The Outlook looks sleek and modern, certainly by SUV standards, though it doesn't have the boldness of the Ford Edge.

The grille, with a wide chrome bar and Saturn logo, proudly announces itself, and stands out against a black background. The black air dam at the bottom slices a rigid horizontal line across the chin, and its contrast against the body color can makes the fascia look like it disappears. Large trapezoidal openings for the fog lamps look like wicked eyes a cartoonist might draw, and above them the similarly shaped headlamps fill the corners of the vehicle; fog lamps are unavailable on the XE, leaving big black holes there. A character groove down the center of the hood finishes it all off. In short, the Outlook presents a good-looking face.

From the side, the nose is conspicuously short and rounded. The styling invites the eye rearward, as the roof sweeps straight back and appears as a thin sliver at its trailing edge. The dark rear glass takes over, wrapping around about 40 percent of the greenhouse, finally stopped by a wide sloping C-pillar. The fender flares are fat, and the six-spoke alloy wheels are clean and unpretentious, with six beefy lugs in the hub. The available sunroof has two panels, an opening front panel and a fixed rear panel.

At the rear, the Outlook loses some of its style. The black dam matches the front, making the SUV look like it has super high ground clearance. The taillights are ordinary, and the chrome over the license plate doesn't add anything. We find the look of the XE with its body-colored trim cleaner than the XR with its chromed door handles and roof rails.