Posts Tagged ‘Crossover Suv’
Wider Range for Saturn
June 7th, 2009 | 
Author: 
Anthony Fontanelle asked:
In the past, the Saturn brand has been viewed as a small-car company. With General Motors having brands such as Chevrolet and GMC producing large vehicles, it is of course practical that a certain brand be used a direct competitor to Asian car manufacturers having a near monopoly on the small car market in the country.
Looking at Saturn's lineup would suggest that it is indeed a small car producer. With the Saturn Sky convertible, the Aura sedan and the Ion compact car, Saturn's lineup seems to be focusing on smaller cars. But General Motors is revitalizing Saturn's lineup by introducing the Saturn Outlook.
The Outlook is the newest addition to Saturn's lineup. The midsize crossover SUV debuted earlier this year at the New York International Auto Show and has already received favorable reviews from auto journalists and critics. It was even ranked on two segments in the latest edition of Consumer Reports auto reviews.
The Outlook gave the Saturn brand a better diversity by offering large vehicles to consumers. Although not a full size SUV, the Outlook looks bulky with its rounded edges. Is exterior styling gave the Outlook a warm and welcoming look which complements Saturn's unparalleled customer service relation.
For its large size, the fact that the Outlook is a crossover is well manifested in the way it handles. Although a large vehicle, the Outlook uses a car platform which gives it car-like handling and sportiness. With an all-wheel drive configuration, the Outlook gives its occupants good ride comfort. It can also handle sharp curves with its suspension setting designed for a car.
Measuring 200.7 inches in length, the Outlook can adequately accommodate up to eight passengers. The Outlook is actually a seven-seater crossover SUV, but an optional seat can make the Outlook accommodate an eighth passenger. Being categorized as a midsize crossover and a large SUV, it is expected that the Outlook can adequately provide good legroom and headspace foe all its occupants.
The Outlook is available in two trim lines, the base XE and the top-of-the-line XR trim. With the Outlook XE, consumers will be treated with a 3.6-liter V6 engine with an output of 270 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque. The top-of-the-line XR comes with a modified 3.6-liter V6 engine with an output of 275 horsepower and 251 pound foot of torque.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Outlook consumes a gallon of fuel after traveling 25 miles on highway speeds. The Outlook comes with a 22-gallon tank which means that with a full tank, one can cover 550 miles before needing a refuel. On city driving where frequent acceleration and deceleration are needed, the EPA gave the Outlook a 17 mpg rating. One consolation is that the Outlook can run on regular fuel unlike some vehicles which requires much expensive premium fuel.
The Outlook comes with reliable parts such as Saturn exhaust clamps, tailpipe, engine mounting bracket and the likes. It also comes with advanced features. One of these is the remote starting feature which allows the driver of the Outlook to start the vehicle remotely.
In the past, the Saturn brand has been viewed as a small-car company. With General Motors having brands such as Chevrolet and GMC producing large vehicles, it is of course practical that a certain brand be used a direct competitor to Asian car manufacturers having a near monopoly on the small car market in the country.
Looking at Saturn's lineup would suggest that it is indeed a small car producer. With the Saturn Sky convertible, the Aura sedan and the Ion compact car, Saturn's lineup seems to be focusing on smaller cars. But General Motors is revitalizing Saturn's lineup by introducing the Saturn Outlook.
The Outlook is the newest addition to Saturn's lineup. The midsize crossover SUV debuted earlier this year at the New York International Auto Show and has already received favorable reviews from auto journalists and critics. It was even ranked on two segments in the latest edition of Consumer Reports auto reviews.
The Outlook gave the Saturn brand a better diversity by offering large vehicles to consumers. Although not a full size SUV, the Outlook looks bulky with its rounded edges. Is exterior styling gave the Outlook a warm and welcoming look which complements Saturn's unparalleled customer service relation.
For its large size, the fact that the Outlook is a crossover is well manifested in the way it handles. Although a large vehicle, the Outlook uses a car platform which gives it car-like handling and sportiness. With an all-wheel drive configuration, the Outlook gives its occupants good ride comfort. It can also handle sharp curves with its suspension setting designed for a car.
Measuring 200.7 inches in length, the Outlook can adequately accommodate up to eight passengers. The Outlook is actually a seven-seater crossover SUV, but an optional seat can make the Outlook accommodate an eighth passenger. Being categorized as a midsize crossover and a large SUV, it is expected that the Outlook can adequately provide good legroom and headspace foe all its occupants.
The Outlook is available in two trim lines, the base XE and the top-of-the-line XR trim. With the Outlook XE, consumers will be treated with a 3.6-liter V6 engine with an output of 270 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque. The top-of-the-line XR comes with a modified 3.6-liter V6 engine with an output of 275 horsepower and 251 pound foot of torque.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Outlook consumes a gallon of fuel after traveling 25 miles on highway speeds. The Outlook comes with a 22-gallon tank which means that with a full tank, one can cover 550 miles before needing a refuel. On city driving where frequent acceleration and deceleration are needed, the EPA gave the Outlook a 17 mpg rating. One consolation is that the Outlook can run on regular fuel unlike some vehicles which requires much expensive premium fuel.
