Saturn Relay

The Saturn Relay was the first and only minivan from the Saturn brand of American automaker General Motors. It was introduced for the 2005 model year, and was built alongside its sisters, the Buick Terraza, the Chevrolet Uplander, and the Pontiac Montana SV6 in Doraville, Georgia. The Relay was the first Saturn vehicle without polymer side paneling, and is also the first Saturn that is a rebadged Chevrolet or Pontiac.

The Relay was introduced with a 3.5 L LX9 V6 that generates 200 hp (149 kW) and 220 lb·ft (300 N·m) torque, going from 0-60 mph in the 9-second range seconds. For 2006, a 3.9 L LZ9 V6, with 240 hp (179 kW) and 240 ft·lbf (332 Nm) torque, was added as an option, which delivered faster acceleration and better response than the 3.5L engine. For 2007, the 3.5 L V6 was dropped, leaving the 3.9 L as the base engine. Consequently, the optional AWD system was also dropped, since it could not handle the torque of the 3.9 L engine. Unlike its siblings, the Relay did not receive an optional flex-fuel engine for 2007. The Relay scored three "Good"s (the highest possible score) and two "acceptable"s (the second highest possible score) in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests. In terms of gas mileage, the Relay is rated at 19 miles per US gallon (12 L/100 km; 23 mpg_-imp) city, 25 miles per US gallon (9.4 L/100 km; 30 mpg_-imp) highway.

The Relay started at US$22,850. There were three available trim levels, 2FWD, 3FWD, and 3AWD. All Relays seat seven via folding/removable 2nd row captains chairs and a 50/50 third-row bench. The third-row bench folds flat but did not fold entirely into the floor. OnStar assistance and a DVD rear entertainment system came standard on all Relays. A navigation system was optional on Relay 3s. Front side airbags were standard on 3s and optional for the 2. Second-row side airbags were optional on all models.

Discontinuation

Sales were very low, and the Relay was discontinued in 2007. GM had intended to redesign the Relay for 2008 on the Lambda platform, but this was canceled. The Relay was dropped from Saturn's lineup in early 2007, and its Doraville, Georgia assembly plant closed in September 2008. The last Relay rolled off the line on November 17, 2006. The Relay was replaced by the 8-passenger, Lambda-based Outlook crossover SUV.

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Saturn_Relay Saturn Relay] at Wikimedia Commons

• Official American site
• Official Canadian site
• GMC to add minivan, GM to discontinue others.