The Saturn Outlook was Saturn’s full-size crossover, built on the GM Lambda platform shared with the Buick Enclave, the Chevrolet Traverse and the GMC Acadia. It went on sale in 2006 as a 2007 model, seated eight and carried the lowest sticker price of the Lambda family.
Saturn Outlook at a glance
| Production | 2006–2010, sold from the 2007 model year |
|---|---|
| Assembly | Delta Township, near Lansing, Michigan |
| Platform | GM Lambda |
| Body style | full-size crossover SUV |
| Engine | 3.6 L V6 with variable valve timing |
| XE output | 270 hp with single exhaust |
| XR output | 275 hp with dual exhaust |
| Transmission | Hydra-Matic 6T75 six-speed automatic |
| Drive | front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive optional |
| Seating | up to eight in three rows |
| Crash rating | IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2008 and 2009 |
Written from the English Wikipedia article on the Outlook.
History of the Saturn Outlook
2006–2007: the Lambda family grows
The Outlook was shown at the New York International Auto Show and went on sale in 2006 as a 2007 model. It was part of the Lambda family of large crossovers, which also included the GMC Acadia, the Buick Enclave and later the Chevrolet Traverse, all built on the same platform at Delta Township near Lansing, Michigan. Production of the Outlook and the Acadia began on 24 May 2006. Saturn’s version was the value entry into the family, slotted below the Acadia and the Enclave on price.
Early problems and the interior
In December 2006 all production and sales of the Outlook and the Acadia were stopped for a short time: the engine mounts had not been drilled to let accumulated water out, and some rivets in the load floor ahead of the tailgate were suspect. The assembly process was changed and dealers were told to fix the cars already built before selling them, so sales resumed within days. Inside, the Outlook could carry eight people in three rows, with two front seats, a second row either as a three-place bench or two captain’s chairs, and a third-row bench. GM made much of the SmartSlide second row, whose cushion tipped forward as the seat slid, freeing space behind it and allowing the middle row to be adjusted fore and aft.
2010: the last cars
Production of the Outlook stopped late in 2009, but in February 2010 General Motors restarted the line to use up remaining parts before closing the Saturn division. That run produced 3,637 cars for the 2010 model year, 2,507 of them assembled in the 2010 calendar year, and it is not known how or where they were sold. The Outlook was replaced in the showrooms by the Chevrolet Traverse as the family-oriented Lambda model. Its bodyshell lived on: the facelifted 2013 GMC Acadia used it almost unchanged.
Design and features
- Lambda platform: the large GM crossover structure shared with the Acadia, Enclave and Traverse.
- Eight seats: three rows with a second row available as a bench or captain’s chairs.
- SmartSlide: a second row that tipped and slid forward to open up space.
- Value: the lowest sticker price of GM’s Lambda crossovers.
- Safety: an IIHS Top Safety Pick in 2008 and 2009.
Saturn Outlook versions
- Outlook XE: the base trim with a single exhaust and 270 hp.
- Outlook XR: the top trim with dual exhaust and 275 hp.
- 2009 cars: both trims gained a small power increase with the LLT engine.
- All-wheel drive: an option on both trims alongside standard front-wheel drive.
- 2010 run: the final cars built in early 2010 from remaining parts.
The Outlook replaced the Relay minivan in Saturn’s range, and the smaller Vue sat below it. More cars are in the Saturn collection.
Sources
- Saturn Outlook, English Wikipedia: platform, engines, trims, seating, production
