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Positively charged, but it could use a little more spark.

There are two great things about the new Saturn ION Red Line. Two things any enthusiast would marvel at. Two things that set a new standard for the class and should send engineers from Mazda, Honda, Nissan and Subaru back to their drafting tables. Those two things are the car's front seats.

Every year car manufacturers seem to tune out an already popular selling vehicle. For example, this year Toyota introduced the Celica GT-S Tsunami edition and Corolla XR-S. In 2003, Mazda offered up the MazdaSpeed Protegé, while in 2002 Honda brought out the Civic SiR, and the list goes on.

Saturn likes to bill itself as "the different kind of company," but for years, the difference was that Saturn struggled with what amounted to only one product to sell -- a small car -- when so many buyers were looking for pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and minivans. How is that different?

Glance quickly at the ION Red Line, and you know it exceeds basic transportation status. Rocker moldings along the sides accentuate the connection with the pavement, while unique front and rear fascias wrap the ends. Up front, a large air dam is located in the standard position below the grille and headlights.

I've always felt a little guilty for not liking the Saturn Ion more than I do. It's fundamentally a nice-driving car wrapped underneath a skin that just doesn't appeal to me, but I can't help the fact that I make part of my living as a freelance art director.

Sometimes, you have high expectations for a car and come away disappointed after a test ride. The flip side holds, too. Occasionally, you have low (even zero) expectations and come away feeling that a vehicle's strong points outweigh its negatives. That said, rarely has a car come our way with lower expectations than the 2004 Saturn Ion.

Steve Varady always thought of Saturn as a "brand aimed at moms." But after spending an evening behind the wheel of the 2004 Ion Red Line, Saturn's first supercharged performance vehicle, the Dearborn resident has new respect for the General Motors brand that's long been a favorite of sensible people looking for affordable vehicles with no-dicker stickers.

The 2004 Saturn ION features some significant updates, including higher-grade interior fabrics and richer-looking interior trim in more harmonious colors. Additional sound-deadening material brings a quieter cabin. The stereo systems have been improved and is available with an MP3 player, XM Satellite Radio, and a six-CD changer.

My favorite aspect of this Saturn Ion Quad Coupe is its clever four-door access. Even though it looks like a coupe, rear-hinged half-doors on either side like those on extended cab pickups give it wide-open four-door convenience. For a compact coupe, this is nothing short of a miracle.

When GM's Saturn division introduced their new sleek Ion coupe in 2003, the company provided news that a performance version would be coming in early 2004. And sure enough, their promise was a good one. We had a chance to put our journalistic seat into a couple of 2004 Ion Red Line coupes at GM’s road test center in Milford, Michigan and on regular roads nearby, and let's say right off that this is a performance car.

Thank you, Saturn Ion Red Line. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. With one little vehicle you have put the metal back in the pedal and the Ion onto a younger buyer's radar screen.

Saturn's system of four doors—two standard front portals augmented by rear-hinged demi-doors in back—optimizes rear-seat access and enhances coupe utility by about 93 percent. The sides of the car open like clamshells, and the absence of B-pillars means adult-size people can fold themselves into the rear without a coating of Mazola. The only surprise is that this excellent idea hasn't become more widespread.

Finally, an Ion with attitude.

These days, young gearheads seeking to hop-up their rides with aftermarket goodies and performance upgrades are ignoring the cars on which their elders lavished such attention — usually '50s- and '60s-era Chevys and Pontiacs.