Saturn was truly a phenomenon in the marketplace, achieving a cultlike following with a traditional low-priced, front-drive 4-door sedan. Saturn's competition was tough, and included popular compact cars like the Dodge/Plymouth Neon, Toyota Corolla, Geo Prizm and Ford Escort.
Year-to-year changes[]
1991[]
When launched as a 1991 model, Saturn sedans came in three flavors, the plain vanilla SL, the mid-level SL1 and the upscale SL2.
Antilock brakes were an option across the board, but only the SL2 included 4-wheel disc brakes instead of rear drums. Both uplevel models also offered traction control, a feature that was required to also opt for ABS and automatic transmission.
The SL2 further distanced itself from its brethren sedans by offering body-colored fascias instead of black bumpers and larger, 15-in. wheels and tires in place of the standard 14-in. wheels.
1995[]
All models, this year, received dual airbags that replaced the previous, pesky motorized shoulder belts. The driver's airbag was housed in a new 2-spoke steering wheel. A new instrument panel also debuted in all models.
Power for the SL and SL1 came from a 1.9-liter sohc Four that produced 15 more horsepower this year, going from throttle body fuel injection to multiport injection. The SL came only with a manual 5-speed, while the SL1 also offered an optional 4-speed automatic.
More power was the order of the day for the SL2, with a dohc version of the 1.9 engine that cranked out 124 horsepower and was used to be mated to either the 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission.
Retail prices[]
| Model year(s) | Trim level | List price | Destination charge | Effective date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | SL | $7,995 | February 10, 1991 | |
| 1991 | SL1 | $8,595 | February 10, 1991 | |
| 1991 | SL2 | $10,295 | February 10, 1991 | |
| 1992 | SL | $8,195 | $300 | October 13, 1991 |
| 1992 | SL1 | $8,895 | $300 | October 13, 1991 |
| 1992 | SL2 | $10,395 | $300 | October 13, 1991 |
| 1992 | SL | $8,395 | $300 | Q2 1992 |
| 1992 | SL1 | $9,195 | $300 | Q2 1992 |
| 1992 | SL2 | $10,695 | $300 | Q2 1992 |
| 1993 | SL | $9,195 | $315 | August 13, 1992 |
| 1993 | SL1 | $9,995 | $315 | August 13, 1992 |
| 1993 | SL2 | $11,495 | $315 | August 13, 1992 |
| 1993 | SL | $9,395 | $315 | Q1 1993 |
| 1993 | SL1 | $10,195 | $315 | Q1 1993 |
| 1993 | SL2 | $11,695 | $315 | Q1 1993 |
| 1994 | SL | $9,995 | $330 | July 13, 1993 |
| 1994 | SL1 | $10,795 | $330 | July 13, 1993 |
| 1994 | SL2 | $11,795 | $330 | July 13, 1993 |
| 1995 | SL | $9,995 | $360 | July 25, 1994 |
| 1995 | SL1 | $10,995 | $360 | July 25, 1994 |
| 1995 | SL2 | $11,995 | $360 | July 25, 1994 |
| 1996 | SL | $10,495 | $390 | July 17, 1995 |
| 1996 | SL1 | $11,395 | $390 | July 17, 1995 |
| 1996 | SL2 | $12,295 | $390 | July 17, 1995 |
| 1997 | SL | $10,595 | $400 | July 29, 1996 |
| 1997 | SL1 | $12,435 | $400 | July 29, 1996 |
| 1997 | SL2 | $13,335 | $400 | July 29, 1996 |
Gallery[]
