuts.
Saturn expanded its lineup last year with a new mid-size sedan and station, the L Series, based on its European Opel models. It also introduced a compact sports utility vehicle, the Vue.
The Ion sedan will be priced at less than $12,000, including destination and freight charges. The top-of-the-line model will sell for $16,395. About a year after the sedan's introduction, Saturn will introduce a sports coupe version of the car.
