Ward's Auto is reporting that General Motors has begun a plan to completely integrate Saturn and its European Opel brand by 2014. By that time, nearly every car in the lineup of each brand will be "interchangeable," according to Carl-Peter Forster, president of GM Europe. Forster likens what will become of Saturn to Vauxhall, the retail channel for Opel in the United Kingdom.
The Saturn Aura already rides on the same Epsilon platform as the Opel Vectra, but both cars were developed separately, feature different content and are built in different locations. The next Vectra, however, will be the basis for the second-generation Aura sold in the U.S. Both the Opel Antara SUV and the Astra compact will also be coming to the States soon as the next VUE and ION replacement, respectively. The smallest Opel, the newly redesigned Corsa (shown above), could also come over as a Saturn if GM believes it needs another entry-level option alongside the Chevy Aveo in the U.S.
The only thing Saturn has to offer Opel is the Sky roadster. The Sky will be sold in Europe as the Opel GT early next year. Aside from that, Opel's European customers probably aren't interested in the upcoming 7-passenger Saturn Outlook, as the CUV is much too large for their tastes.
[Source: Ward's Auto]
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