Saturn Vue Red Line
The Saturn VUE is a compact SUV from General Motors' Saturn marque, the first ever vehicle to use the GM Theta platform. It was introduced for the 2002 model year and was designed by Saturn, being manufactured at the Spring Hill Saturn plant. The unibody platform is shared with the Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent and the European Opel Antara.
Four-cylinder VUEs are powered by the Ecotec straight-4 engine, while L81 V6 from the L-Series and 5-speed Aisin AF33 automatic transmission were initially offered. Starting in 2004, the 6-cylinder VUEs are equipped with the 250 hp (186 kW) Honda-manufactured L66 engine and a Honda transmission. The four-cylinder VUE was available with the VTi continuously-variable transmission (CVT) until GM cancelled it for 2005.
In 2006, the VUE received some upgrades like a redesigned interior with higher-quality materials, a new bumper and grille, and minor cosmetic pieces to the exterior. OnStar, cruise control and automatic headlights have also become standard.
Red Line
Saturn introduced a special high-performance line of vehicles in 2004 under the name, "Red Line", with the VUE Red Line being the first of the lot. It includes the 250 hp (186 kW) L66 V6 and sportier suspension tuning for performance, along with 18 in alloy wheels, ground-effect front bumpers, chrome exhaust tips, special black leather and suede seats, footwell lighting and a special gauge cluster.
Green Line
The high-performance VUE Red Line is joined for 2007 (in summer 2006) by an environmentally-oriented Green Line model. The VUE has a mild hybrid system called "belt alternator starter" (BAS) which automatically stops and instantly restarts the engine when the vehicle moves or comes to a halt respectively. The electric motor also assists in acceleration, but not as much as Honda's Integrated Motor Assist system. The 2.4 L Ecotec engine is adopted from the Saturn ION and fuel savings are expected to be around 15%. The Green Line version is expected to cost US$2,000 more than a similarly-equipped VUE and debuted in production form on January 8, 2006 at the North American International Auto Show.
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