Why? Because in comparison to other tuner cars in its category, the Red Line really isn't that distinguishable from the

The Red Line still looks almost identical to the base ION with a few exceptions. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

outside. Without a hood scoop for its supercharger, or a prominent rear wing spoiler as seen on the Dodge SRT-4 or MazdaSpeed Protegé, the Red Line still looks almost identical to the base ION with a few exceptions, like a tiny Red Line badge on the rear bumper, a humble rear trunklid spoiler, a unique, but not prominent front and rear fascia, and restyled front grille.

The interior isn't really tuned out either. It features the same setup as the regular ION Quad Coupe, with the instrument cluster located in the middle of the dashboard - something I am not a fan off. But as I have said before, the center-mounted gauge cluster does open up visibility to the driver so there is some user-friendly practicality behind it.

I did, however, really like the Recaro sport bucket seats. They looked good and felt great while adding to its tuner appeal, but the rest of the interior did not convince me otherwise. The audio system, complete with an

The interior of the Red Line is pretty much the same as the normal car, except for the Recaro sport seats. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, Canadian Auto Press)

AM/FM/CD/MP3 head was alright, but nothing amazing. Audio and tuner cars go hand in hand, with Nissan's Sentra SE-R featuring a Rockford Fosgate system and the aforementioned Mazda pumping out tunes via a seriously robust Kenwood system.

What does make it rather tuner-esque is its engine, handling and wheel/tire package. The supercharged 2.0-liter Ecotec DOHC produces 205 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 200 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, which is higher output than any other car in its class except the Dodge SRT 4 at 230 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque. If I needed get somewhere in a hurry, the Red Line was quite up to the task of getting me there on time.