Saturn goes 24/7

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Saturn's Instant Messaging
Division goes 24/7 with online chat

By RICK KRANZ | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

AutoWeek | Published 02/28/07, 4:33 pm et

CHICAGO - Saturn is hoping that a little online chat with a company
representative will lead to a test drive and eventually a sale.

This month Saturn added a feature to its Web site that allows
consumers to get questions answered through live chat 24 hours a day.
Shoppers also can schedule a test drive.

At the Chicago Auto Show this month, Saturn General Manager Jill
Lajdziak said Saturn "is the first automotive brand to make this move
in the marketplace. We have a big story to tell. We are using lots of
different mediums to communicate our message."

Lajdziak wants people to know that Saturn's vehicle line is being
redesigned or replaced.

By this fall, the oldest vehicle in the lineup will be the two-
passenger Sky roadster. That vehicle went on sale in 2005.

The mid-sized Aura sedan went on sale last fall. Sales of the Outlook
crossover started in December. The redesigned 2008 Vue crossover goes
on sale this summer, and the first shipment of Astra cars will arrive
from Belgium late this year.

Meanwhile, the Relay minivan was dropped last year, and production of
the Ion car ends in March.

Lajdziak declined to estimate the percentage of auto dealers likely to
participate in the online scheduling of test drives. "We'll see as
this rolls out," she said. "My guess is the majority of our network is
going to say, 'I need to do this.' Some of our retailers are doing
this already."