DETROIT — As part of a larger campaign to permanently lower the sticker prices on its new models, General Motors has reduced prices on the 2006 Saturn Ion Red Line coupe from $21,450 to $19,990, including a $565 destination charge, a GM spokesman told Inside Line.

The cost of the optional competition package on the Ion Red Line has also dropped from $1,470 to $1,375 to reflect what GM says is a "change in content." Projector-beam foglamps, which had been part of the competition package, are now standard on all Ion Red Lines for 2006. The 2006 competition package includes a limited-slip differential, a boost gauge and painted aluminum wheels.

The 2006 Ion Red Line is on sale now.

What this means to you: This is a real car to consider for cheap performance power.
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/d...rticleId=106631

 

Looks like GM making a move to help ease the transition into non-employee pricing sales.

Hopefully they won't fall back into the hole they just dug themselves out of.

 

So now you can get either a Solstice or an Ion RL for under 20K....

 

kick ass. I like the ION RL Front ends. They look mean. Not a big fan of the Solstice but the rear end on them look cool too.

I've seen few people rockin it in the Solstice, not a bad car for the price. I don't like the gauges though.

 

Overall the Ion RL is a really nice car, but its just too quirky for most people to consider over a Cobalt. Saturn is always trying to be "different", but when it comes to a point where it negatively effects sales, thats just useless. Exterior is good looking (as most would agree) but the interior is just too weird. The center mounted gauges are just plain stupid, not only are they less ergonomic but they also make the interior much less attractive. The interior quality is also lacking, especially when directly compared to the Cobalt.

If they redo the interior - put the gauge pod where it should be give it a proper boost gauge - and keep the price the same, they would have a real winner.

As far as the price drop goes, should be standard fare accross the board for almost all GM vehicles. Now that the employee price for everyone has ended, they need something to replace it. Instead of just piling on more incentives, they are doing the smart thing - lower the prices without incentives. So theres a good chance that the Cobalt SS S/C should see a price drop for 2006, with the price being close to what the GM employee price would have came out to

 

hoping for under 20K, or even better yet, standard LSD. *crosses fingers*