2007 Saturn Aura

Interior

It should come as no major shock that Saturn's all-new Aura midsize sport sedan is a surprise so pleasant in the eyes of most automotive media that it was named 2007 North American Car of the Year beating out the other top nominees, Toyota Camry and Honda Fit. This honor is North America's most prestigious because it is voted and awarded by a jury of 49 leading automotive journalists instead of a single publication.


Styling is subjective, but we share the prevailing opinion that this car wears about as fresh and handsome a suit of clothes as a four-door sedan can. It follows the new Saturn "design language" established by the Sky roadster, which begins with a bold, wing-shaped chrome band between jewel-like quad headlamps in clear housings with amber-tinted park lamps wrapping over the fender peaks. This theme is repeated in back with a broad chrome band along the decklid's lower edge, finely detailed wrap-over LED taillamps and a large, central Saturn logo. The roofline is a single sweeping curve from front pillar to rear.


Inside, even the base XE's cabin is a finely fitted interior making excellent use of premium materials. The contrasting trim, a rich-looking faux wood in top-line XR models, flows across the instrument panel and into the door panels with tasteful chrome highlights where appropriate. The deep-set tri-circle gauge cluster uses amber LED lighting matching the ambient light projected from overhead and door pocket lamps. The reclining front buckets, optionally powered and heated, provide an excellent balance of comfort and support, while the rear cabin is surprisingly spacious due to the Aura's extra-long wheelbase. Luxurious leather is available, including a gorgeous optional two-tone Morocco Brown combination.

Performance

Standard in the XE is an adequate but undistinguished pairing of GM's 224-hp 3.5-liter pushrod V-6—newly fitted with efficiency enhancing variable valve timing (VVT)—and a four-speed automatic transmission. But highly recommended for Eurocar enthusiasts and those not on a tight budget is the far superior 252-hp 3.6-liter DOHC 24-valve VVT V-6, which powers the XR's front wheels through GM's new 6-speed close-ratio automatic. Whether you operate it manually through the steering-wheel-mounted paddles or let it shift for itself, this combination and the tightly-tuned suspension and steering boost the Aura's satisfaction level right up there among the market's best front-drivers, including all but the most muscular Audis and Saabs.


Powerful four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel ABS and traction control help keep you out of trouble, while standard Stabilitrak electronic stability control provides another excellent reason to upgrade to the XM model. A "safety cage" unibody with reinforced rockers, hinge pillars and roof pillars, a side-impact-absorbing magnesium cross-car beam and a full compliment of air bags (dual-stage front, front seat-mounted thorax and side air curtains) help protect occupants should a crash occur.