The Saturn Aura was a mid-size car produced under the Saturn brand of American automaker General Motors. It debuted as a concept car at the North American International Auto Show in January 2005. The production model of the Aura was shown at the 2006 New York Auto Show in April, with production commencing in North America in the summer of 2006 for the 2007 model year. The Aura replaced the Saturn L-Series, which was discontinued after the 2005 model year. Although Saturn had never intended to use the Aura name for the production vehicle, the name ended up sticking as a result of the... popularity of the concept. The Aura was considered an important model for both Saturn and General Motors. It was part of a product rejuvenation for Saturn intended to make the brand profitable as well as competitive with European imports. Reaction to the Aura was positive, both in terms of reviews and sales. The Aura marked the first time since the mid-70's that GM's German division Opel had products sold in the United States. The Aura was based on the Opel Vectra midsize sedan. The concept used a 252 hp 3.6 L V6 and a new 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission.
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