General Motors might be calling it a concept, but what you see with the Saturn Aura is what you'll get.

The mid-sized sedan won't look much different when it hits the streets in summer 2006.

"It's a sneak peek," says Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak, "but a pretty close one."

Saturn will push the Aura as a preview of what Saturn is capable of doing with a sporty sedan. With its replacement for the discontinued L series, Saturn could use the confidence boost.

The final Saturn L series was built at GM's Wilmington, Del., plant June 17. Production of the car began in May 1999. About 406,300 were built over five years.

When the division was launched, Saturn envisioned selling 500,000 vehicles annually. Saturn sold 212,017 vehicles in the United States in 2004, down 21.8 percent from 2003.

Saturn hopes the investment it's making in the exterior and interior of the Aura make this sedan a different story.

"We believe it has the potential to attract today's Accord or Passat buyer," says GM Vice Chairman Robert Lutz.

From the outside, the Aura features the new Saturn design direction. The look, including a front fascia with a distinctive mesh grille and circular fog lamps, will first appear in a production vehicle with the Sky roadster that goes on sale in late 2005 or early 2006. The Aura also features 19-inch polished alloy wheels pushed to the corners.


Under the hood, Saturn has included a 250-hp 3.6-liter double overhead cam engine with variable-valve timing teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission with manual tap up/tap down shift controls.

But inside the vehicle is where the Aura will make the largest leap.

"The interior is a bold step," says Greg Bellopatrick, vehicle chief engineer for GM's mid-sized vehicles. "It's a definite reflection of where Saturn wants to go. And when you look at the mid-sized market, the price of entry is products that are premium. That's where we think the Aura will be."

The interior includes Rustica leather seats designed to resemble expensive furniture, as well as two-tone door and seat inserts. There is heavy use of metallic and chrome trim, as well as backlit instrumentation and a four-panel sunroof.

GM design chief Ed Welburn says his team of interior designers borrowed materials from other industries, including some of the best handbag companies in Italy.

"We made interiors a high priority," Welburn says. "This proves it is a new direction from many aspects."