Saturn S series

Taiwan and Japan were the only two Asian countries to import Saturns. From 1992 to 1996, the first- and second-generation sedans plus the first-generation coupes were sold in Taiwan. From 1997 to 2001, the second-generation versions were sold in right-hand drive in Japan, and some Toyota Netz dealerships, and former Isuzu dealerships also offered Saturn products until 2001.

Canada imported all available Saturn models from 1992 onward.

Saturn SL

The first generation SL was constructed for model years 1991 through 1995, with the first Saturn to leave the assembly line in the Spring Hill, Tennessee factory was on July 30, 1990, the same day that then-CEO of GM, Roger Bonham Smith, retired. It was maroon with a tan interior.

From 1991 to 1992, the Saturn SL-series Sedan trim levels consisted of the SL, the SL1, and the SL2.

The base SL model featured the MP2 manual transmission only, and it had manual steering. On the exterior the car featured unique hubcaps different from the SL1 and came equipped with only a driver's side exterior mirror (a passenger mirror was a popular dealer-installed option). On the inside the SL featured an AM/FM radio with no cassette player and a lower grade cloth material on the seats. No factory options such as power windows, power locks, air conditioning, or cruise control were available on the SL. The SL1 trim level added power steering, a passenger mirror, different hubcaps for the 14" wheels, an AM/FM cassette player, and softer cloth material on the seats. It featured as standard equipment the same MP2 manual, or the MP6 automatic transmission could be had as an option. The SL1 could be optioned with power windows, power locks, power mirror (passenger side only - driver's side retained manual control), cruise control, and air conditioning. Both were offered only with the SOHC 1.9L I4 "LKO" engine that produced 85 hp (63 kW), which was rated at 27 mpg (8.7L/100 km/32 mpg) City, 34 mpg (6.9L/100 km; 41 mpg) Highway. The SL2 trim level featured the MP3 manual transmission, or the MP7 automatic transmission, both exclusively with the DOHC 1.9L I4 LL0 engine that was rated at 123 hp (92 kW), 24 mpg (9.8L/100 km; 29 mpg) City, 34 mpg (6.9L/100 km; 41 mpg) Highway. The SL2 also brought body-color bumpers, 15" steel wheels (alloys were optional), and higher spec cloth on the seats (including the seat backs - on SL and SL1 the seat backs were vinyl). SL2's could be optioned with power windows, locks, mirror (again, pass. side only), cruise control, air conditioning, sunroof, and leather seats. Anti-lock braking was available as an option as well, which brought along rear disc brakes.

For the 1995 model year, the seatbelts were changed from the power passive restraint type to the conventional 3-point type. The interior of the vehicle was redesigned with a new dashboard and the addition of a front passenger's airbag. The center console was updated as well, adding previously absent cup holders. Also for 1995, the SOHC (LK0) engine was given MPFI to create the 100 hp (75 kW) L24 engine.

The S series also had a 12.8 US gallons (48L; 11 imp gal.) fuel tank, which means that both the SL and the SW models had both gotten around 384 miles (618 km) on a single tank based on an average of 32 mpg (7.4L/100 km; 38 mpg) Owners of the SL1 model would usually report real-world fuel mileage of about 38-41 mpg (6.2-5.7L/100 km; 46-29 mpg) on the Highway with the manual transmission.

Saturn SW2

For the 1993 model year, a station wagon variant of the SL with SW1 and SW2 trim levels was added to the model lineup.

The first generation Saturn SC coupes were made from 1990 to 1996. The first generation Saturn SC coupes were originally only available in one trim level which was the SC.

The 1990-1992 Saturn SC featured a DOHC 1.9-litre LL0 inline-four engine that was rated at 123 hp (92 kW). For the 1993 model year, the original regular SC coupe model was renamed as the SC2 and a new SC1 trim level was introduced. For the 1994 model year, the SC1 and the SC2 had both gotten revised power door locks and a recalibrated automatic transmission. The first generation SC2 had received a minor refresh in 1995 in which the lower front bumper and the vehicle's taillights were both updated. For the 1995 model year, both the SC1 and the SC2 had gotten a redesigned interior with a new redesigned dashboard with a front passenger's airbag.

The first generation SC1 coupe featured a SOHC 1.9L I4 LKO engine that was rated at 85 hp (63 kW). The SC1's engine was later upgraded to the 100 hp (75 kW) L24 engine for the 1995 model year.

The first generation Saturn SC1 coupes had shared the same fixed headlight front fascia with the SL sedans and the SW station wagons rather than the pop-up headlight design used on the SC2 and the original SC. The SC1 had also lacked a rear trunk lid reflector and a rear stabilizer bar.

