Saturn Aura History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
Start with a make and model. Add a year where a detailed guide is available.
Model history available. Detailed year guides are not published for this model.
Browse this model's history and yearsHistory
The Aura replaced the outgoing L-Series as Saturn's mid-size sedan for the 2007 model year, built on GM's global Epsilon platform — the same architecture underpinning the Opel Vectra and Chevrolet Malibu. Critics and the industry rewarded it with the 2007 North American Car of the Year award, recognizing a step-change in quality and design compared to previous Saturn mid-sizers.
Engine options included a 2.4-liter four-cylinder (XE) and a 3.6-liter V6 (XR). A Green Line mild-hybrid variant used a belt-alternator-starter system for improved fuel economy without a full hybrid driveline. The Aura was regarded as the beginning of a Saturn renaissance built around the best of GM's global platforms — but it had only three model years (2007–2009) before GM's restructuring ended the Saturn brand.
Body styles
- Sedan
Notable special editions & performance variants
Aura Green Line
Mild belt-alternator-starter hybrid using the 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder — Saturn's hybrid mid-size sedan.
Aura XR
The top-trim Aura with a 3.6-liter V6 (252 hp) — the V6 performance variant of the sedan.
Related models
Collect the nameplate
Find a scale model of the Saturn Aura
Search Amazon across available years, colors, and scales. Exact releases vary, so confirm the listing before ordering.