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In a recent test by Edmunds.com, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, the Nissan Altima Hybrid, and the Saturn Aura were pitted against each other in a three-way comparison.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the newcomer Aura was positively humiliated by the others in terms of fuel economy, acceleration, and most other objective performance categories. The only category it came out on top was price.
It has been said, "A difference, to be a difference, has to make a difference." So other than the conspicuously large "Hybrid" badge on its rump, what's to differentiate an Aura from its non-Hybrid stablemates, let alone the competition?
Not a whole lot, it seems. However, for now, the Aura is eligible for a $1,300 one-time tax credit. This may be enough to woo potential buyers, but doesn't seem like a sound long-term sales strategy. If Saturn is going to have to rely on features and benefits of the system, it needs to step up its game.
Supposedly plug-ins are just around the corner from General Motors, and not simply the Volt and E-Flex, but plug-in two-modes. They can't come soon enough. Edmunds' test is likely not going to be the last comparison of this sort, and you can expect that the Aura will likewise be the loser each time. Honestly, this seems like little more than "Us Too" opportunism on GM's part just to say it has a hybrid in the showroom.
Hindsight being 20/20, GM should have held off on a hybrid offering until it perfected the plug-in, two-mode system, and then brought its "A Game" to the table. As it is, once more, justified or not, the perception is GM is playing catch-up while the rest of the competition passes it by.
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