Saturn: GM's environmental division

Saturn: GM's environmental division

Image: General Motors Photo/Steve Fecht

Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak introduces the new Saturn Aura Green Line hybrid at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show Wednesday. The Aura Green Line will deliver at least a 25-percent fuel economy improvement over the non-hybrid Aura XE, for a premium of less than $2,500.

General Motors is smartly positioning Saturn as its environmental division, an appropriate position many of us outsiders (and some Saturn/GM insiders) have been advocating. At this week's Los Angeles show, Saturn/GM took another step toward establishing Saturn as the GM environmental brand with the introduction of the Aura. Green Line, a hybrid version of Saturn's new midsize sedan that goes on sale next year. Further, GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner announced in Los Angeles that GM would introduce a plug-in hybrid, a technology to be demonstrated on a Saturn Vue sport utility.

Michelle Krebs:  is Editor-in-Chief of AutoObserver.com. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.