Weight: Plastic Panels

I don't know Toyota's reasons, but plastic (actually composite) body panels have their strengths and weaknesses. They are more resilient than metal, resisting dents; they never rust; and they are light. They can also be more expensive to make and are vastly more expensive to repair - usually only major cities have body shops that can repair composite bodies of the sort Saturn uses. On the safety side, composites don't contribute to crumple zones at all - they just don't absorb energy. That makes crumple engineering in the frame more demanding.

I used to drive a plastic (well, fiberglass) car - a 1969 Lotus Europa. I sold it to a brother, who made a U-turn too close to the crest of a hill, and a station wagon came through the passenger door. The bumper of the station wagon hit the Lotus frame where it ran down the center console and bent the frame. If there had been a passenger in the seat there would have been no hope for survival. Modern cars have much better intrusion design, but you get the idea.

Mike

Yep thx! A pity

rgds