
Saturn Outlook: Premium Crossover
The Saturn Outlook was not a vehicle unique to the brand. Various versions of this big crossover found its way into other GM divisions, vehicles which are still marketed today. The Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Arcadia are mildly tweaked clones of the Saturn Outlook, each underpinned by the GM Lambda platform.
Sold for three model years from 2007 to 2009, the Saturn Outlook replaced the uninspiring Saturn Relay, a minivan that was a poor seller. Dull design ensured the Relay's demise while the attractive Outlook gave Saturn shoppers a large vehicle worth considering.
GM offered just one engine with the Saturn Outlook, its widely acclaimed 3.6 L V6 DOHC 24-valve HFV6 engine with VVT (Variable Valve Timing). That engine was the same one that still powers the Cadillac CTS to this day and other GM models. Paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, that powerplant combination gave the Outlook sufficient horsepower (270) and torque (248) to move a full load with ease.
Inside, the cavernous cabin area offered seating for seven or eight passengers, thanks to its three row seating arrangement. Two bucket seats in the front row and a three place rear seat were found on every Saturn Outlook. It was the second seat which allowed buyers to choose a standard bench configuration for three placement seating or to go with a pair of captain chairs.
Every Saturn Outlook was well appointed, but the XR model offered many of the same amenities offered in the Buick Enclave, the top end Lambda powered crossover.
An advanced DVD based GPS navigation system with touch screen display was offered on select Outlook XR models as was a rear view camera system. Heated seats, power sunroof, and a premium audio system featuring ten speakers, subwoofer, amplifier, and a six disc in dash CD/MP3 player ensured that occupants received the best of creature comforts with their ride. OnStar, StabiliTrak, and a five star crash safety rating were among the other notables for this beautiful crossover.
With the third seat folded down, the Saturn Outlook offered a generous amount of storage space. An optional 5200 lb towing package gave this crossover what many buyers needed with an available push button tow/haul making a hook up easy to accomplish.
As late as September 2009, several months after GM announced that the Saturn brand would be sold, it appeared that prospective buyer Penske Automotive Group would be able to keep the brand alive. That deal, which eventually failed, had GM supplying Penske with models for the 2010 and 2011 model years, before Penske would need to look elsewhere for a supplier.
For a time, it appeared that the Saturn Outlook would survive, even thrive under its new arrangement, but once Penske backed away from Saturn, GM allowed the brand to die and with it one of its best models, the Outlook crossover.
