Unveiled earlier this month at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show, the General's Bowtie division borrows a page from the dusty pages of a Saturn marketing guide with an octet of Redline-branded vehicles.

Saturn Ion Red Line

Saturn Red Line

Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear – 2005, to be precise. That was the year General Motors attempted to inject a modicum of passion into its ailing Saturn brand by introducing Red Line (back then it was spelled with two words) editions of the Ion compact, Vue crossover, and Sky roadster.

Saturn's Red Line models featured a blend of performance upgrades and unique visual cues, but failed to halt, or even slow, the brand's inexorable slide into automotive oblivion that took place just 4 years later.

2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback Redline

Chevrolet Redline

The General resurrected the Redline name (this time making it a single word) for the 2015 SEMA Show. Buoyed by the response from the Las Vegas crowd, the manufacturer has decided that, once again, buyers should be offered a bevy of Chevrolet Redline-enhanced models (although, in this case, the changes are purely cosmetic).

2017 Chevrolet Cruze sedan Redline

Playing down its roots in the Saturn brand, Brian Sweeney, Chevy's US vice presidents notes that the "Redline is another example of Chevrolet bringing SEMA concepts to showrooms."

2017 Chevrolet Colorado Redline

The vehicles involved in the latest Redline makeover include the Cruze LT (sedan and hatchback), Malibu LT, Camaro LT/SS (coupe and convertible), Trax LT, Equinox LT, Traverse Premier, Colorado LT, and Silverado Double Cab LT Z71 and Crew Cab LTZ Z71.

2018 Chevrolet Equinox Redline

All Redline vehicles will come with blacked-out grilles, black Chevy bowtie logos, black model nameplates outlined in red, and black wheels with what will surely be perceived as Corvette Grand Sport-inspired red hash marks.

2017 Chevrolet Camaro Redline

Model-specific tweaks include red tow hooks on Silverado and Colorado models, while the Camaro will feature yet more hash marks – in black above the front wheel wells.

2017 Chevrolet Malibu Redline

Chevrolet Redline prices and availability

The 2017 Silverado Redline Edition is available for ordering now. The Redline package price is $2,695, but can only be ordered if the box next to the All Star Edition is also checked off, which is another $555.

2018 Chevrolet Traverse Redline

As for the other models, Chevy notes that their "Availability will be cadenced, and all Redline vehicles will be available for purchase by the end of 2017 calendar year."

2017 Chevrolet Trax Redline


2017 Chicago Auto Show images courtesy of newspress USA