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The Saturn Aura is a mid-size car produced under the Saturn brand of American automaker General Motors. It debuted as a concept car at the North American International Auto Show in January 2005. The production model of the Aura was shown at the 2006 New York Auto Show in April, with production commencing in North America in the summer of 2006 for the 2007 model year. The Aura replaces the Saturn L-Series, which was discontinued after the 2005 model year.[1] Although Saturn had never intended to use the Aura name for the production vehicle, the name ended up sticking as a result of the popularity of the concept.[citation needed]
The Aura is an important model for both Saturn and General Motors.[2] It is part of a product rejuvenation for Saturn to make the firm profitable as well as competitive with European imports.[2][3] Reaction to the Aura has been positive, both in terms of reviews and sales.[4]
The concept used a 252 hp (186 kW) 3.6 L V6 and a new 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission.[5] That powertrain is offered in the production model known as the XR. Also introduced is the 3.5 L V6 with 219 hp (163 kW), down from 224 in 2007 in the XE, and the hybrid 164 hp (122 kW) 2.4 L inline-4, down from 170 hp (127 kW), in the Greenline. The Aura, developed on the GM Epsilon platform, is available only as a sedan and is built at the Kansas City, Kansas, Fairfax Assembly plant.
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