Saturn Grows Up

Automotive Industries, July, 1999 by Gerry Kobe

2000 Saturn LS2 FWD unibody 4-door sedan

GENERAL DATA
Program code                                          LS/LW
Description                                   fwd, unibody,
                                          4-door sedan (LS)
Platform variants                 4-door station wagon (LW)
Program cost (Al est.)                         $1.2 billion

ASSEMBLY
Plant location                             Wilmington, Del.
Plant capacity                   200,000 units (two shifts)
                               280,000 units (three shifts)
Estimated production                          220,000 units

FUEL CONSUMPTION
EPA city/hwy                     23/32 (LS 4-cyl automatic)
                                 22/30 (LW 4-cyl automatic)
                              20/26 (LS/LW 6-cyl automatic)

CLAIMED PERFORMANCE
0-60 mph (sec)                                   9.8 (LS/LW
                                           4-cyl automatic)
                                8.2 (LS/LW 6-cyl automatic)
Coefficient of drag (Cd)                  309 (LS).323 (LW)

INTERIOR DIMENSIONS
Headroom f/r                                 39.3/38.0 (LS)
                                             39.3/39.6 (LW)
Legroom f/r                                  42.3/34,4 (LS)
                                             42.3/37.0 (LW)
Shoulder room f/r                         55.7/56.1 (LS/LW)

BRAKES
Front (in.)                     11.02 x .98 ventilated disc
Rear (in.)                                  9.1 diam. drums
ABS                                                   Bosch

ENGINE
Type                                  Inline 4-cylinder/V-6
Displacement                                      2.2L/3.0L
Valvetrain                                             dohc
Bore x stroke (mm)                        86 x 94.6/86 x 85
Compression ratio                              8.5:1/10.0:1
Claimed horsepower                  137 @ 5,800/182 @ 6,000
Claimed torque                      135 @ 4,400/184 @ 3,400
Fuel injection                              Sequential port

TRANSMISSION
2.2L                       5-speed manual/4-speed automatic
                                                   optional
3.0L                                      4-speed automatic

Final drive ratio                   3.91 (2.2L) 3.68 (3.0L)

CHASSIS
Front suspension                      MacPherson strut with
                                             stabilizer bar
Rear suspension                  Multi-link coil-over-shock
                                        with stabilizer bar
Steering                                       manual/power
Turning diameter                                   36.6 ft.

RELATED ARTICLE: A New Global Powerplant

The Saturn LS's new 2.2L engine is the first of GM's L850 program -- a new global family of 4-cylinder engines ranging from 1.8L to 2.2L. It is the keystone of GM's strategy to reduce its total engine portfolio from today's seven families, made in 13 engine plants worldwide, to just three families and seven plants, by 2005.