Their positioning brings down the center of gravity but reduces the chances of finding a comfortable driving position. They are thinly padded and positioned lower than necessary. The seats, authentic Recaros, need a hair more side-bolstering and adjustable lumbar. While dramatically improved over earlier models, in terms of fit and finish and feel of the switchgear, the interior still suffers from an overabundance of dark plastics. Other options include a mesh screen grille. Rocker moldings enhance the Red Line’s low-slung appearance and a deck lid spoiler is standard, with larger wings available. GM’s Performance Division designed the new front and rear fascias, which are highlighted by a deep air inlet up front and a cutout for the large chrome exhaust tip out back. GM’s electric power steering system has taken its share of knocks in a variety of applications, but for the ‘05 ION Red Line it has been recalibrated for quicker response and better on-center feel. Red Line ride height is lowered 10mm from stock and on the skid-pad the Red Line pulls 0.85 lateral Gs. Five-bolt wheel hubs and brake calipers and pads are oversized, as well, and in tests have shown themselves to be both powerful and fade-resistant. To increase the contact patch, performance-rated 45-series Continentals are mounted on 17-by-7-inch, six-spoke forged alloy wheels.īrakes are similarly upsized, to 11.6 inches up front and 10.6 inches rear. Shock and bushing settings are stiffer than stock and the anti-sway bars are beefier. Saturn hangs the Red Line’s suspension components on GM’s European-designed Delta architecture. GM doesn’t say so, but it’s possible the ION borrows Saab’s anti-torque-steer geometry the two are corporate cousins, after all, and some of the ION’s interior switchgear carries Saab parts numbers. The half-shaft setup does an admirable job minimizing torque steer, a perennial bugaboo for front-drive hotrods. Still, 0-60 in 6.2 seconds isn’t half-bad for a car that shades a hair over the $21,000 mark.Ī limited-slip differential, part of a $1,470 Competition Package that also includes boost gauge, ladder-style tach and projector-beam fog lamps, helps keeps the tires planted. The Getrag’s tall and evenly spaced gearing is intended to keep the engine in its sweet spot throughout the gears, but combined with the ION’s 2,950-pound curb weight, curtails quarter-speed times. Indeed, we found power delivery via the electronically controlled throttle to be immediate.Ī five-speed, short-throw Getrag gearbox ties the power plant to a pair of equal-length half shafts.

General Motors prefers supercharging to turbocharger because it eliminates turbo-lag, delivering power more smoothly across a broader torque band. Cooling shouldn’t be a problem, as the Red Line gets an enlarged radiator core and bigger cooling fans. With its truncated stroke and reinforced crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons, the engine is potentially capable of greater rpm and more power.

Fitted with a Roots-type supercharger, Laminova air-to-water intercooler and high-flow air intake and exhaust systems, it pumps out 205 horsepower and 200 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 rpm. You can tell an ION Red Line by its distinctive front fascia, body sill extensions and 17-inch low-profile tires, but the heart of the package is a beefed-up and de-stroked (from 2.2 liters) 2.0-liter Ecotec engine. No late nights on cold, concrete floors installing balky custom exhaust systems, no wrestling with ill-fitting aftermarket body add-ons and, perhaps most important, no warranty hassles. The tuner category has been dominated by the Asians and was mythologized in the 2001 movie “The Fast and the Furious.” Unlike the over-the-top, owner-modified cars lionized by the film, though, the ION Red Line is a “factory tuner,” a car ready to romp right off the showroom floor. We drove an ‘05 Saturn ION Red Line ‘06 editions are essentially unchanged.īased on the innovative ION “quad coupe,” the ION Red Line competes in the same tuner space as Dodge’s Neon SRT-4, the Civic Si, the late lamented Ford SVT Focus and Chevy’s Cobalt SS, itself a mechanical cousin to the Red Line. The up-level “Red Line” editions of the ION coupe and VUE SUV featured supercharged power plants, sport-tuned suspensions and a bagful of cosmetic upgrades. Saturn builds solid cars, sells them in a customer-friendly environment and services the heck out of them.Īmend that: Saturn didn’t build exciting cars.Īnxious to grab a chunk of the youthful tuner market, Saturn introduced two new performance models for the ‘04 model year.

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