Saturn L-Series History

The L-Series arrived for the 2000 model year as Saturn's first step into the mid-size class, a deliberate move to grow the brand beyond its compact origins. Unlike the Spring Hill-built S-Series, it was produced at GM's Wilmington, Delaware plant and was based on the European Opel Vectra B platform — a signal of the platform-sharing strategy that would eventually diminish Saturn's independent identity.

It departed from Saturn tradition by using conventional steel body panels on most of the car rather than the brand's signature polymer cladding, and was offered as a sedan (L100, L200, L300) or station wagon (LW200, LW300) with four-cylinder or V6 power. Approximately 406,300 units were built across the run. The L-Series never matched the S-Series in owner loyalty and was discontinued after a short run of 2005 models, with the last car leaving the Wilmington line on June 17, 2004. The Aura succeeded it for 2007.