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-- B8 - The Canadian Champion, Friday, September 7, 2007 Saturn has a Vue on expandling its customer base 13Y JIM RI NSON Metroland Media Group. 1-1- - ý, , 1 1 : _ý ý)L;"g ilK I L il55 LI us long on dnrabiliîy if net in style. Pnshing the marketing gambit cf being envire-censcieus wi th features like rust-free polymner hody panels and a no-quîbhie pnicing poiicy Saurni was designcd te but they were flot prepared to pay extra over the c rig bccuusc [liecrc arc se înany choic- O)nc ci [le icîrsu ihings to go was the rubber es these days. Saîurn put the sîicker on the eut- bodies. Focus greups ail saîd they liked the ne going 2007 base Vue ai $23,595. The base 2008 rsne dent body panels that set Saturn apari, adds standard cnrtainjthorax airbags, active head 't/atce and <74i«a44tce 96 4 GFIRST PAYMENT à ON VURTUALLy AU. (GILE JJT ONLY DURING SEPTI ~see dealer for detais.Lmtdfm fe FORD LINCOLN 655 MAIN STREET EAST. MILTON www.Uallingerford.com SALES e LEASING * SERVICE a PARTS 0 COLLISION CENTRE I restraînts (hooray for Satnrn), Stahilitral< prr b 01 $2C000.[lad the 2007 heen standard with all of this, the equivalent price would have been $27,840. ispent a morning driving through the Terra Coîta, Orangevilie, Biue Mountains and Beaver Valley areas of Ontanio with Betsy Chishoirn, produci manager, truck division for Saturn A veteran of 17 years ai Saîurn, Chishoim made no bones about Saîurn going throngh tough tîmes and toid how managers agonized about what had to change wîthin the division to keep it from going the way cf (3idsrnobile. She was prondest cf the look cf the Vue, with dehinitely styling Cnes taken frorn the Sky and Anra snch as the large headlights and the tight wheel te body fits. With a very short front os'erhang, the Vue can negotiate uight confines like a waik- way i snuck down te take Chishoim to the Oid Stanton Store in Bine Mountain Village. Dont miss this incredibie gift shop if you're ever in the area. The Vue cornes in three basic versions starting wth the base XE in front-dnive (FsVD) oniy with a 2.4-litre Ecotec four- cylinder engine (169 hp, 161 Il/ft) with a four-speed antornatic starting at $26,990. Nexi up is the XE al-wheel-dnive wîth 3.5- Litre OHV V6 (222 hp, 219 ib/ft) with a six- speed anîomaîîc starting ai $31,275. The XR is the toplîne version wth 3.6-Litre twin carn V6 with vaniable valve tirning (257 hp, 241 ib/ft) in FWvD/Av',ID with a stx-speed autornatic at $31,335/.$33,920. There is aise the Red Lîne version cf the XR FWD/AWVD pniced at $36,020/$38,605. ft cornes with "unique" ebony intenor wth suede seat inserts, "tap shifi" on the autematîc, sport tuned suspension, 18-inch alioy wheeis and very aggressive front and rear spoilers. A hybrid based on the 2.4-litre engine is cernîng in [ail and a twe-rnode hybrid usîng the 3.6-litre V6 is due in 2008. The AWD system is preactive instead cf reactive. lnstead cf starting te shift torque back and forth after gnip bas been eost, the Vues systemr checks wheel speed te see if one or more wheels are slipping. As weli it monitors throttle and steening angle. Torque is nerrnally 99 per cent at the front axie but can shift te as much as 80 per cent te the rear. In short, the system cernes inte play befere the wheel(s) start lcsing gnip and its tee laie. i drove both the XR and XE with the V6 engines, ne fours being avaîlable at the test. 1 dîdn't detect a ioi cf power difference between the two, but then, i was cruising country reads ai weii below the posted lîrnit instead cf u-ying te keep up wtth the hectic flow oef traffic on Hîghway 401. lnîerestingly the XR, wath uts "tap shift" in sequential mode, gets JL/iQO km city/highway better mileage than the auto- rnatîc because îî shifts quicker. Chixhelrn was nerveus because the Vue 1 was dnsing was a very early pre-preductien model, number 19 in faci, cff the fine. She apoiogized for a dtfference in the hue cf îwo parcs cf the centre console and the looekef the webbîng used in the seat beRts. Honestiy, if she hadn't peînîed it ont. 1 neyer would have neîîced. . f wasn't rnnch cf a test cf the AWAD s> s- temr, but i dîd pull off cntc a rocky' beach along the Lake Huron shore -te get some images cf the Vue wich a surnrer thunder- srcrm tring to boul up un the background over the lake. The point here us the AVs'D ssstemrs cf iodas' can get vehucies luke the Vue in and oui cf low traction situations where this saine rruck cf a decade ago wcuid have feared te tread. Saturn. is evoiing esen as yen read thus, A conquest sale s sehen yeur vehîcle proses more attractive te a buyer than the one he/she owns. The 2007 Aura sedan ix cur- renîl>' showîng a 38 per cent cenquesi rate whie the ful -size Outieok CUV ix hîîuing a full 71 per cent. Keep ycur eye on Saturn and enjey the LL