The Outlook comes with reliable parts such as Saturn exhaust clamps, tailpipe, engine mounting bracket and the likes. It also comes with advanced features. One of these is the remote starting feature which allows the driver of the Outlook to start the vehicle remotely.
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Livin’ Large in Saturn’s Outlook Crossover
zee001 asked:
Enter the 2007 Saturn Outlook: A sleek, stylish and accommodating crossover SUV that feeds the needs for the big and husky as well as garners admiring approval from the artificially sweet and thin.
Hopping into this Saturn is much easier than jumping into a comparably super-sized SUV. By using car-like construction for the Outlook's body, Saturn lowered the floor, so it's just one step to climb aboard. Many eight-person SUVs need running boards and a rope ladder to pull yourself up. The Outlook's lower entrance height also could help save parents' backs -- their kids may not need assistance to climb into an Outlook.
Sliding behind the wheel, I felt as satisfied as my third turn at the buffet. The seats are comfortable and the instruments are well laid out. The dials and buttons are easy to reach, turn or push. The dash wasn't overbearing or intimidating. It is pushed down and away from the driver, making it feel more car-like. The lines are graceful and the faux wood trim tastefully accents components throughout. Its overall appearance is understated and well made.
During any given week, I may drive a number of much more expensive vehicles than the $35,000 Outlook (yes, a tough job that I love). But whenever I moved from a plush, pricey sedan back to the Outlook, I never felt like I was stepping down to a humdrum family hauler.
GM's Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has said the carmaker is in the midst of an interior overhaul. The Outlook is among the most recent examples of fresh, plush interiors that show significant improvements over models only a few years ago.
The second and third rows are comfortable and offer lots of space. The optional second-row captain chairs, which I prefer over bench seats, are very accommodating for U.S.-sized adults, and they articulate forward to provide easy access into the third row. The additional space allows those climbing into the back seat the ability to simply step toward the back row instead of crawling over a folded seat head first, leaving all the world to see a new moon rising.
The folding system, called Smart Slide by GM, is so easy to use, I could flip the seat up with one hand and never let go of my double cheeseburger.
Even the third row offers a big bench seat where I could comfortably sit. While I would be hard-pressed to wedge three of my big-boned family members into that row, two adults could easily relax back there without needing a marriage license.
Furthermore, the Outlook's third row can disappear, folding flat to offer more storage space. The second row, which can also come as a 60/40 splitting bench seat, can fold flat. With both rows down, the Outlook has 117 cubic feet of space -- enough to carry a weekend's worth of Home Depot projects.
When the third-row craze arrived for automakers, it seemed more of a cosmetic addition than a useful one. Take good storage space and stuff it with a useless third row that hardly fits a pair of Ken and Barbie dolls, much less real people, was the philosophy for many carmakers. Kids loved them, but not big kids, and certainly not adults.
A good Outlook
The Outlook may be big inside, but it drives like a much smaller vehicle.
Powered by GM's 3.6-liter aluminum block engines, it accelerates quickly and smoothly through its six-speed transmission. Even when driving 70 mph, it had enough pep left to easily pass those annoying gravel trucks along Interstate 75 that pepper everyone with paint-chipping pebbles. While I didn't get a chance to test the Outlook's towing abilities, Saturn claims it can pull up to 4,500 pounds.
The engine pushes 270 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque with a single exhaust and 275 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque with a double exhaust. The new Hydra-Matic transmission provides better gas mileage than a four-speed, another important consideration in a family hauler. While American families may have healthy appetites, their vehicles shouldn't.
The single exhaust engine gets 18 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. The dual exhaust engine gets 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
The Outlook's smooth ride is a product of its long 118.9-inch wheelbase, 18-inch tires and independent front and rear suspension. Its variable speed rack-and-pinion steering lets you feel the road while on the highway or around town as it adjusts to the vehicle's speed. Go faster, the steering becomes tight, slow down and it loosens up.
Typically, driving big SUVs and trucks somehow brings out the aggressive driver in us all. Perhaps it was the car-like feel that caused the Outlook to never feed my road rage. When I passed that gravel truck, I smiled and waved all five fingers instead of one.
Surprisingly, the Outlook wears its weight, all 4,936 pounds in the all-wheel drive model, well.
While its shape is SUV boxy, it defies the stereotype because of its low-riding body. It looks more like a sports ute than a wagon on steroids -- the other common version of large crossovers.
Designers drew long clean lines along its body, stretching its look.
Its flared fenders add to an aggressive stance and the face is the new look of Saturn -- shiny mouth-like grille and sparkling headlamps, first shown on the Saturn Sky roadster. A few cues, such as the glass wrapping around the back corner of the wagon, add a dash of panache.
