When Saturn came on the scene, back in 1990 everything they were different from just about everything else on the road. They wore plastic body panels that didn’t dent and they looked quite unlike anything consumers had seen before. The 2008 Saturn Vue is different too. Gone are the plastic panels, but it looks unlike any Hybrid consumers have seen before. Shapely and stylish, the all new 2008 Saturn Vue makes the concept of green just a little bit sexier. In fact, following the annual AJAC test fest, the 2008 Vue was crowned best new SUV/CUV from $35,000 to $60,000.

Don’t let those numbers fool you, as the Vue is a much better value than those numbers might suggest. The base model begins at $26,990 while a fully loaded Red Line rings in at $38,605. Our very well equipped tester retailed for $32,345 which seems like a pretty good deal for a hybrid cuv with real world room for a family of 5.

So it looks great on the outside, how does the Vue stack up on the inside? Style continues to be a key selling point for the Vue on the inside, with an attractive dash layout that makes good use of faux aluminum and carbon fibre accents, without going overboard. Artistic touches here and there like the unusual parking brake lever add an element of modern cool and flanks a cupholder that is set low enough in the center console that tall travel mugs are accessible, yet out of the way of the shifter.

A small, but thoughtful touch is the slot for a parking pass tucked into the left side of the dash, eliminating the need to have crap tucked into the sun visor. Yes, I know. I’m easily amused sometimes.

The front seats are comfortable and attractive, clad in cozy fabric. To the rear however we found something truly out of the ordinary for a vehicle in the CUV class. Room! We actually fit 3 full grown men in the back seat and there was no squished grapes while they tried to get their seat belts on. All 3 even commented on how much leg room they had, even with the front seats all the way back. Very impressive!

The Vue has taken a page from the book of versatility as written by Pontiac’s Vibe. Those big rear seats fold flat, as does the front passenger seat, leaving a cavernous cargo area that will easily swallow some pretty long items. I suppose it goes without saying that the Vue passes The Garage’s signature 3 hockey bag test with ease, making it a great choice for those who have little Gretzky’s to haul around.

Beneath the rear cargo floor is a sizable hidden storage area with separated compartments.

In the next segment, we’ll head out on the road to see how the Vue Green Line handles the daily commute in Toronto.