Saturn Sky Vs. Pontiac Solstice: Are They The Same Car?

Part of General Motors' legacy portfolio, the Saturn Sky and the Pontiac Solstice were some of the last cars to come out before the closure of both brands. At the time, GM was churning out a lot of rebadged vehicles, like how the Pontiac G5 took on the mantle of the Chevrolet Cobalt, but with minor cosmetic differences. So, you may wonder if the Saturn Sky and the Pontiac Solstice, two head-turning (and discontinued) convertibles, are part of the list of rebadged GM cars. Well, the simple answer is yes. However, this doesn't mean that they're completely identical.

Similar to later General Motor vehicle clones, the Pontiac G6 and the Chevrolet HHR, both of the base models for the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice had GM 2.4L Ecotec engines under the hood. Between the two-seaters, the Pontiac made its official debut a year before the Saturn Sky in 2006. Although, it did release the turbocharged Solstice GXP at the same time as the Saturn Sky, just a year later. Since the Solstice GXP was already released, the Saturn Sky arrived with two models right off the bat: the Saturn Sky regular trim and the Saturn Sky Redline.

To start, the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky have the same 177 horsepower and 166 lb-ft torque for both its base models. Similarly, they also share the same 260 horsepower, 5,300 rpm, and 260 lb-ft torque for its Saturn Sky Redline variant and Pontiac Solstice GXP, which both have the 2.0L Ecotec turbocharged I-4. For speed demons, both also offered additional upgrades which could make it much faster (up to an insane 290 horsepower).

The Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice appear essentially the same, however, the devil is in the details. They were meant for two different types of consumers. The Pontiac Solstice was perceived to be generally more sleek than its Saturn counterpart, with a sportier feel that put more emphasis on performance. On the other hand, the Saturn Sky was a little more modern in comparison with its chrome finishes and with distinct front fascia. The Redline version also came with some snazzy upscale vibes with its red leather-covered interiors, which include the seats and steering wheel. 

Unfortunately, neither the Pontiac Solstice or the Saturn Sky were enough to save their respective brands, which makes them pretty rare to find in the market today. But, how rare are they exactly?

In tandem with the impact of the 2008 recession and a failed attempt to sell, GM officially began the process of axing the Saturn brand in 2009. At the time, the Saturn Sky model racked up more than 32,000 in United States and Canada sales from 2006 to 2010. But if you're sad to have missed it, you can still get one secondhand with prices starting at around $9,000 for the 2007 Saturn Sky Redline and $25,000 for the Roadster version.

In the same year, Pontiac was also on its last legs, and the General Motors team opted to save the more profitable Buick brand instead. By the time Pontiac fans had to bid adieu, the Solstice had been on the market for half a decade and sold over 58,000 vehicles in North America. While many Pontiac enthusiasts remain salty that the brand is no longer producing Solstice and other cool looking vehicles, there are plenty of collectible Pontiac cars still available today.