Exotic, Yet Attainable

An affluent middle-aged couple smiles at a journalist in the hotel elevator when they notice the picture of a Saturn Sky on his name badge.

“That's a great-looking car, especially for the price,” they say, after ogling the General Motors Corp. test cars outside. Not a bad response in California wine country, hardly a hotbed for Detroit loyalists.

Great looks coupled with attainability sum up the new Saturn Sky. It has its shortcomings. An engine that can't overcome econobox roots and no side airbags are two, but the car's striking exterior lines, nicely executed bespoke interior and a well-equipped base price of only $23,690 speaks loudly to roadster buyers.

The car is everything Saturn and parent GM need it be: a sexy, affordable “gotta have” vehicle that demonstrates GM still knows how to make cars people lust after.

Like its corporate sibling, the Pontiac Solstice, the Sky is sold out for the rest of the year. The downside is the Sky will sell in such small numbers its success will have little impact on GM's bottom line.

Saturn officials won't reveal production numbers or sales targets, but Ward's forecasts 2006 production of 15,624 units for the Sky, 22,837 for the Solstice and 3,629 for the Opel GT (based on the Sky) for total output of 42,090 at the Wilmington, DE plant.

Although the Sky shares its engine and key components with the Solstice, there is no mistaking the two. Saturn officials say each car has its own distinct personality, and little cross shopping is expected.

The Sky has a uniquely styled interior with its own instrument panel. The roadster originally was scheduled to incorporate the Solstice IP, but designers quickly saw the flowing “organic” lines didn't fit with the Sky's sharp exterior edges. Global Product Development Chief Bob Lutz agreed to a costly interior redesign, which turned out to be one of the car's defining moments.

The effort was worth it. The Sky interior looks and feels more sophisticated than the Solstice and helps justify the $3,000-plus cost difference between the two. The Sky also comes with more standard features than the Pontiac, such as air conditioning, antilock brakes and a 6-CD stereo.

It also shows GM has come a long way from its infamous cookie-cutter badge designs. On the road, the car has excellent highway manners, always well planted with a strong on-center steering feel. It soaks up pavement irregularities like a much larger car. The interior is roomy, and the seats are comfortable enough to make this a long-distance cruiser.

Suspension travel was increased to deliver a more compliant ride than in the Solstice, but it does plenty well on twisty roads, with very little body roll.

Weighing in at 2,933 lbs. (1,330 kg), the Sky is larger in almost every dimension than the Mazda MX-5, and 400 lbs. (182 kg) heavier, making it less nimble.

Storage space also is minimal. The fuel tank intrudes far up into the trunk space and with the top down, hidden under the decklid, there is barely enough room for two overnight bags.

Side airbags are not available, even though they are standard on the MX-5.

The roadster's most disappointing aspect is its engine, the same 2.4L 177-hp 4-cyl. Ecotec mill that powers the Solstice. It has 162 lb. ft. (220 Nm) of torque at 4,800 rpm and delivers 60 mph (97 km/h) in a very respectable 7.2 seconds with a 5-speed manual (a 5-speed automatic is optional), but it is sluggish, revs slowly to the red line and lacks a premium tenor.

Engineers tuned the intake and exhaust noise to provide a more refined sound. It is an improvement over the thrashy economy car note of the Solstice.

But the refinement disappears at low engine speeds and during idle, and reminds that this otherwise glorious chariot was engineered to be very affordable.

The MX-5's 170-hp, 2L DOHC 4-cyl. sounds better than the Ecotec throughout the rev range.

Even so, the Ecotec's underachievement is pardonable. If you think not, a turbocharged direct-injection 2L DOHC Ecotec with 260 hp and 260 lb.-ft. of torque (353 Nm) at 2,500 rpm will be available on the Sky Redline in the fall.

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