1. Using the full spectrum of segmentation variables, describe how GM has segmented the automobile market.
2. What segment(s) is Saturn now targeting? How is GM now positioning Saturn? How do these strategies differ from those employed with the original Saturn S-series?
3. Describe the role that social responsibility plays in Saturn’s targeting strategy.
4. Do you think that GM will accomplish its goals with the “new Saturn”? Why or why not?
5. What segmentation, targeting, and positioning recommendations would you make to GM for future Saturn models?

Things are changing at Saturn. The General Motors brand had only three iterations of the same compact car for the entire decade of the 1990s. But over the last couple of years, Saturn has introduced an all-new lineup of vehicles that includes a midsized sport sedan, an 8-passenger cross-over vehicle, a 2-seat roadster, a new compact sport sedan, and a compact SUV. Having anticipated the brand’s renaissance for years, Saturn executives, employees, and customers are beside themselves with joy.
But with all this change, industry observers wonder whether Saturn will be able to maintain the very characteristics that have distinguished the brand since its inception. Given that Saturn established itself based on a very narrow line of compact vehicles, many believe that the move from targeting one segment of customers to targeting multiple segments will be challenging. Will a newly positioned Saturn still meet the needs of one of the most loyal cadres of customers in the automotive world?