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The Saturn Vue now comes in a new wrapper. Knock your knuckles against any body panel on the redesigned 2008 Vue and get a high-pitched response from contact with metal, not the muted tone of plastic that’s been the Saturn song since it arrived in 1991.

Saturn quickly gained a reputation for doing things differently with it’s no-hassle/no-haggle policy on price. What you saw on the window sticker is what you paid — as did everyone else. No bitter taste from shelling out $1,000 more than your neighbor.

Then there were those polymer body panels, pliable plastic that survived run-ins with grocery carts without a wound. And when you washed off winter, the body sparkled with nary a speck of rust.

Saturn still does no haggle/no hassle, but polymer protection has gone the way of the Spring Hill, Tenn., plant. That plant, designed to assemble only those panels, meant Saturns couldn’t mix and match with metal-body vehicles at other General Motors plants, or vice versa.

In an era of tight budgets and global platform sharing to cut costs, a dedicated polymer plant made no sense. Vue is now built in Mexico alongside the metal body Chevrolet HHR while Spring Hill is retooled, reportedly for a Chevy crossover. Chevy won’t say.

Though a major selling point is gone, there is an upside. Metal allows closer tolerances — narrower gaps between doors, along the hood and around the tailgate — for the look of a quality fit rather than the need for alteration.

With those tight fits, new jewel-like headlamps and a thick decorative chrome bar above the grille, the redesigned Vue is more fashionable, drawing a look, not just a glance.

Also, the dash features a low-gloss finish, body-colored or chrome door handles and a decorative engine air vent at the rear of the front fenders — little touches that are jewelry to product guru Bob Lutz.

Size changes a bit. Wheelbase stays the same, but overall length is 1 inch shorter. Thank a smaller rear bumper, not a reduction in space for people or cargo.

Vue also is about an inch wider and half an inch higher. Hips and head are the beneficiaries.

The previous generation offered a 2.2-liter, 143-horsepower 4-cylinder as the base engine. It was loud and labored up inclines. A 3.5-liter, 250-h.p. Honda V-6 was an option.

For 2008, a front-wheel-drive base model has a 2.4-liter, 169-h.p. 4. An all-wheel-drive XE adds a new 3.5-liter, 222-h.p. V-6. The XR, available in FWD or AWD, gets a new high-output 3.6-liter, 257-h.p. V-6. Both V-6s are built by GM and offered in the Saturn Aura sedan as well.

The 3.6-liter V-6 will be in the high-performance Vue Red Line this summer, the 2.4-liter 4 in the gas/electric Vue Green Line this fall.

We tested the XR AWD with the 3.6-liter, the same lively and energetic, if not quiet, V-6 in the Aura XR. No worry about trailing the traffic and a little more pull-out-to-pass muscle than the Honda V-6.

Mileage, however, is disappointing based on government changes in testing to get a more realistic figure. It’s only 16 m.p.g. city/22 m.p.g. highway with the on-demand AWD, down from 19/25. To get the highest rating, you’ll have to wait for the Green Line this fall, though what you gain in mileage you’ll sacrifice in muscle.

Suspension tuning varies by Vue trim, so the XE offers pleasant ride, the XR surefooted handling and the Red Line pinpoint control. XR and Red Line also get upgraded steering systems for faster and more precise reaction to wheel input.

The XR handles short or long hauls with comfort. Seats are supportive, bottom cushions are long enough to prop the thighs, and the leather is the no-slide type. The suspension controls wiggle or wobble over uneven pavement. Controls are all easy to see and use — no searching or stretching.

Stability control with anti-lock brakes and traction control are standard in all. Stability control limits unnecessary lateral movement, traction control reduces wheel slippage when taking off on wet or snowy surfaces.

Those who tow will appreciate the standard electronic sway control system that detects when the trailer starts to sway from improper weight distribution or too much speed.

The stability control system applies the brakes to bring the trailer back in line. If braking alone doesn’t work, a light flashes on the dash to warn the driver to ease off the gas pedal. If that fails, the sensors reduce engine torque to stabilize the trailer.

To its credit, Saturn offers a number of surprise and delight features, such as a pull-out stowage compartment in the dash to the left of the steering wheel. And there’s a cell-phone holder as well as a credit-card slot in the dash for ready access to both.

There’s also a pull-out stowage tray under the passenger seat, a glovebox large enough to stow a purse and a holder in the cargo bay to keep a gallon of milk from being tossed around.

Yet, how can a crossover that offers a credit-card slot and a milk-jug holder neglect two popular options — a power liftgate for easier access to the groceries or luggage and a DVD entertainment system to keep the troops happy? At least the entertainment system will be added for 2009.

When the manual liftgate is raised, there’s ample storage space on the flat floor. Flip down the second-row seat backs for more. The floor has runners on each side to attach clamps and a net to slide forward or backward based on the size of the cargo. There’s also some storage under the floor.

Though body panels aren’t plastic, bumpers, rocker panels and wheel lip moldings are to minimize scuffs.

The Vue XR with AWD starts at $26,270. Power seats (optional XE)/locks/windows/mirrors (heated), automatic climate control and cruise control are standard.

A power sunroof runs $800. AM/FM stereo with CD/MP3 players runs $295. A DVD navigation system, new to the Vue, is $2,145. A convenience package with remote start, rain-sensing wipers and washer-fluid heater is $505.

The first-generation Vue sold 80,000 to 90,000 units annually. With all the upgrades and increased interest in crossovers, 100,000 units would be a realistic target for Gen II. Saturn won’t say.

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2008 SATURN VUE XR AWD

Price as tested: $28,020 *

THE STICKER

$26,270 Base

$1,075 Premium package with leather seats, leather-wrapped shift knob and heated front seats

$505 Convenience package with rain-sensing wipers, heated windshield washer fluid and remote start

$170 Tap-shift 6-speed automatic

* Add $625 for freight.

THE NUMBERS

Wheelbase: 106.6 inches

Length: 180.1 inches

Engine: 3.6-liter, 257-h.p. V-6

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

PLUSES

More refined and luxurious appearance.

Polymer plastic panels gone and now body is steel for tighter fits and narrower gaps between panels.

Very good power from V-6.

Little wider and taller for improved cabin room for people and storage room for cargo.

Stability control standard along with side-curtain air bags.

AWD for all-season motoring.

MINUSES

No more rust-free polymer body panels.

Mileage — need to wait for Green Line hybrid in fall for highest rating.