[1] The company was an attempt by GM to compete directly with Japanese imports and transplants, initially in the US compact car market.

The first cars themselves launched five years after the company's inception, and they advanced GM's spaceframe construction—manifesting Saturn's market proposition with their dent-resistant polymer exterior panels.

Alex C. Mair began discussions of a "revolutionary new" small car project, codenamed Saturn, in June 1982, soon after the GM J platform was introduced internationally.

In November 1983, the Saturn idea was publicized by General Motors' Chairman Roger B. Smith and GM's President F. James McDonald.

Citing full disclosure, Saturn was founded as a private, employee-owned company, by former GM leadership.

Saturn Corporation was launched as a "different kind of car company", and Saturn even had its own unique car models (although later models shared platforms with other GM vehicles to be more cost effective in the market), and their own dealership network that was separate from the rest of GM.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the project was too ambitious, as "everything at Saturn is new: the car, the plant, the workforce, the dealer network and the manufacturing process.

While Saturn cars proved popular and successful in forming emotional connections with buyers,[7] actual sales never met the optimistic projected targets, in part because of the early 1990s recession.

The first Saturn model, the S-Series, was initially quite successful, selling its highest recorded number of annual units in the company's history just three years after first starting sales.

Saturn's first compact crossover SUV was introduced in 2001 for the 2002 model year as the Vue based on a globally used GM design.

[11] In US Congressional hearings on December 2, 2008, General Motors announced its intentions to focus on their four core brands (Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC), with the sale, consolidation, or closure of Saturn and the remaining brands (Pontiac, Hummer, and Saab, with Oldsmobile having already discontinued production in 2004).

[14] General Motors announced in June 2009 that it was selling the Saturn brand to Penske Automotive Group.

[15] The arrangement was similar to the deal under which Penske distributes Daimler AG's Smart Car in the United States.

To replace GM as the brand's manufacturer, Penske was in discussions with several global automakers, including Renault Samsung Motors of Korea, and the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

GM and Penske decided that they could no longer make a business case to distribute Saturn vehicles in Canada after the sale of the brand.

Saturn's customer service, parts, and warranty operations moved to other GM dealerships in Canada.

[19][20] In February 2010, to aid customer retention, GM announced that it was offering existing Saturn owners up to US$2,000 in incentives to purchase a new Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, or GMC vehicle until March 31.

The exterior of the 1995 model looked the same as the first generation cars, but it had larger gauge faces on the instrument cluster and a redesigned center console.

Changes carried through until 1999 included a redesigned body and single overhead cam power being increased to 100 horsepower (75 kW).

Upon its failure in the Japanese market, Saturn sold off its surplus of RHD wagons in an attempt to "compete in the very narrow niche of providing right-hand drive vehicles to rural route carriers".

This shift in production marked a significant change to Saturn's treatment as a pseudo-independent company from General Motors, which would only intensify with time.

In an unorthodox move for the traditionally American-branded, Japanese-competitive brand, the Vue shed the L81 V6 option in 2004, instead opting for a Honda J35S1 V6.

2004 brought about the Red Line model, as well, which featured the same Honda V6 in addition to an AWD powertrain, lower suspension, larger wheels, different body cosmetics, and an overall more luxurious interior.

In late 2006, the Vue Green Line was released as a mild hybrid model, featuring a 2.4L Ecotec I4 (LE5), however now also with an electric motor's assistance.

It would go on to lose its spaceframe construction and plastic body paneling in favor of the cues of the Opel Antara, that being the model it was badge-engineered from.

The Vue was left as the most original Saturn production, albeit even that used both global GM and Honda engines rather than in-house designs.

The Red Line trim vehicles were built from the same architecture as existing models, but with an emphasis heightened performance.

The Vue Red Line, however, was an original Saturn vehicle until 2008, where it was then launched in a second generation as a badge-engineered Opel Antara.

The Vue was initially given a 2007 Green Line variant during its first generation, making it Saturn's only original hybrid vehicle.

[32] The Aura Green Line gained similar, albeit somewhat enthusiastic reception, as it would be noted to have fuel economy that was "15-20% better than the typical 4-cylinder mid-size sedan" but with significant deficiencies to some of the Japanese hybrid competition of its day.