New equipment additions to create spirited performance models highlight improvements coming to the 2004 fleet of coupes, sedans and wagons clustered behind the Saturn label of General Motors.

Look for a new moniker to emerge that describes the sporty new modified vehicles - it's the Red Line. Saturn will introduce Red Line versions of the quad-door ION coupe and the car-like VUE sport-utility wagon in 2004. These Red Line models carry souped-up powerplants, performance-tuned suspensions and body styling with unique aerodynamic accents.

VUE, entering a third year of production with the models of 2004, promotes a smooth ride quality in a shapely package containing two rows of seats for passengers and a rear bed for cargo. It shows cabin enhancements across the line with acoustical elements added to reduce noise and new decorative materials installed such as nickel-finish trimmings.

ION, skewed to four-door sedan and quad-door coupe conformations, popped up last year in Saturn's line as replacement for the original S-Series cars and brought clever innovations and sleek styling to the small-car segment. For 2004, ION gets refinements for powertrains, cabins and bodies. And there's a premium special-edition sedan edition due in a black paint design and flashing bright alloy wheels.

Saturn's mid-size L-Series cars borrow a platform, suspension and various mechanical systems from several brands produced by GM in Germany and Sweden, namely Opel and Saab, so the L-cars take on European airs regarding performance and handling. Expect all L-Series sedans and wagons to be badged as the L300 model and equipped with premium gear including a four-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel anti-lock braking system (ABS), traction control and curtain-style side air bags.

Styling for Saturn's compact-class SUV seems rugged and strong but also progressive and friendly. The VUE reveals familiar proportions of a sport-ute with the tall stance and boxy cabin but also clean lines of an industrial design with simple shapes.

Crafted with a unit-body structure typically used for cars rather than trucks, VUE blends the best features of a traditional SUV - the tall stance and a spacious cabin with flexible seating and cargo capacity - with favored traits of a tightly constructed sedan, like the easy-of-entry to comfortable seats and an easy-to-drive personality.

For locomotion, VUE pitches the EcoTec four-cylinder engine and a powerful new V6 option. The dual-cam four achieves 143 hp, while the new 3.5-liter V6 runs to 250 hp. Entry point occurs with VUE in front-wheel-drive (FWD) format toting the four-cylinder engine and a manual five-speed transmission. Next comes VUE with all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction and a continuously variable transmission (CVT), followed by the V6 VUE keyed to a new five-speed electronically-controlled automatic with grade logic control.

The VUE Red Line special edition gets its suspension dropped and ground effects added around the body plus special 18-inch wheels on tap, and it stocks the 250-hp V6. More entertainment options apply to all VUE models in 2004, such as an optional DVD-based rear-seat entertainment system and new audio kits with MP3 capability.

Read our Review: Saturn VUE