If you've been following some of the drama surrounding Saturn over the past couple of weeks, it's very likely you have some questions about the status of the brand's next-generation Aura midsize sports sedan. Depending on your sources, the redesigned car has either been put on hold, shelved, or scrapped all together.

Well, Saturn general manager, Jill Lajdziak, would like to set the record straight. In a message posted on her blog over at ImSaturn.com earlier this afternoon, Jill addressed the unconfirmed reports about the new vehicle head-on by vowing to "replace those rumors with some straightforward facts." Here's what she had to say about Saturn's Aura plans.

Every day throughout the year, we examine our business plan to look for ways to improve our performance. That was the case regarding our decision to change the lifecycle plan for the next generation Aura. We originally planned to have an accelerated lifecycle (3.5 years) for the Saturn Aura when it was introduced in 2007. Given existing business conditions, and the upside potential of the current Aura, we have decided to put it on a more conventional lifecycle of five to six years. Aura sales are up more than 28% so far this year, and we are adding a standard 4-cylinder engine with 6-speed transmission to its lineup for the 2009 model year. This powertrain combination will offer 33 mpg highway for the gas engine and 34 mpg highway for the hybrid, making Aura the highway fuel economy leader in the midsize car segment. We are very confident that Aura will continue to do well in the marketplace.

Its unusual for a car company to go into such detail about a future product, but I think it's great that Jill is actively trying to allay fears about next-generation Aura and put any ill-conceived rumors to rest. Bravo!