There's been more and more talk lately about Saturn and Opel collaborating on future models. The two General Motors brands hope to gain synergies across their lineups, and share in their respective markets, by more closely aligning their models. The result will be a set of vehicles that will cater to a customer base that will span multiple continents.

The changes will give the traditionally American Saturn brand a distinctively more European look and feel, which will go a long way towards differentiating it from the softer-styled mainstream Japanese cars it was originally designed to fight. For Opel, working with Saturn means access to new models, such as the Sky-based Opel GT and an upcoming large sport-utility. "The alignment of Saturn and Opel is opening up totally new possibilities for us in the niche segments," GM Europe President Carl-Peter Forster told Automotive News in January at the North American International Auto Show. For instance, "a new large Opel can also share a platform with Saturn." The new Opel will reportedly be heavily based on the eight-passenger 2007 Saturn Outlook crossover SUV. Current plans reportedly call for that model to be sold in Europe by 2009.

Automotive News reports that "the sharing represents an increasing amount of technology exchange between Opel and Saturn. For example, in 2009 the successor to Saturn's Ion compact car will be derived from GM's global small-car platform. That platform also will be used for the 2010 Opel Astra." Opel managing director Hans Demant told the magazine that "Saturn vehicles will increasingly resemble Europe's Opel models."

Saturn and Opel Will Work Together on New Models Saturn Opel Sky (2006) GT (2007) Aura (2006) Vectra (2008) Outlook (2006) Flagship (2009) Vue (2008) Antara (2006) Ion (2009) Astra (2010)

In addition, the collaboration may also lead to Saturn entering new market segments in the United States. Sources tell SaturnFans.com that the company is seriously considering offering its own version of the Opel Zafira compact van sometime in the near future.

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Source: Automotive News