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2005 Saturn ION Quad Coupe Red Line Road Test

Stunned, Stupefied and Thoroughly Satisfied

It seems we live life, gain experience, cry, learn, laugh and live a little more, and through the process develop beliefs and opinions about everything from Middle Eastern politics to which company makes the best styling gel, what TV programs are worth watching and which religion to dedicate our lives to, or not.

I, like the next person, have some pretty entrenched opinions about a variety of subjects, and due to my profession have developed what I believe to be warranted biases toward new vehicles, their nameplates and the automakers that build them. I try to keep an open mind, believing that like every person can make positive changes to a healthier lifestyle, carmakers can adapt and modify their respective models and brands to improve and become more competitive. But for some reason there are manufacturers that keep missing the mark and resultantly get poor reviews

Although I try to keep an open mind when it comes to my job, there are some brands that keep missing the mark, Saturn used to be one of those. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

from yours truly. Saturn was one such brand.

Was? I have to admit to having my belief system shaken to its roots recently, during my first drive of the new Red Line tuned ION Quad Coupe. Red Line, if you havent already heard, is the M, AMG, SVT or Type R of Saturn, the internal organization, which goes by the name of GM Performance Division, responsible for spicing up a brand that might be associated a little too much with middle of the road conservatism. The idea is hardly new, with most major nameplates having

Everything I believed to be true about Saturn was in jeopardy after driving the new Red Line tuned ION Quad Coupe. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

either created a stand alone skunkworks tuning team, or at the very least made up a racy logo and affixed it to the trunklid, side panels and floor mats of one or more performance enhanced vehicles.

The fact that Saturn is now in the game makes perfect sense, being one of the more import-oriented brands General Motors oversees. Its strategically positioned to share showroom traffic with Swedish premium carmaker Saab, another GM brand, probably benefiting Saab more than Saturn considering most new car buyers swim upstream when trading in than paddling down, which is all the more reason

The performance tuned Red Line makes perfect sense for the import-oriented Saturn brand. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

to enhance Saturns image and lure more performance-oriented buyers into the family net.

I drove the 2003 ION sedan when it debuted and was only partially impressed. The styling was and still is unique in the compact sector while its 140 horsepower engine performs better than average, and handling is pretty good for the class, but I never felt the engineers had pulled as much out of GMs competent Delta chassis architecture as they could have. The interior quality was a giant letdown as well, with substandard plastics and switchgear.

What a difference a year makes. Saturn listened to complaints donated freely by journalists and owners alike, and improved the

Saturn listened to the criticisms made by journalists about the 2003 IONs interior, and have improved it noticeably. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

tactile quality of the ION interior. I wouldnt go so far as to say the 2004 car is best in class or anything, but its a far cry better than the 2003 cars were. From what I understand the 2005 sedan will improve on the improvements even further - Ill write more on that subject in a future column.

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