Saturn - Driving Segment Leadership

It was the autumn of 1990, when America saw the rebirth of American-built small cars. Saturn launched with a clear mission to lead in value, quality and customer enthusiasm. Since its launch, Saturn has become the #1 best retail selling domestic car by sticking to a mission that rallies the people who build the car, sell the car and buy the car. The enthusiasm of Saturn team members and retailers shine through with each new model year. As a result, 1999 brings even greater refinement to the Saturn vehicle lineup and more value to the customer.

Saturn customers quickly recognize value goes far beyond the car's price label. Value can also be measured in safety, quality, and the lowest overall cost of ownership  areas where Saturn leads the small car segment. This product leadership, combined with a convenient and pleasant purchase process, forms the foundation of the Saturn Difference and long term customer relationships.

Value/Low Ownership Cost

There is nothing subjective about Saturn's value leadership. It's a "difference" you can measure. According to the car cost experts at Intellichoice, an independent research firm which produces the annual "Complete Car Cost Guide", a 1998 Saturn SL2 cost thirty-two cents per mile to own and operate over five years. The Honda Civic EX and the Toyota Corolla LE both cost thirty-six cents per mile. Over time, those pennies add up with Saturn SL2 owners saving $ 2,717 over five years as compared to its nearest competitors.

No wonder Intellichoice named the Saturn SL as the "Best Overall Value of the Year" in the Compact Class for cars under $ 15,000. This prestigious award is based on the overall value of the car throughout the ownership cycle. Included in their cost examination of the vehicle are such expense factors as financing, fuel, maintenance, taxes, repairs and insurance, as well as purchase price and estimated resale value.

As expected, depreciation is one of the biggest costs of owning a car. The Automotive Lease Guide's projected resale value of the 1998 Saturn SL2 after 2 years of ownership is 64 % and 51 % after 4 years. Again, that is more value than any other car in it's segment including the Toyota Corolla which holds 63 % of it's value after 2 years and 50 % of it's value after 4 years, and the Honda Civic at 62 % after 2 years and 50 % after 4 years.

Saturn designs this value leadership into its products. For example, Saturns are built on a protective steel spaceframe, which secures occupants in a collision and provides the skeleton for Saturn's signature dent and corrosion resistant polymer bodyside panels. Thermoplastic resin makes the polymer bodyside panels resilient, resisting dents and dings four times greater than steel panels and without rust. The result is a fresh, showroom finish lasting throughout the car's lifetime.

Safety

While cost of ownership is an important purchase consideration, safety is an equal priority. Once again, Saturn is out in front of the competition.

Independent data provides evidence that the Saturn automotive safety technology team has safety designed into its cars to protect Saturn drivers and passengers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 1998 Saturn sedan series its highest recommendation in the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) frontal crash impact test. The 1998 Saturn rated five stars for driver-side protection and four for the passenger side, once again besting Corolla and Civic. Also, real world crash data, as reported by the Highway Loss Data Institute, show the Saturn SL to have a significantly lower injury rate than the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla.

Quality

Through the efforts of the partnership with the UAW, Saturn set out from the very start to build a world-class quality car. Despite the early conventional wisdom that an American car company could not compete with the imports, Saturn now leads the small car segment in quality. The J. D. Power Initial Quality Survey (IQS) found the 1998 Saturn Coupe best in the Sporty Car class with fewer problems per vehicle than the Nissan 200SX and Volkswagen GTI. For the past two years, in the premium compact segment the Saturn SL averaged fewer problems per vehicle than the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla. Saturn's philosophy of continuous improvement drives its car building teams to get better every year and reach even greater quality levels.