The best thing Saturn has done recently for its exterior styling is dumping its dopey dent-resistant panels in favor of regular ol’ steel. Fine, it dents, but it also allows for closer panel gaps and keeps the cars from looking like 99 Cent Store kid’s toys.

Construction aside, Saturn has also developed a corporate face that is distinctly European, not surprising since many of its newer vehicles are coming from GM’s European division, Opel. The Vue continues along this line, with a smooth but chunky shape that looks clean and modern. We’re not sure who put the silly vents behind the front wheels, maybe it was the same guy who put the out-of-place round reflectors on the rear bumper, but these are minor nits, and even with them the Vue is a sharp looking little trucklet that avoids the peculiar window treatment of its Honda rival, or the heavy-butt look of the RAV4. It is on par with the Hyundai Santa Fe, one of the nicest small SUVs around.

As pleasant as the exterior is, we were most impressed with the interior. This is a first-class place to be. Touches like the real metal trim on the door pulls and steering wheel and fully-lined storage bins in the center console are downright luxurious, and the overall design is clean and classy. The driver's seating position is good, but could be improved with a larger seat and a telescoping steering column. Otherwise, head, shouder and leg room are all very good.

Heating and ventilation controls are the same as we've seen in a lot of GM vehicles lately. This is good news, because it means clearly marked, high-quality buttons and knobs with rubber grips. In fact, all the controls in the Vue feel first rate, from the window switches to the buttons for the overhead lights. The gauges are housed in three separate aluminum-look rings, three because there is no temperature gauge (although plenty of room for one), just speedometer, tachometer and fuel level. The round vents are ringed in chrome, and the navigation and audio system is one of the better ones in the industry. We didn’t like the low-mounted cup holders in the center console, but otherwise there was little to complain about here.

The back seat is also admirable, with plenty of leg, hip, head and shoulder room for even tall passengers. Three passengers would be too tight, but two have plenty of room. The reclining seatbacks are a plus, and if you’re only riding with three, the right-side rear passenger can fold down the front seat for use as an ottoman. Yes, we know it’s for long cargo, but c’mon, it’s still nifty.

Speaking of cargo, there’s plenty of space behind the second row of seats for daily stuff like groceries. There’s a cargo net system that uses sliding latches mounted high on the walls and near the floor. It’s handy and multi-configurable, but if the latches are on the lowermost rail, you can’t open the compartment in the floor above the spare tire. The second row split-folds quickly and easily for long objects, and as mentioned, the front passenger seat can be folded down for even longer cargo.