If ever there was a car company living the Cinderella story, it's Saturn.

After years of having a lineup that included cars so mediocre that Saturn was consigned to forlornly sitting by the automotive industry "fireplace" dreaming of the big dance, while the competition went to the ball and gathered admirers.

Not any more.

Thanks a completely new, glittery, glamorous lineup -- the oldest of which was introduced only two short years ago -- Saturn is now the belle of the ball. Car writers laud them, customers love them, and the cash registers are going "ka-ching."

To accomplish this tough transformation, General Motors and Saturn did something that was at once, so obvious, and so necessary that one wonders why they didn't think of it before: They raided the corporate pantry, found some awesome new products that GM's German car company, Opel, was selling, and made a few modifications, transforming them into Saturns.

And it worked.

Nobody cares, least of all the happy folks buying the cars, that the new Saturns are really Opels in disguise. They are pleased with the vastly upgraded quality, better stying and nicer interiors on the new generation's products.

Here's what you'll see when you visit the Saturn stand: the arresting Sky roadster, the handsome, Teutonic-looking Aura upscale family sedan, the greatly improved Saturn Vue and the compact Astra, a futuristic, fun-to drive car that gives you a BMW-like experience for thousands less. All of them have Opel roots.

And what's even better, Outlook, the only Saturn product with roots in the USA, is considered a class leader, too.

Let's start with the Astra, which was a mind-blowing experience for me when I drove it. This aggressive-looking compact really carves up the curves and gobbles up the asphalt with strong handling, first of all. Inside and out, the quality is top-drawer, with everything fitting the way it's supposed to fit, and it's all done in attractive, durable materials, inside, too.

The only reservations I had were visibility problems out of the rear window, and the standard equipment list for the Astra is not quite as extensive as some of the competition.

Equipped with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine at 140 horsepower, and a five-speed manual transmission, the 2008 Saturn Astra five-door XE will be offered at $15,995. The upscale Astra five-door XR will start at $17,545 and the sporty Astra three-door XR will be priced from $18,495. All prices include shipping and destination charges.

Standard features on all 2009 Saturn Astras include: four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and traction control, six standard air bags, including dual-stage frontal air bags; roof rail head curtain air bags and seat-mounted thorax/pelvic air bags (for front-seat passengers) active head restraints, pedal release system, OnStar with one year of Safe & Sound service, standard tire-pressure monitoring, rain-sensing wiper system, remote keyless entry, steering- wheel controls, cruise control, express-down power windows, and a driver information center.

Let's turn our attention to the Vue, the next youngest member of the family.

First, it looks great, with all the European flavorings that come from being based on Germany's popular Opel. Little things count here, too, such as the cool side marker turn signals built into a stylish air scoop on each side of the car. There's an unusual parking brake design inside that takes getting used to, but it too, is a nifty design cue.

Outside, the Vue looks muscled and ready for action. There are tight wheel-to-body relationships, large jeweled headlamps and a sweeping upper profile line contribute to the Vue's striking design.

It drives much better, too. It has a solid, stable feeling to it, and brisk acceleration as well, at least with the V-6 choices. Steering also is nicely responsive without all the looseness and skittishness of Saturn's old electric steering system.

Vue is available in XE and XR trim levels, as well as the Red Line performance model and Green Line hybrid model. Vue's broad lineup will offer a wide range of powertrains, including a more powerful four-cylinder engine, and two V-6 choices mated to six-speed automatic transmissions.

Engine choices include a 2.4-liter, 169-horsepower four cylinder, a 3.5-liter, 222-horsepower V-6 and a 257-horsepower V-6. Fuel mileage ratings range between 19/26 and 23/29.

In addition to handling features that help drivers avoid crashes, the all-new Vue helps protect occupants with its high-strength steel structure and a long list of standard safety features. Dual-stage front-seat air bags, front-seat side thorax air bags and rollover capable head curtain air bags covering front and rear rows are standard on all models. OnStar is standard across the lineup.

Inside, the Vue continues the upscale theme with refined materials and precise fit and finish. Designers used lighter colors to bring a greater sense of spaciousness to the cabin, and incorporated an array of useful storage solutions and convenience features, many of which are uncommon in the segment.

Saturn also has a new hybrid Green Line Vue that was just announced, and already there's good news on it, based on 2008 EPA test measurements. It's powered by a 170-horsepower four cylinder engine.

The Vue Green Line is the most fuel-efficient sport utility and the most affordable hybrid on the road today, with an estimated 28 mpg combined city/highway rating and an price of $24,795. The non-hybrid Vue line is priced at $21,395 to $27,395.

These fuel economy ratings represent a 27 per cent improvement over the non-hybrid VUE. With these numbers, the VUE GL becomes more fuel efficient than a Camry (25 mpg combined) or an Accord (24 mpg combined).

Prices for the Vue range between $20,770 to $28,770.

Looking for a stylish family sedan? Look no further than Saturn's Aura.

Here's a beautiful, well-built sedan priced between $19,745 and $24,845 that has just about everything you're looking for: style, comfort, lots of standard equipment and a high safety rating.

For 2009, there's a new 2.4-liter XE four-door sedan model.

The new Aura gets GM's first six-speed automatic transmission, which will be teamed with the 3.6-liter, 252-horsepower V-6, rated at 18 mpg city and 29 on the highway. Lower-level Auras get a 224-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 rated at 20 city/30 highway. The Aura will be available in two model levels: the base XE and the up-scale XR.

Each Aura has standard automatic climate control; driver information center; universal home remote; power steering, windows, brakes; and side head curtain air bags. Auras cost between $19,745 to $24,845.

Another one you won't want to miss is the Saturn Outlook, a cool-looking crossover with huge amounts of room, three rows of seats, plenty of standard equipment and a rating by most journalists that puts it at the head of the class.

Driving it, the Outlook feels substantial and heavy, but once you're under way it actually feels much lighter than it is. The steering is perfectly balanced, the inside details quite nice and the whole package comes off as better than just about anything GM has done in years. Outlooks cost $27,605 and $31,905.