A Silver Lining in the Showroom

By Paul A. Witteman

One of the worst problems at General Motors in recent years has been the bland similarity of its products, which seem to have been stamped by the same cookie cutter. At a new-model preview several years ago, a Cadillac engineer was asked his opinion of the main difference between the look-alike Chevrolet Cavalier and Cadillac Cimarron. "About $5,000," he said dismissively. Many 1980s-era models were also prosaic, underpowered and poorly executed. But a handful of new models demonstrate that GM divisions, when well motivated and organized, can build distinctive, high-quality products. A sampler:

Cadillac Seville. This luxury sedan looks like a European touring car with added muscle tone. The handling is tight, the instrumentation is easy to read, and the STS version is refreshingly free of the chrome that gets slapped willy-nilly on other American cars. The zebrawood accents on the interior are real, not the plastic imitations earlier models used. It is the first luxury car in years that GM execs can truly call world class. At a $34,975 base price, it isn't cheap, but with Japanese and German competitors priced at as much as $8,500 more, the Seville is a relative bargain.

Buick Park Avenue. An old nameplate in new garb, this full-size sedan benefits from a silky four-speed electronic transmission that matches those featured in the Lexus and Infiniti. "GM always knew how to build big cars, so it's no surprise that's where the new strength lies," says auto critic Jim Dunne, Detroit editor of Popular Mechanics. The car is full-bodied, but Buick's design team has succeeded in giving it a lean, light-footed profile.

Chevrolet Suburban. This redesigned classic is the king of the road in Texas and parts of the Middle East, where drilling crews travel over terrain more suitable to burros than cars. It has better aerodynamics and a suspension capable of smoothing out bumps that the old model delivered unadulterated. And the $18,155 Suburban has almost no competition in its market niche.

Pontiac SSEi. The supercharged 3.8-liter V-6 engine in this sports sedan -- a member of the Bonneville family -- is rated at 205 h.p., a 21% boost over its brethren. There's no hesitation when a driver puts the pedal to the floor, and little hesitation in Pontiac showrooms either. The base price is an alluring $18,599; sales for all Bonnevilles are up 40% from a year ago.

Saturn. Aerodynamic but not particularly sexy, this compact from GM's all new division in Tennessee is slowly building a following among the import set. The best thing about Saturn is that the company is committed to buyer satisfaction. When it was discovered that an improper coolant was used in some of the cars earlier this year, all the 1,100 Saturn owners affected were notified. Every one got a car or a refund.

North Star Engine. Most buyers pay lip service to fuel economy but crave power. This high-tech Double Overhead Camshaft (DOHC) aluminum V-8 engine will deliver plenty of the latter and still be reasonably thrifty.

With reporting by Joseph R. Szczesny/Detroit