While its only conjecture and I don't have hard facts to back my assuptions but I have a feeling that Lutz and co. have already started the transition.

1. In 1999- Using the OPEL-based L-series to test the waters (L-series was a good car but the original OPEL's styling was better)

2. In 2005-2007 first all-Metal bodied Saturns (Relay, V, and next-gen Vue) made along side other GM vehicles.

3. In 2008-2010 Next-gen all-metal Saturns are virtual copies of their OPEL sibilings and the Saturn name is replaced with OPEL to signify the complete transition from a small-affordable car company to more upscale European-styled car company with great service. OPEL's name and brand gets leveraged as GM's global brand to be used in all car markets .

4. In 2011-2012- Saturn and Buick are merged together to form a single brand under the OPEL name. Some Saturn dealerships will be closed to be merged with larger Buick dealerships while some older Buick dealerships will be bought-out and be moved to newer Saturn facilities.

 

Lutz already said that Buick isn't going anywhere.

 

With all due respect, there is no way it will happen, and here's why...

1) Just because the current Ion is a dud does not mean GM doesn't realize WHY it is a dud. Its friggen ugly, went out on a limb with the center mounted dash cluster (an answer to a question no consumer has EVER asked), and while the sedan is selling slow, the coupe is doing well.

2) I don't think anyone outside of a GM rep or a dealer knows how much time/effort/$$ is spent on closing off a name. I worked at an Olds dealer for most of Olds' wind down. Do you have any idea the cost to GM? Not just the lost marketing dollars and brand identity, but the settlements with 2,200 Olds dealers...the buying back of inventory in the end if it does not sell, the already bought back inventory of Olds dealers that bailed early, the cost of EVERY leased Olds being returned even. Did GM know in 2000 that when that Intrigue came off its 3 year lease in 2003, it'd only pull $6,500 at an auction? No way!! But that's exactly what they're doing...

3) Aside from Lutz, I have already been informed by a GM employee Buick will go nowhere....they've learned their lesson from trying to close Olds. Besides, now Buick at least has a focus.

4) People like Saturns. A lot of "non-car-people" love them for what they are. They get treated well at dealers, they're cheap, and overall have done well in the market. And, as brought up in a previous post, many people don't have a clue they are a GM division, which is a GOOD thing.

My bet is the Ion sedan will get a makeover pretty soon, you will probably see more metal bodies (which is a shame), but the brand is here to stay...

 

Hmmm...

Where do I get one of those $6500 Intrigues with less than 36,000 miles on the clock? Yeesh. What a bargain.

An Aurora V8 would be even better.

 

I agree with everything above except for Saturn being cheap. When I was looking for a car about 5 years ago, the SC2 was pricier than anything else I had looked at in my price range....That was basicaly ZX2, Cavy, Neon....It was on par with the Probe (which I hated). That said, I ended up spending even more money for a 98 Camaro 3800.

Point is...compared with the cars I was considering at the time it wasn't "cheap" in price....and they don't haggle. You may get treated better, but you pay a little more for it.

Hopefully things are a bit different now.

 

I think the main reason Saturn has lasted this long is that it has worked hard to get a stellar customer satisfaction rating.... something other GM divisions have long sought after, but never seem to achieve.

For this reason alone, I don't think Saturn will disappear in the foreseeable future... the implied value of customer satisfaction is rather large.

 

Though I'd rather had seen Oldsmobile saved than Saturn, I don't see Saturn going anywhere soon. Same for Buick.

 

Here's an article in autoweek about the possible return of OPEL to the US- http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content...._code=02924895

 

Thats the main point behind my argument. Saturn is NOT viewed as a failure. It has done well. It has achieved what it set out to do. The current Ion sedan is not great, but does that mean Saturn needs to be banished? I think not...

Pacer,
Dealers are having a fantastic time taking those $6,500 Intrigue GXs and marking them up to $9,995, and selling them like hotcakes! I sold more of those than Grand Prixs! I couldn't believe how more dealers wouldn't grab them...for $3,500 less on average than a like year Grand Prix GT. I'd come back from the auction with 3-4, and they'd be gone in a week...and we only sold 7-8 cars a week!! It was amazing...Intrigues went for less than Aleros sometimes...

 

I could see Opel replacing Saab in the US long before it replaces Buick.

Sorry Saab fans.

 

I never stated Saturn or Buick would be killed-off but that their names would be changed to OPEL and their product lines could be merged sometime in the future.

Lets be honest and admit that Saturns will most likely no longer be true-polymer-Springhill-Saturns within a few year (rebadged Chevy's) and last Buick that was worth mentioning was the Grand Nantional over 10 years ago. The fact that Buick has to refer to a dead designer (Harly Earl) just shows how pathetic rebadging has become (how many ugly versions of the Chevy Trailblazer do we need?)

I agree that the future of Saturn might be in marketing it as an earth-friendly hybrid car company with Volvo-like safety features and luxury-like customer service. While the future of Saturn might be becoming the poorman's Volvo the reality is that they need to make cars that people really want to own.

Buick could continue to bring back dead designers and Lutz can have delusions of making Buick the next Lexus but Buick has become the old mans car which has doomed it to follow Olds to the grave before Saturn since Saturn attracts a younger crowd and has better service that could keep it around longer.

Something needs to happen to the Saab/Saturn/Buick trio.

Maybe Buick and Saab should be merged to become OPEL and Saturn could stay and reposition themselves as safe, affordable Hybrid-performance.

 

speaking of saturn, I was looking at one of my friends import mags for some reason and there was an article about a new saturn. It pushes 300 hp and well...doesnt look like a saturn. Starting under 25,000 too.

 

Uh.... leave SAAB alone plz. Its amazing what they're doing with the kind of meager resources they have available. Besides the new SAABs are some of the best looking cars on the road today. Better than 3-series in its prime of a few years back. Plus they are just good cars.

yuck. you should be castrated for even putting the words Buick, SAAB and merge in the same sentance. no offence.

 

GM has bitten the bullet. You have seen the last independently developed Saab. Every future Saab will be sitting on a platform from somewhere else in the GM world, powered by an engine from somewhere else in the GM world and hooked to GM suspension architecture. At least you'll keep the ignition position.

 

i know... i was talking about the new Epsilon based 9-3. its a marvelous machine. and the ignition position shenaniganes are no more as a result.