Saturn, Honda Showing Off Their New Directions at New York Auto Show

Starved of product for years while parent General Motors concentrated on developing its truck lineup, Saturn finally is being given a chance to hit its stride with a stable of new and redesigned vehicles.

At the New York International Auto Show today, Saturn pulls the wraps off the all-new ION compact, a replacement for its S-Series cars that have a popular following but have changed little in a decade. The company also plans to show off a major overhaul of the mid-size L-Series, whose sales have fallen short of hopes.

The ION comes as a sedan or coupe and features a center-mounted instrument cluster that faces the driver, allows more leeway in adjusting the steering wheel and puts the dials on a level with the rearview mirrors.

The new model also has removable roof rails, or strips above the doors, that can be unscrewed and replaced--or repainted--to customize the look of the car, a feature expected to be popular with younger buyers.

Small half-width doors behind the main doors on both sides permit easier access to the rear seats in what Saturn calls a “quad coupe” configuration. The rear and front passenger seats fold flat, leaving a surface that can hold a 9-foot surfboard even with all the doors closed.

Engines for the ION are a 1.9- liter, 125-horsepower four-cylinder and the 2.2-liter, 140-horsepower V-6 shared by the L-Series and Saturn’s recently arrived VUE sport utility vehicle.

The L-Series, widely criticized for its bland styling, has been revamped with new front and rear fascia featuring projection low-beam headlamps in front and starburst-pattern taillights. Sixteen-inch wheels will be available, and with the wagon, a chrome rear handle and chrome roof rack rails.

Jill Lajdziak, Saturn’s vice president for marketing, says she is looking to the renewed portfolio to increase sales this year by 20%--or about 312,000 vehicles. That would make 2002 a record year.

Honda’s Element

American Honda Motor Co. will use the New York show today to announce that the production version of its Model X “dorm room on wheels” concept will be called the Element.

The Element packs features of a pickup truck and an SUV into a boxy shape that Honda believes will appeal to a hip, young audience looking for a true all-purpose vehicle capable of hauling four people and all their gear for biking, surfing or whatever.

In addition to an easy-cleaning interior (a must for any dorm room), a key design feature of the Element is the center-opening “barn” doors with no B-pillar--for maximum cargo-loading flexibility.

Honda says the Element will be priced from $16,000 to $21,000 and will come in all-wheel-drive or front-wheel-drive versions with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission options. It will be built in Ohio off Honda’s Global Compact Platform and will be powered by a 2.4-liter, 160-horsepower four-cylinder engine.

Sales are scheduled to begin in December, and Honda executives say they expect to sell 50,000 a year.