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  1992 Saturn SC (pre-facelift)
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  1995-1996 Saturn SC2
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  1995-1996 Saturn SC1

1996–1999 Saturn SW1

The second generation SL sedans and SW station wagons were made from 1996 to 1999. They had both featured a completely redesigned exterior. The interior was mostly the same as on the first generation vehicles, while mechanically they went largely untouched. The redesigned second generation S-series went on sale in 1995 for the 1996 model year.

A few minor changes were made for the 1998 model year S-series vehicles. Due to multiple complaints about the noise coming from the vehicle's trip odometer that had been in all of the Saturn S-series since 1995, had replaced with a new type of trip odometer in an effort to correct the problem. For the 1998 model year, a new cluster with a digital trip odometer had been introduced. Rear disc-brakes were no longer available as an option on the S series due to high costs for them as well as very little improvement in braking performance over the conventional rear drum-brakes setup.

Beginning with all of the Saturn S-series vehicles that were made in late 1999 (sometimes referred to as 1999.5 models) had received improvements to both the SOHC and the DOHC engines in the S series. These changes included revised pistons, new connecting rods, and new crankshaft counterweights in the engine as well. The Twin Cam cylinder head had now featured a new roller-rocker setup with hydraulic tappets and roller cams replacing the conventional bucket lifter setup of the previous engine in the S series.

Also introduced for the 1999 model year S-series vehicles that were sold in California was a different type of an exhaust manifold that housed an upstream catalytic converter (this converter had heated up much faster than the conventional unit, and it had also decreased exhaust emissions faster as well), and it also had provisions for an air-injection reaction system (This had injected fresh air into the exhaust to reduce hydrocarbons during the startup of the vehicle, as it would help the oxygen sensors and catalytic converters reach their operating temperatures faster). These vehicles were made to meet the all-new CARB ULEV standards for the 1999 model year.

1996 - 1999 Saturn SL

1997–2000 Saturn SC

The second generation SC coupes were made from 1997 to 2000. The second generation SC coupes had also moved to the longer wheelbase that the SL sedans and the SW station wagons had used, resulting in an equal wheelbase length across all S-series models. The redesign had resulted in a more curved look for the SC coupes, which gave a slight increase in the vehicle's interior room/space, as well as doorway size as well as a completely redesigned exterior of the vehicle itself. For the 1999 model year, a front-opening clamshell door was added to the driver's side of the vehicle. Even though this door on the driver's side of the vehicle had allowed easier access into the vehicle's rear seat, the driver's seat in the vehicle was also able to slide forward to allow easy access to the vehicle's rear seat as well. As a clamshell door, the rear driver's side door could not open unless the front door was open, because the door handle was on the inside of the door itself. Like the first generation SC coupes, the SC1 model lacked a rear sway bar.

2000-2002 Saturn SL

In 1999 for the 2000 model year, the Saturn S-series had been redesigned for the final time before being discontinued in 2002. This resulted in the third generation Saturn S-series.

The exterior of the Saturn SL sedans revived new body panels from the belt-line down. The rear end of the SL sedans received a redesigned applique on the trunk, and the headlights of the SL sedans had received orange turn signal indicators.

The interior of all the Saturn S-series models received a completely redesigned dashboard, center console, and steering wheel, but the rest of the interiors were mostly unchanged. The SL2, SW2, and SC2 got the storage compartment with a sliding arm rest in the center console as standard, where as the SL1, SW1, and SC1 did not.[6]

Like the 1999 model year SL sedans and the 1999 model year SW station wagons that were made in late in 1999, the 2000 model year SL sedans and the 2000 model year SW station wagons had also included a digital trip odometer, which did not cause any issues like the analog trip odometers that were used in the 1991-early 1999 model year S-series vehicles.

The third generation Saturn S-series was also the first Saturn to use the body control module (BCM), and the powertrain control module (PCM) systems in tandem with each other. In the third generation Saturn S-series models, the PCM system was used strictly for the vehicle's transmission and engine, whereas the BCM system was used strictly for the vehicle's interior functions such as the digital trip odometer and speedometer.

Beginning with the 2001 model year, side curtain airbags became available as an optional feature. The optional side curtain airbags were only available on the 2001 to 2002 model Saturn SL1 and SL2 sedans.

2000-2002 Saturn SL1 Rear

2001–2002 Saturn SC

The third generation of Saturn SC maintained the SC1 and SC2 models. They were essentially identical to the second generation SC in all terms except appearance where minor updates were done to improve the lines[7] and a PCM and BCM were added. A new GT trim package had become available for the Saturn SC coupes for the 2001 model year, along with the option of American Racing Wheels that was only available on the GT version of the Saturn SC coupes. A rear spoiler on the vehicle's rear trunk lid was also made available for the 2001 to 2002 model year Saturn SC GT coupes.