Saturn doesn't get a minivan until 2006?

[CaMIRO]

According to this link, 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?

[Hudson]

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?"