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.

Available later this spring, the Saturn Aura Green Line will cost $22,045 (plus $650 destination charge). This makes the hybrid powertrain a $1,700 option. This is in line with previous expectations that GM's first hybrid sedan would cost less than $23,000.

Without the hybrid option, the 2007 Aura with a 4-speed automatic, six-cylinder, 3.5L gets 20/30 mpg city/highway. The Auto(S6), 6 cylinder, 3.6 L gets 20/28. Sit down in the hybrid and these numbers jump to an estimated 28/35. Those five to eight mpg are what GM's mild hybrid adds, and, as a Kicking Tires reader added to that site's mention of these prices: "The price sounds right, you get as much hybrid as you pay for."

Related:

• Cobasys providing NiMH batteries for Saturn Aura hybrid
• How the GM mild hybrid drive-train works

[Source: Kicking Tires]