"2007 Sky could be a wonder car for Saturn"

2007 Sky could be a wonder car for Saturn
By Connie Keane
MOTOR MATTERS
Published June 9, 2006

The Saturn Sky is turning heads. The 2007 roadster is so well-styled
people are incredulously stopping and asking, "Is that a Saturn?"
I was asked that question countless times during my week with the
Sky. Saturn is out to make a strong statement about its new design
direction for its entire brand. Company executives want the European
look and they've come right out and said so: The Sky signals a new
European-influenced design language for Saturn. "The European influence
is integral in Saturn's design," says Clay Dean, company design
director.
As soon as I saw the Sky I noticed its remarkable likeness to the
BMW Z roadster. My neighbor drives a Z, so I pulled the Sky alongside
it to make visual comparisons. The Saturn has a more American
muscle-car look working for it. The front end is bold and the shoulders
are huge with flared wheel wells.
The Saturn Sky has a base price of $23,115 and features a 16-valve,
2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual
transmission. A five-speed automatic transmission is available as an
option. The test car had $2,460 in optional equipment and a $575
destination charge, bringing the as-tested price to $26,150.
The options made the Sky look like a performance sports car with
its black performance sports car with its black and red leather seats,
leather-wrapped steering wheel, stainless-steel clutch, brake and gas
pedals, and 18-inch chrome-plated aluminum wheels.
The Sky is a rear-wheel-drive two-seater that generates 177
horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 166 foot-pounds of torque. The roadster is
rated to achieve 20 miles per gallon in city driving and 28 mpg on the
highway. The subcompact Sky has a short wheelbase of 98 inches and
stands just 50 inches high.
You have to love being close to the road if you're going to spend
much time behind the wheel of the Sky.
I suspect the low-to-the-ground Sky will be a second or third
vehicle in the garage of its owners. It's a great fair-weather weekend
day-trip car. It won't carry your luggage.
With the top down, there is no cargo space. With the top up,
there's very little cargo room.
The flip-top is operated manually. It's not as simple as tossing
the top back as with the Mazda Miata, but there's nothing difficult
about using the Sky's top. It was very simple for me to handle.
I popped the trunk release on the key fob to disengage the soft
top's two latches from the rear deck lid, released the center-mounted
top latch above the rearview mirror, then stepped out of the vehicle to
fold the soft top, tuck it away in the trunk and close the rear lid.
The top is neatly hidden away leaving a clean flow of sheet metal.
I think some drivers are awaiting the autumn arrival of the
high-performance Sky. One man stopped me outside the grocery store to
admire the Sky and said, "I hear they're coming out with a real fast
one."
He was referring to the upcoming turbocharged Sky Red Line. This
roadster will have red-hot performance to match its hot-looking
exterior styling. The 2007 Sky Red Line has a preliminary horsepower
rating of 260 at 5,300 rpm and 260 foot-pounds of torque at just 2,500
rpm and a performance-tuned suspension.
The Sky Red Line will have unique exterior differences that will
set it apart as a performance version of the roadster.
Standard safety equipment on the Sky includes OnStar, dual-front
air bags and anti-lock brakes.
And when it debuts this fall, the Sky Red Line will come equipped
with StabiliTrak electronic stability control.