From Auto123.com: Saturn's big family hauler hit the road for 2007, just a few years before the demise of the GM-owned brand. Packing room for up to eight, and riding the same platform as the Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia, the Saturn Outlook packed standard V6 power, plenty of size, available AWD, and a long list of available feature content.

It's been more than three years since General Motors announced it was shuttering its "different kind of car" division. At the time, Roger Penske was attempting to purchase the brand and possibly stock it with cars sourced from plants in the US, South Korea, Mexico, or even Europe. Ultimately Mr. Penske couldn't get a deal done within GM's tight timeframes and Saturn was closed. While frantically attempting to keep up with rumors swirling around Saturn that fateful year, I made a decision to rethink the way I was collecting and reporting the news. In the midst of all the uncertainty surrounding Saturn, I began to draw up plans for new and improved version of SaturnFans.com that could not only help visitors track what Saturn news was happening, but where it was happening as it was happening.

A few years ago Target sold some motorized Saturn Ion toys that were "tuned for speed." The cars were available in two colors: black/purple (pictured above) and red/black (below). On the top of each car were two buttons. Pressing the triangle caused the car to rev its engine, flash its headlamps and under-body neon lights, and finally zoom forward a few feet. The square button started a caused the car to play a catchy rhythmic tune with the lights flashing along to the beat.

Test you knowledge with these Saturn 'did you know' trivia bits from Saturn's yesteryear.

Model year 1994 marked what Saturn called "Balanced Excellence" in terms of offering customers exceptional value for their money in the small car market. Attaining "balanced excellence" required Saturn to pay critical attention to a host of buyer expectations. Among them were a high level of performance without sacrificing fuel economy or emissions; affordability while maintaining reliability and durability; and an overall commitment to quality without compromise. Accompanied by numerous continuous refinements, the family of 1994 Saturn sedans, wagons and coupes were proof that "balanced excellence" could be achieved through subtle refinements and continuous improvement.

Prior to unveiling the 2002 Vue sport-utility at the South Florida International Auto Show in Miami on October 6 2001, Saturn released the preview sketch shown above. Even though the SUV charted new territory for Saturn, the vehicle still embodied many Saturn characteristics that were popular at the time, including: a horizontal front lightbar, domed hood, arched roofline, and side "swoosh."

Over the summer I received a pamphlet in the mail from Chevrolet touting their summer-long "Chevrolet Total Confidence" pricing promotion. The cover of the mailing immediately caught my eye with the italicized words reading "the spirit of Saturn lives on."

With its turbocharged engine and sizzling yellow-to-red paint scheme, the Saturn SCX three-door coupe ignited the passion of performance-car enthusiasts. The SCX's 1.9-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine was modified by Saturn Motorsports of San Diego to yield an estimated 300 hp, more than double the engine's normal output in the Saturn SC2. Along with its hot engine, the SCX boasted a high level of handling and sporty appearance cues that reflected the car's performance capabilities.

This was the first Saturn demonstration prototype vehicle. It was completed for evaluation and shown to the media on September 15, 1984. General Motors Chairman and CEO at the time, Roger Smith, and GM's then-President and Chief Operating Officer, F. James McDonald, are pictured with the 1985 Saturn four-door sedan concept.

This morning's "Did You Know?" trivia focuses on Saturn and the environment. Saturn was concerned with how its cars affect the environment throughout the car's lifetime -- from design, to manufacture, to use by owners, to final disposal.