One of the best things about this crossover is how it redefines a confusing segment.
The Outlook is not a car and it's not an SUV, despite GM calling it one. It's designed for those who need to move a family or two around town or on vacation. It's spacious, versatile and fun to drive.
And that's not a bad Outlook.
Enter the 2007 Saturn Outlook: A sleek, stylish and accommodating crossover SUV that feeds the needs for the big and husky as well as garners admiring approval from the artificially sweet and thin.
Hopping into this Saturn is much easier than jumping into a comparably super-sized SUV. By using car-like construction for the Outlook's body, Saturn lowered the floor, so it's just one step to climb aboard. Many eight-person SUVs need running boards and a rope ladder to pull yourself up. The Outlook's lower entrance height also could help save parents' backs -- their kids may not need assistance to climb into an Outlook.
Sliding behind the wheel, I felt as satisfied as my third turn at the buffet. The seats are comfortable and the instruments are well laid out. The dials and buttons are easy to reach, turn or push. The dash wasn't overbearing or intimidating. It is pushed down and away from the driver, making it feel more car-like. The lines are graceful and the faux wood trim tastefully accents components throughout. Its overall appearance is understated and well made.
During any given week, I may drive a number of much more expensive vehicles than the $35,000 Outlook (yes, a tough job that I love). But whenever I moved from a plush, pricey sedan back to the Outlook, I never felt like I was stepping down to a humdrum family hauler.
GM's Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has said the carmaker is in the midst of an interior overhaul. The Outlook is among the most recent examples of fresh, plush interiors that show significant improvements over models only a few years ago.
The second and third rows are comfortable and offer lots of space. The optional second-row captain chairs, which I prefer over bench seats, are very accommodating for U.S.-sized adults, and they articulate forward to provide easy access into the third row. The additional space allows those climbing into the back seat the ability to simply step toward the back row instead of crawling over a folded seat head first, leaving all the world to see a new moon rising.
The folding system, called Smart Slide by GM, is so easy to use, I could flip the seat up with one hand and never let go of my double cheeseburger.
Even the third row offers a big bench seat where I could comfortably sit. While I would be hard-pressed to wedge three of my big-boned family members into that row, two adults could easily relax back there without needing a marriage license.
Furthermore, the Outlook's third row can disappear, folding flat to offer more storage space. The second row, which can also come as a 60/40 splitting bench seat, can fold flat. With both rows down, the Outlook has 117 cubic feet of space -- enough to carry a weekend's worth of Home Depot projects.
When the third-row craze arrived for automakers, it seemed more of a cosmetic addition than a useful one. Take good storage space and stuff it with a useless third row that hardly fits a pair of Ken and Barbie dolls, much less real people, was the philosophy for many carmakers. Kids loved them, but not big kids, and certainly not adults.
A good Outlook
The Outlook may be big inside, but it drives like a much smaller vehicle.
Powered by GM's 3.6-liter aluminum block engines, it accelerates quickly and smoothly through its six-speed transmission. Even when driving 70 mph, it had enough pep left to easily pass those annoying gravel trucks along Interstate 75 that pepper everyone with paint-chipping pebbles. While I didn't get a chance to test the Outlook's towing abilities, Saturn claims it can pull up to 4,500 pounds.
The engine pushes 270 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque with a single exhaust and 275 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque with a double exhaust. The new Hydra-Matic transmission provides better gas mileage than a four-speed, another important consideration in a family hauler. While American families may have healthy appetites, their vehicles shouldn't.
The single exhaust engine gets 18 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. The dual exhaust engine gets 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
The Outlook's smooth ride is a product of its long 118.9-inch wheelbase, 18-inch tires and independent front and rear suspension. Its variable speed rack-and-pinion steering lets you feel the road while on the highway or around town as it adjusts to the vehicle's speed. Go faster, the steering becomes tight, slow down and it loosens up.
Typically, driving big SUVs and trucks somehow brings out the aggressive driver in us all. Perhaps it was the car-like feel that caused the Outlook to never feed my road rage. When I passed that gravel truck, I smiled and waved all five fingers instead of one.
Surprisingly, the Outlook wears its weight, all 4,936 pounds in the all-wheel drive model, well.
While its shape is SUV boxy, it defies the stereotype because of its low-riding body. It looks more like a sports ute than a wagon on steroids -- the other common version of large crossovers.
Designers drew long clean lines along its body, stretching its look.
Its flared fenders add to an aggressive stance and the face is the new look of Saturn -- shiny mouth-like grille and sparkling headlamps, first shown on the Saturn Sky roadster. A few cues, such as the glass wrapping around the back corner of the wagon, add a dash of panache.
One of the best things about this crossover is how it redefines a confusing segment.
The Outlook is not a car and it's not an SUV, despite GM calling it one. It's designed for those who need to move a family or two around town or on vacation. It's spacious, versatile and fun to drive.
And that's not a bad Outlook.
