2007 Saturn Sky Review
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By Jim McCraw

Overview

The folks with the friendly dealers have jumped into the sports car business and the all-new 2007 Saturn Sky is well worth a look for anyone who wants a fun, two-seat cruiser that can drop the top and let the sun shine in. It may not have quite the agility of the Mazda Miata, but the Sky is a classic sports car with classic sports car running gear: rear-wheel drive, a fully independent suspension, powerful four-wheel disc brakes, massive low-profile tires, a double overhead-cam engine, and a standard manual gearbox.

Model year 2007 will mark the start of a new era at Saturn. The GM division goes into its 15th year with a vastly expanded lineup of products, including the sporty new Sky, the attractive new Aura sedan, the Relay minivan, the Vue hybrid SUV, the Outlook large SUV, and the Red Line performance models.

Saturn appears poised to move upmarket into a position above Chevrolet and Pontiac, a long way from where it started. For customers, that means more choices, one-price, no-haggle car shopping, and one of the best dealer networks in the country.

The Sky convertible represents Saturn's first thrust into the sporty end of the spectrum, the Ion Red Line sedan notwithstanding. The Saturn Sky is built on GM's new Kappa platform shared with the Pontiac Solstice (and Opel GT in Europe). This new rear-drive, four-cylinder platform gave Saturn an opportunity to quickly enter this market segment, the $25,000 open-air car, which includes the Miata and the powerful Honda S2000.

The Saturn Sky comes standard with 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. A Red Line model will be added later in the model year with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine rated at a whopping 260 horsepower, more than a 50 percent increase over the standard engine. The Red Line version will come with special front and rear styling, high-performance tires, and recalibrated suspension, among other items.

Model Lineup

The 2007 Saturn Sky ($23,115) comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission. A five-speed automatic will be available ($850), though not initially.

Options include the Monsoon sound system with CD and MP3 ($590), a Monsoon sound system with six-CD changer ($890), XM Satellite Radio ($325). A Premium Trim Package ($750) includes leather seating surfaces, steering wheel audio controls and other leather and metal trim. A decklid spoiler ($275), a limited-slip rear differential ($195), polished alloy wheels ($545), chromed alloy wheels ($795), and special paint colors ($195) are available.

The Red Line performance model features the turbocharged engine, 18-inch alloy wheels, and other upgrades.

Safety features that come standard on all models include front and side air bags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, and OnStar emergency communications. The Sky does not offer electronic stability control.