The Future of Saab?

rsholland

A higher MPG crossover, like the Mitsu Endeaver and Highlander would have been a better pursuit.

It's coming. Saab is reportedly to get their own version of the just-announced Subaru B9 Tribeca. I think it will be announced at the NY auto show at the end of March. It is rumored to be called the 9-6x.

Bob

jchan2

it will have some Saab character.

andys120

it will have some Saab character.

Don't hold your breath but hopefully it'll have a prettier nose than the upside down Alfa grille that mars the face of the Tribeca.

jchan2

I'm hoping for at least a turbocharged engine and the ignition key on the floor. And that Alfa Romeo grille has gotta go...

nippononly

the 9-6 should have MUCH sportier suspension. The suspension is pretty much the only tweak unique to Saab on the 9-7 from the Trailblazer, right?

andys120

The suspension is pretty much the only tweak unique to Saab on the 9-7 from the Trailblazer, right?

That, the front fascia and a modest interior upgrade that didn't change the lame-o TB steering wheel. :-(

jchan2

Don't forget the fact that the 9-7X has the ignition key on the floor.

explorerx4

their dealers, to start with.

jchan2

They need more dealers. Nashville only has one dealer. (Then again, we only have one Infiniti dealer, two Volvo dealers, two Lexus dealers but they're owned by the same guy, and one Acura dealer)

Plus I have this feeling that if I'm driving a Saab and stuck out in Podunk, Kansas, the nearest Saab dealer could be far far far away.

nippononly

'Course, if you get stuck in your 9-7, any Chevy dealer will do for fixing you right up.

jchan2

And as we all know, this country is filled with Chevy dealers, so if you get stuck in your 9-7X out in the middle of nowhere, you won't have to go far for help.

rsholland

But not under warranty.

Bob

nippononly

if Saab were to give up the ghost, would GM honor their warranties Oldsmobile-style?

jchan2

I guess GM will honor your warranty if you can find a GM dealer willing to fix your 9-2X.

nippononly

for that I would just go to a Subaru dealer and kowtow. Maybe GM would reimburse me for repairs, LOL.

jchan2

If Saab went under, where would 9-5 owners go to get their cars fixed? I think the 9-5 doesn't share too many parts with other GM models in the US.

explorerx4

same place as oldsmobile? i leased from a dealer that had saab and oldsmobile in the same showroom. ouch!

anythngbutgm

Actually I believe the 9-5 is shared with the Grand Prix and the outgoing L-series Saturns.

Saab "state of independence" is a joke.

logic1

Take a look at some of the data on the 9-3 Sport Combi (station wagon) Saab will have in the dealerships here come November.

This looks like the real deal. Interior very nice. Looks like some of that new tech-cloth similar to what Volvo has in the s40 and v50. Plenty of practical space.

Exterior is very nice looking. A refinement on the new Saab look seen on the current 9-3.

Engines will include an all aluminum 2.8 litre v6. Saab will have this exclusively at first. Turbo charged aero version will crank 250 hp.

With a relatively small brand like Saab, this vehicle alone could be enough to really jazz sales.

explorerx4

why the "h-e-double hockey stick" did it take them so long to bring it to market? i remember seeing pictures of it at least 3 years ago. if they had brought it out earlier, we might still have a saab.

bcool

NOT! The 9-5 was derived from the 9000, and has a lot of similarities. There is absolutely nothing in common with a Saturn or Grand Prix.

anythngbutgm

J-Car: Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunfire, Toyota Cavalier, Vauxhall Cavalier, Opel Ascona, Holden Camira, Isuzu Aska, Opel/Vauxhall/Holden/Chevrolet Vectra (pre-2002), Saab 93 (pre 2003) and 95
current version(s) J car platform hosts many cars around the world, not just the Cavalier and Sunfire

Link: http://www.kriskurek.onestop.net/future.htm

anythngbutgm

http://www.acarplace.com/brands/gm/platforms.html

"GM-2900 (midsize): Chevy/Opel/Vauxhall/Holden: Vectra and (I think)--Saab 9-3/9-5, and modified for Saturn LS/LW"

jchan2

uses the Epsilon global platform, which the Pontiac G6 and Chevrolet Malibu also use.

nippononly

but it is not a mere clone of a Malibu as the 9-2 is of a WRX, and the 9-7 is to be of a Trailblazer.

logic1

That is the million* dollar question.

Saab had this baby on the drawing boards for a while. The delay makes no sense.

On the positive side at least, it will launch with some pretty good engine options which were not available earlier and the improved stabilitrak.

