But fame and talent are two different things, and the greatest domestic accomplishment came and went with less notice than was probably deserved. Marking an all-new car and brand-new brand, 1991 saw the birth of Saturn and its family of SL sedans, SC coupes, and SW wagons. They nailed three aces in the hole by being fun to drive, reliable, and worth a lot at resale time, yet all anyone could talk about was how unpainful Saturn dealers were to deal with.
Twelve years later, the S-series was redesigned into the 2003 Ion. Paving the way for the imminent release of the related Chevrolet Cobalt (replacing Cavalier), GM is counting on the Ion to get them through decade's end, at which point it may be the only small American car left.
Revisions over the Saturn S-series start with the usual growth spurts. Height and wheelbase are up a bit, length extends to a class-leading 184.5 inches, and weight jumps by more than 300 pounds. Interior and trunk space are now competitive. The two Saturn-exclusive engines get pushed aside in favor of one. Thankfully, it's a good one: GM's thoroughly modern "Ecotec," made of aluminum with dual overhead camshafts and 16 valves, with 2.2 healthy liters making 140 horsepower and 145 pounds-feet of torque. The suspension has been simplified by either meaning of the word. Unlike the parts stratification of the S-series, all Ions are sprung by the same setup: struts in front, while at the rear, the Ion has followed the Sentra and Corolla's lead into the cheap abyss of beam-axle design. Transmission choices actually expand from two to three, and the two that people will actually be buying (the automatics, of course) are unique and appealing. The conventional automatic matches its manual counterpart with five speeds instead of the usual four, and the other option is a Continuously Variable Transmission, ending the Civic HX's eight-year monopoly on CVT availability.
With the unloved wagon gone, body styles drop from three to two, even though the number of doors holds constant at four. Saturn took their 1999 "three-door coupe" idea and ran with it, creating a four-door coupe to compliment the four-door sedan, nevermind that "coupe" is defined as a car with one portal on each side, and nevermind that part of the point of a coupe is to do away with unsightly cut lines, which the Ion Quad Coupe certainly has. Still, it's one more choice. Saturn followed a cue from the world of the wealthy by positioning the mechanically-identical coupe as the upscale model. While sedans are available in levels 1, 2, and 3, no level 1 coupe exists, and the CVT is a coupe exclusive. Even at equal levels, the coupe costs hundreds more.
The only difference between the three Ions that affects driving is wheel size: Ion 1s, 2s, and 3s come with 14, 15, and 16-inchers, respectively. Ion 2 adds what most people consider the basics: air conditioning (optional on Ion 1), AM/FM/CD, power locks, and a height-adjustable driver's seat, as well as the possibility of power windows, cruise control, and keyless entry (all part of the Power Package). Ion 3 adds that Power Package plus silver-face gauges (replacing black), an MP3 player, and the option of leather. The way to get side-curtain air bags, antilock brakes, and traction control is all together on the Safe and Sound Package (optional on Ion 2 and 3), which also buys GM's OnStar communications system.
The fairly inspired engine and advanced transmissions make a case for the Ion, but being ahead of one's time isn't always an advantage, as the Ion's electric steering proves. Its flaws can be felt within seconds of a test drive, such as the awkwardness of steering wheel angle not always corresponding with change in direction. And in trying to be different, GM borrowed Toyota's worst idea in years by sticking the speedometer and tachometer in the dashboard's center, extending the offense from style to function. Both would have been greatly improved if GM had just used its Pontiac approach: analog readouts where they belong coupled with a heads-up digital display on the windshield. As it is, every speed check on the Ion entails glancing not only downward but also to the right, which takes the eyes even farther away from the road ahead and feels as unnatural as the steering. That's the Ion for you: always electrifying, sometimes shocking.
For a truly energized Ion, try 2004's new Red Line. 12 psi of supercharged pressure boosts horsepower and torque to a nice, round 200, approximately simulating the output of a 3-liter engine. Brakes get upgraded to discs all around, wheels get pumped to 17, steering is quickened, ride height drops, and the suspension is stiffened, though unchanged otherwise. The $20,950 price puts it slightly ahead of Japan's non-turbo sport compacts, and the same can be said about its speed.
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