GM has retracted its previous statement and the Saturn Curve will not be produced. While the Chevy Nomad will not be produced either but it's little-wagon design could show up as a Saab.

Could a Saturn badged Vauxhall Lightning Concept be a possibility?

http://www.saturnfans.com/Cars/Future/nocurve.shtml

Global Auto Systems reports that GM has issued a statement contradicting reports that surfaced last week about production of Saturn's Curve concept. "They're wrong," said Tom Kowaleski, GM's vice president of communications. "There are no plans to put it into production. There will be additions to the Saturn line, but the Curve was done to show the flexibility in the [Kappa] platform."

A Saturn spokesman told Automotive News last week that the Curve did not represent the new styling direction for the brand, so this announcement was not totally unexpected. Saturn is still expected to get a small sports coupe or convertible based on the Kappa architecture. "We don't have any plans to put that specific vehicle, the way it looks, into the Saturn portfolio," Kowaleski said in the Global Auto Systms article. He also said that GM has no plans to build Chevrolet's Nomad concept, the another Kappa concept vehicle unveiled at the North American International Auto Show this year.

 

 

To be perfectly honest I thought the Curve was a great "Concept" but didn't fit into Saturn's lineup at all. I mean just think about it.. Pontiac needs one bad as the "performance" unit at GM.. Chevy should have a variant and maybe just maybe Buick, but not Saturn...


The brand was supposed to be an import fighter and although they have pretty decent products the Curve is not their solution.

The Nomad is now supposed to move to SAAB and it fits their image but the Curve didn't reflect Saturn's identity at all.

With that said. i'm glad that they aren't going to produce it only to have it flop and then rethink the whole idea and then cancel the kappa archiecture altogether.

 

That's OK with me, because I think they can do better, styling wise.

 

I'd like to see the Vauxhall Lightning come to the US and be rebadged as something

 

I still think the Vauxhall should be sold as a sub-$40,000 Caddy in the States to battle other small luxury roadsters like the SLK, Z3, and Boxster.




http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/?http:...ry.php?id=43248


The Chevrolet Nomad is looking for a new home. And the concept could be heading to Sweden to become a Saab, according to GM bosses.

The Nomad, which uses the Pontiac Solstice platform, is said to be a very real production possibility. And if it gets the go-ahead Stateside, then a Saab version, based on the 9X concept first seen at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, will follow for Europe.

Although the Nomad is smaller than the 9X, the shape is virtually identical, and it's easy to see how a Saab front end could be grafted on. If so, the four-wheel-drive 300bhp coupé could arrive by the end of 2005. But purists are concerned that Saab's originality - already at stake with recent developments such as the Subaru Impreza-based 9-2X - could be further diluted. It's an argument GM chief Bob Lutz was keen to play down. "Saab needs to expand - and fast," he told us. "The appeal of traditional 'Saab weirdism' is limited, and we must get away from that. The firm has always used other people's engines, so parts sharing isn't exactly an alien concept."

Saab bosses will still have control over styling, and sign off the suspension. But GM chairman Rick Wagoner said: "We need to take fast cuts, not short cuts, to get Saab into new markets and double sales to 250,000 a year." Craig Cheetham

 

I think the Saturn Curve decision wasn't a bad one. However, I feel the Nomad would have been a nice addition and compliment to the Solstice's Kappa platform. I don't understand what they're (GM's) getting to. Perhaps in time it will all make sense.

 

Couldn't agree more! That thing is just mean mean mean! It's a tough call whether I like the Solstice or Lightning more....

 

Last I heard, Saturn's version is to be called Sky. Coupe to start, and possible roadster after...but that was months ago and there has been many turn of events since.

 

Last time I heard of Sky was along with Buick Bengal. That was the word about a year back I think. Of course the popular theory now is that Buick is getting the sigma-lite platform.

 

Good! I thought it was ugly anyhow. Maybe this will open up the possibility for a Solstice coupe......

 

I'm not surprised, I didn''t think it fit the Saturn line up anyways. We're seeing so many 'lil coupes out there in pre-production now that 4-doors seem to be the minority.
It would've better fit Buick or Olds line ups.