Saturn doesn't get a minivan until 2006?

According to this link, (http://www.automobear.com/manufacturer/Saturn.html) Saturn won't be getting a minivan until 2006 (likely released in '05, then). Frankly, I'm amazed that GM continues to assume the division will take care of itself.

Minivan sales as a whole may be down but, according to the same site, the segment accounted for 1,134,801 buyers in 2002.

I suppose that the GM way means Saturn will need to wait until Chevy and Pontiac receive the new version of the Venture and Montana respectively - but, considering the success of the Opel/ Vauxhall Zafira in Europe and considering that Saturn was able to procure an Opel platform for use in the L-series, would it not have been a good idea to have brought the Zafira in by now?

You're assuming that the Zafira meets American needs and desires. The Zafira is popular in Europe, but they have quite different tastes than in the US. The Zafira is small. It's a seven-passenger car powered by a four-cylinder engine. I don't see how Saturn dealers would have buyers lining up to purchase them.

As for the L-Series, it hasn't been a success in the US either. And it was tailored to fit US tastes.

Why would GM give Saturn a version of the current minivan for a year if they're only going to change it? It takes some time to develop a vehicle for a brand, especially a brand like Saturn. Would you want it to have steel body panels? Would you want it to look just like the Chevrolet/Pontiac/Oldsmobile/Buick versions? What good is a Saturn if it's "just another GM product?"