Click on the photo of the Aura hybrid for a huge high-res gallery

When Saturn was first unveiled by then General Motors Chairman Roger Smith in 1985, it was intended to be GM's import-fighting division. They introduced production and sales techniques that were unique to the domestic auto industry. The initial lineup of compact S-Series cars that came to market sold reasonably well for a time and Saturn dealers got high marks from consumers. But it took until 1999 for Saturn to add a second model to the lineup in the form of the mid-sized L-Series which were based on the then current Opel Vectra. Unfortunately the Saturn had blander styling and flabbier handling than its German cousin and never really took off. The L-Series was killed off in 2005 and there was a one year hiatus before a replacement appeared.

The new Aura was introduced in the fall of 2006 and took Saturn in a whole new direction from its original intent. GM's import killer division has effectively become the North American arm of GM Europe. The front half of the Aura and Vectra are basically the same with the main styling difference being the rear half of the greenhouse and the tail. The Vectra sedan has a more formal roofline compared to the Aura's sloping rear glass.

The two cars are also a much closer match in other more important ways that you can read about after the jump.