*probably millions when you think of all the sales Saab probably lost.

explorerx4

depending features and pricing, it could work for us. not the same dealer, though.

jchan2

I do have to say though that it is almost impossible to see similarities between the G6, Malibu and 9-3 unless you know that all three are based on the same platform.

andys120

I do have to say though that it is almost impossible to see similarities between the G6, Malibu and 9-3 unless you know that all three are based on the same platform.

True that but the new Euro Caddy BLS uses the same windshield and roof as the 9-3. :-(

explorerx4

platforms shared by others.

andys120

platforms shared by others.

Indeed they were but I don't think very many folks confused a Saab 9000 with a Lancia Thema or an Alfa 164.

Meanwhile there's a new magazine ad for the 9-7 that's headlined "For those who think conformity is a road hazard"

Oh the irony!

jchan2

I've seen that ad too. I chuckled at the statement "So when Saab decided to design an SUV..."

nippononly

danf1

They may have "designed it", but they sure didn't engineer it.

merc1

Saab thinks all buyers are brain dead!

I still like the 9-3 lineup though, but that’s it, the rest or their cars can kick rocks.

The one that gets me is the "State of Independence" ads. What a big fat lie!

Saab is the most "dependent" (on GM) around!

M

merc1

Was the Lancia Thema the sedan that had a wing that raised at certain speeds? If I remember right it was hidden in the trunklid??

M

andys120

Dunno about the wing-thing but there was a version of the Thema that used the Ferrari 3.2L V8 from the 328i called the Thema 8.32. Perhaps it wore a wing.

jchan2

It continues "With traditional Scandinavian Clean lines..." I chuckled. The car isn't even European, much less Swedish.

jchan2

looks nice, but the 9-5 seems a little dated.

andys120

The sedan does look dated but the wagon IMO looks very up-to-date and is probably the best looking wagon that doesn't have four rings in the grille.

utter

"With traditional Scandinavian Clean lines..." I chuckled...

Heh... me too. Marketing at its best and worst.

nippononly

what everyone is so wowed about with this SportCombi (did I spell that right?) coming this fall. Is there something so great about it that it stands apart from other traditional wagons in the field, Volvo Audi and Subaru to name but three? Or is it just that the looks are THAT great?

andys120

Well I think it looks better than an S50 but not as good as the A4 Avant and it's about on a par with the new Sube.

There's a growing enthusiasm for the concept of the sport wagon because if they're done right they're just as nice to drive as a sport sedan
and a whole buch more practical.

davem2001

The thing with Saab - the Saab "loyalists" cry about losing the "Saabness" or the "quirkiness" etc... BUT if there were enough people who wanted that, then Saab wouldn't be in the shape it's in right now..... They either have to go more "mainstream" or just go out of business.

nippononly

on looks:
1. V50
2. "SportCombi" (from pictures only of course)
3. A4 Avant
4. Legacy

I hate the huge snouts of the new Audis, and the Legacy looks overwrought, as do many of Sube's designs to my eye. Having said that, given the fact that I wouldn't stretch my budget for the price of an A4 Avant, I would take either the Volvo or the Subaru right now..."Saabness" these days is basically code for "GM's neglected brand" - I would be afraid of owning one, both in terms of reliability and resale.

davem2001

It's sort of ironic, I think - IMO, Ford has done a much better job of running Volvo than GM has done of Saab, yet of their own "internal" premium brands, GM has done a much better job of turning Cadillac around compared to what Ford has done with Lincoln.

mirth

IMHO, Volvo was a much easier brand to handle than Saab. Volvo had a solid reputation for safety - it was easy to market. Saab's only reputation, if any, was "quirkiness". How do design and market for that?

andys120

I would be afraid of owning one, both in terms of reliability and resale.

You certainly have a point on resale which has always been lousy for Saabs but GM has really improved the reliability of Saabs which now ranks quite high in most FOR surveys.

jchan2

has always recommended both Saabs. (9-3 and 9-5) Which means that these are fairly reliable and are probably a good used car bargain if you can find one without too many miles.

And Ford had an easier job with Volvo than GM had with Saab. But GM had an easier task of turning around Cadillac mainly because rap artists for some reason seem to love Escalades and all Cadillac had to really do was build more Escalades.
I don't think any rap artists drive a Town Car or LS.

davem2001

No,I meant strictly on the car side - IMO, the Escalade and the Navigator are about equal to the "pimp my ride" crowd...

I'm talking about -

Lincoln has nothing like the SRX, until their new Aviator comes out in a year or 2...

Lincoln has nothing like the XLR convertible.

Lincoln has nothing like the V series cars.

They have a niche with stodgy 70+ year olds who love their Town Cars.

Ok, and the LS, which hasn't exactly been a big hit.

They are way behind Cadillac on the car side.