CarBrandLogos archive · Saturn · 2003

SaturnIon

Centre-mounted dials, rear-hinged coupe doors, and a recall that outlived the car.

Photo: IFCAR · Public domain

The story

A defining chapter in Saturn history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Saturn Ion, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

The Ion replaced the S-Series in 2003 and marked the end of Saturn as a separate engineering operation. It sat on GM's corporate Delta platform, shared with the Chevrolet Cobalt, and although the plastic body panels and Spring Hill assembly survived, most of what made a Saturn a Saturn did not.

Saturn Ion -- 07-09-2009 · IFCAR · Public domain

Design and engineering

The car chased distinctiveness in odd places. The instruments were moved to the centre of the dash, the quad coupe used small rear-hinged access doors instead of conventional rear doors, and electric power steering replaced the usual hydraulic system. Enthusiasts were offered the Red Line, with a supercharged 2.0-litre Ecotec that made it genuinely quick and competitive in club autocross. Buyers mostly found the interior cheap and the ride unsettled, and the Ion was dropped after 2007.

Saturn ION silver 4-door coupe doors · CZmarlin — Christopher Ziemnowicz, releases all rights but a photo credit would be appreciated if this image is used anywhere other than Wikipedia. Please leave a note at Wikipedia here. Thank you! · CC0

In production

Its afterlife was worse than its career. The Ion was among the cars fitted with the faulty ignition switch that could cut engine power and disable airbags, a defect GM knew about for years before the recall of 2014. The scandal cost the company a criminal settlement, a compensation fund, and whatever credibility was left in the idea that Saturn had been a different kind of car company.

Saturn Ion rear 4.11.18 · Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Engine

2.2&nbsp

Body

4-door sedan

Technical specification

The Ion, in detail.

Production: 2002–March 29, 2007
Class: Compact car
Body style: 4-door sedan; 4-door quad coupe
Layout: Transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive
Engine: 2.2 L L61 I4 (gasoline); 2.4 L LE5 I4 (gasoline); 2.0 L LSJ s/c I4 (gasoline)
Transmission: 5-speed Getrag F23 manual; 5-speed Getrag F35 manual; 4-speed GM 4T45-E automatic; 5-speed Aisin AF33 automatic; CVT VTi automatic
Assembly: United States: Spring Hill, Tennessee
Manufacturer: Saturn Corporation (General Motors)