Saturn looks to end slump with three new ’06 models

Saturn will use next year’s auto-show circuit to let the public see at least two of three models that will expand its portfolio starting in 2006.

The look into Saturn’s future starts with the Detroit show in January, Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak says.

Lajdziak said the three new vehicles will be in market segments Saturn is absent from and represent the beginning of its revitalization program.

As reported, first up in early calendar ’06 will be a two- seat roadster built on the same platform as the Pontiac Solstice. It will arrive in mid-2005 as a 2006 model.

It will be followed a few months later by a new mid-size sedan built off the platform shared with the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx and Pontiac G6.

Finally, a few months after that, a mid-size sport-utility vehicle larger than the Vue will arrive. Lajdziak won’t say whether the sport-ute will be front-, rear- or all-wheel-drive or what vehicles will share the platform.

Saturn could use a revitalization, considering that its sales in the first eight months of this year were down 23%, to 153,684 vehicles.

The decline can be attributed, in part, to the fact Saturn stopped building its mid-size L300 sedan in June.