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Show Look inside PAGE Fl for over ffQCp Crea deals on cars! Friday, September 24, 2004 - THE DAILY HERALD www.HarkTheHerald.com 1 Once inside, a more traditional minivan theme is apparent, with three rows of seats and plenty of leg room for all passengers. Thaf s because the Relay is about four inches longer By MALCOLM GUNN WHEELBASE COMMUNICATIONS vehicle that wants to a sport-utilia minivan, or a minivan that just to took a little more rugged? When it comes to the new 2005 Relay, you could easily build a case tor both, but H ty Is X V , -- seven-passeng- er Nir t . minivans. man CM's outgoing extended-lengt- h Both the second and third row fold above the floor to create a flat load surface. They can also be removed to max out the cargo space. Saturn's stylists have since this people-mover shares its architecture thankfully avoided loading with the rebranded '05 Chevrolet up the dash and center con2005 Saturn Relay trol stack with a confusing Uplander, Buick Terazza and minivan, available in a single, b Pontiac Montana SV6 minivans, array of version. tinsel. Vital controls, dials we'll settle on the latter. OHV V6 produces 200 horsepoand switches are intuitive Perhaps, however, we should and logically positioned. be a little more focussed on the transmission. automatic Another point in the fact that until now there hasn't As one of a quartet of forthcoming Relay's favor is the availminivans, the Relay becomes actually been a Saturn minivan drive. Vie first in class for CM's to brag about, which begs the ability of Saturn division. DaimlerChrysler has abanquestion: whafs up with that? The Relay attempts to adopt a semi e doned this feature on its The Relay obviously fills a look with its extended front clip and sizeable void in a lineup that ,2005 Chrysler Town & beefy stance. . . Country and Dodge I j. currently includes the ION comir avah'nodels I aving the and the the larger pel; vehicle. Saturn vue sport-utiliToyota Sienna as the only than enough to handle the Relays size other minivan to provide it. could have just as easily continand weight while delivering acceptable Of course, the other new fuel economy. ued without a minivan, but the The Relay's CM minivans will most option might company saw an opening for the help attract some new buyers to the Saturn likely offer it in one way, Relay and went for it camp, especially since Chrysler has An opening? According to shape or form. dropped the feature. k brakes are Saturn, 50 per cent of minivan Safety; Front airbags; airbags to the catstandard, while stability buyers are k brakes, traction control (opt); d control an sysegory, and of those, 40 per cent (opt); stability control (opt) wind up buying import-base- d for tem MPC(cityhwy):na models that has never been models. This is where company Bate price: $24,000 (est) offered On any CM minivan executives think the Relay will will be optional. set up shop, and the term 'sport van' will be the advertising tag Keeping the Relay (as well as all of GM's new crop of minivans) on that the General Motors division hopes will do V6 engine that develops the go is a the trick. You'll have to be the judge as to whether 200 norsepower and an estimated 220 t. of the "sporty" handle truly fits, but the Relay's torque. Thaf s 1 5 more horses and about 1 0 more most noticeable feature is its prominent, torque than outgoing d automatic transmotor provides. A front end that has "I want to mission completes the powertrain. written all over it. The bumper be a sport-ute- " The Relay will arrive in is also prominently displayed, two like basic trim levels with and a just typical the driving lights are perched plenty of standard equipment plus a lengthy option high as if to avoid being subJist. One of the more useful merged while fording rivers or d items is a smashed to bits by jutting tree d remote stumps. second-roseat that pivots Of coiirse, Relay owners will sideways while extending mostly contend with potholes, outside the vehicle. This curbs and careless parking-lo- t door (lingers (unlike other allows, for example; easier transfer of a passenger to a Saturns, the Relay does not have wheelchair. polymer body The Relay, along with panels), but the effect is attracthe rest of CM's new vans, don t break dramattive, in a ic new ground in terms of style or content but sort of way. their bolder profiles and mechanical content The designers have also pushed the Relay's should give them a fighting chance in the wheels outward and fitted tnemwith 1 rubber in an effort to capture a "planted" ongoing minivan battles as well as a kickstart far increased Saturn sales. y stance thaf s typical of most Four-do- button-and-kno- - 3.5-lt- d product-starve- el sport-ut- tKtaSK: : I ty I Anti-loc- first-time- rs anti-ski- V :. ... x u fy 3.5-lit- er Ib.-f- lb.-ft.- of ra (m t5 3.4-lit- er four-spee- broad-shoulder- dealer-installe- control-operate- w r I ding-resista- nt ti; sport-utilit- Don't worry about risinj interest rates. Worry about what color you want. JT i 7 Seo Tho How 0 APR KblLAY .Coming 'ijT - for 5 years --OR CHOOS- E- 1 $3,000 toward down payment? for qualified buyers on most new 2004 Saturn models Additional $500 i Market Area Adjustment for a total of , i $3,500 2004 Saturn yUE! AWD V6 ' towards down payment vi; 2004 Saturn ION-- 2 Saturn.com Jim- - 'nil D0J3Q.QS9D ; v Monthry'payment Is $16.67 for every $1,000 financed Example down payment 10.8. Some customers will not qualify. Excludes lON't model, take delivery by 1Q31A4. See retailer for details. VUE. AWD V6 shown with retailer-installe- d armsories (D2004 Saturn Corporation. Saturn and its logo are ny'stemd trademarks of Saturn Corporation. People first is a trvtemark of Saturn Corporation. ' 5' i i . 1 .., v. . : |