Saturn Relay
Encyclopedia
The Saturn Relay was the first and only minivan
from the Saturn brand of American
automaker
General Motors
. It was introduced for the 2005 model year, and was built alongside its sisters, the Buick Terraza
, the Chevrolet Uplander
, and the Pontiac Montana SV6 in Doraville, Georgia
. The Relay was the first Saturn vehicle without polymer
side paneling, and is also the first Saturn that is a rebadged
Chevrolet
or Pontiac
.
The Relay was introduced with a 3.5 L
LX9 V6 that generates 200 hp and 220 lbft torque, going from 0-60 mph in the 9-second range seconds. For 2006, a 3.9 L LZ9 V6, with 240 hp (179 kW) and 240 ft·lbf (332 Nm) torque, was added as an option, which delivered faster acceleration and better response than the 3.5L engine. For 2007, the 3.5 L V6 was dropped, leaving the 3.9 L as the base engine. Consequently, the optional AWD
system was also dropped, since it could not handle the torque of the 3.9 L engine. Unlike its siblings, the Relay did not receive an optional flex-fuel engine for 2007. The Relay scored three "Good"s (the highest possible score) and two "acceptable"s (the second highest possible score) in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(IIHS) crash test
s. In terms of gas mileage, the Relay is rated at 19 mpgus city, 25 mpgus highway.
The Relay started at US$
22,850. There were three available trim levels, 2FWD, 3FWD, and 3AWD. All Relays seat seven via folding/removable 2nd row captains chairs and a 50/50 third-row bench. The third-row bench folds flat but did not fold entirely into the floor. OnStar
assistance and a DVD
rear entertainment system came standard on all Relays. A navigation system was optional on Relay 3s. Front side airbags were standard on 3s and optional for the 2. Second-row side airbag
s were optional on all models.
, but this was canceled. The Relay was dropped from Saturn's lineup in early 2007, and its Doraville, Georgia assembly plant
closed in September 2008. The last Relay rolled off the line on November 17, 2006. The Relay was replaced by the 8-passenger, Lambda-based Outlook
crossover SUV
.
Minivan
Minivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
from the Saturn brand of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
automaker
Automaker
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
. It was introduced for the 2005 model year, and was built alongside its sisters, the Buick Terraza
Buick Terraza
The Buick Terraza is a minivan from General Motors' Buick brand that was sold from the 2005 through 2007 model years. It filled the position of GM's luxury minivan that was previously occupied by the Oldsmobile Silhouette until the division's demise in 2004...
, the Chevrolet Uplander
Chevrolet Uplander
The Chevrolet Uplander is a minivan produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. It replaced the Venture and Astro. Although introduced for the 2005 model year, it overlapped with the final model years of the Venture and Astro. It was built on the same platform as the Saturn Relay, Buick...
, and the Pontiac Montana SV6 in Doraville, Georgia
Doraville, Georgia
Doraville is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 8,330.-History:Doraville was incorporated by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, approved December 15, 1871...
. The Relay was the first Saturn vehicle without polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
side paneling, and is also the first Saturn that is a rebadged
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
or Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
.
The Relay was introduced with a 3.5 L
Litre
pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre...
LX9 V6 that generates 200 hp and 220 lbft torque, going from 0-60 mph in the 9-second range seconds. For 2006, a 3.9 L LZ9 V6, with 240 hp (179 kW) and 240 ft·lbf (332 Nm) torque, was added as an option, which delivered faster acceleration and better response than the 3.5L engine. For 2007, the 3.5 L V6 was dropped, leaving the 3.9 L as the base engine. Consequently, the optional AWD
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
system was also dropped, since it could not handle the torque of the 3.9 L engine. Unlike its siblings, the Relay did not receive an optional flex-fuel engine for 2007. The Relay scored three "Good"s (the highest possible score) and two "acceptable"s (the second highest possible score) in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a U.S. non-profit organization funded by auto insurers, established in 1959 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes, and the rate of injuries and amount of property damage in the crashes that...
(IIHS) crash test
Crash test
A crash test is a form of destructive testing usually performed in order to ensure safe design standards in crashworthiness and crash compatibility for various modes of transportation or related systems and components.- Types :...
s. In terms of gas mileage, the Relay is rated at 19 mpgus city, 25 mpgus highway.
The Relay started at US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
22,850. There were three available trim levels, 2FWD, 3FWD, and 3AWD. All Relays seat seven via folding/removable 2nd row captains chairs and a 50/50 third-row bench. The third-row bench folds flat but did not fold entirely into the floor. OnStar
OnStar
OnStar Corporation is a subsidiary of General Motors that provides subscription-based communications, in-vehicle security, hands free calling, turn-by-turn navigation, and remote diagnostics systems throughout the United States, Canada and China. A similar service is known as ChevyStar in Latin...
assistance and a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
rear entertainment system came standard on all Relays. A navigation system was optional on Relay 3s. Front side airbags were standard on 3s and optional for the 2. Second-row side airbag
Airbag
An Airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window...
s were optional on all models.
Discontinuation
Sales were very low, and the Relay was discontinued in 2007. GM had intended to redesign the Relay for 2008 on the Lambda platformGM Lambda platform
Lambda is General Motors' full-size crossover SUV automobile platform. It is largely derived from the GM Epsilon platform, which underlies the Chevrolet Malibu sedan and similar models....
, but this was canceled. The Relay was dropped from Saturn's lineup in early 2007, and its Doraville, Georgia assembly plant
Doraville Assembly
Doraville Assembly was a General Motors automobile factory in Doraville, Georgia, just northeast of Atlanta. The plant opened in 1947, and closed on 26 September 2008 as part of the company's cost-cutting measures...
closed in September 2008. The last Relay rolled off the line on November 17, 2006. The Relay was replaced by the 8-passenger, Lambda-based Outlook
Saturn Outlook
The Saturn Outlook is a crossover SUV that debuted at the New York International Auto Show, and is based on the new GM Lambda platform, which it shares with the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia...
crossover SUV
Crossover SUV
A crossover SUV is a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of a sport utility vehicle with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback.Using the unibody construction typical of passenger vehicles, the crossover...
.