Saab History

Saab's Active Head Restraint Gets International Attention

Posted on 11. Nov, 2001 by Ryan.

Photo Credit: Saab Automobile

2001-11-30

Better in practice than in theory
Saab’s Active Head Restraint Gets International Attention

The highly regarded American medical publication Journal of Trauma devotes a large part of its November issue to the SAHR, the Saab Active Head Restraint. The magazine has in particular reviewed the inquiry which shows that the device, fitted to the front seats, reduces the risk of severe neck injuries in rear-end collisions by 75 percent. The analysis rests on a comparative study between the Saab 900 and 9000, which have standard neck guards, and the newer models Saab 9-3 and 9-5, which are equipped with the SAHR.

The Journal of Trauma has run a comparative scrutiny of the study, its methods and its results. The conclusion is that the SAHR represents a real breakthrough in the field of protection in the event of rear-end collisions. Even though the earlier Saab models have seats that are ranked among the best on the market, the SAHR reduces the risk of severe neck injuries by a further 75 percent.

“In light of our laboratory tests we expected to see neck injuries declining by around thirty percent. Now that a couple of years have passed, enabling us to carry out a study of the findings from actual service, it has emerged that the reality is better than that”, says Stefan Olsén, development engineer in Saab’s Collision-Safety Department.

The inquiry was conducted on the basis of accident data from the insurance company DIAL. The drivers of the crashed cars answered a questionnaire and were interviewed by telephone. Besides a marked decline in neck injuries, it was found that none of the SAHR-equipped seats had needed to be replaced or repaired after the accidents.

The modus operandi of the SAHR is that the body is pressed into the backrest of the seat, thereby activating a mechanism that causes the head restraint to snap upwards and forwards, arresting the rapid motion of the head that is produced by a collision from behind and minimizing the relative movement between the head and the lower part of the neck. In this way the device also helps to make up for the fact that many people ride around with their neck guards wrongly adjusted.

“When such a prestigious organ as the Journal of Trauma confirms our findings it marks a great success for our work on collision safety. It’s also evidence that our Real-Life Safety philosophy is sound and that we’re doing the right thing when we compare our laboratory trials with what subsequently happens on the roads. Good laboratory tests are all very well, but absolutely the most important thing for us is that our safety systems work properly in real-life accidents”, says Stefan Olsén.

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Saab doubles its warranty

Posted on 02. Nov, 2001 by Ryan.

2001-11-02

Saab doubles its warranty

Saab Automobile has resolved to extend the warranty on its cars from twelve to twenty-four months. The change will come into force on November 1, 2001, and will cover all cars sold after the same date. The new warranty will be valid for all cars sold within the E.U. and in Switzerland.

“A longer warranty undertaking is fully in line with our continuous quality work,” says Ulf Rettmark, Warranty Manager at Saab Automobile AB. “We see it as a positive measure to strengthen the position of consumers. An extended warranty also serves to guarantee prolonged contact with our car buyers.”

Saab will not bring in any changes other than the doubling of the warranty period. Apart from that, the warranty applies in the same way as before.

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Saab Cars USA – sales up with 31 percent

Posted on 02. Nov, 2001 by Ryan.

2001-11-02

Saab Cars USA – sales up with 31 percent

Saab Cars USA reports it´s best October in the company´s history. Total sales up with 31 percent over October 2000.

Saab Cars USA reported total sales of 4,820 cars in October 2001 to mark its third-best month ever in the company’s history. This represents a 31 percent increase over last year.

“What an incredible month for Saab,” said Richard O’Kelley, VP of Sales for Saab Cars USA. “It gets even better when you break down the numbers. Last year we sold over 1,100 fleet vehicles in October. This year, we sold 333. Therefore, when you compare pure dealer retail volume, we’re up 75 percent.”

Some of the highlights of October include a 100 percent increase in sales of the Saab 9-3 hard-top, 1,747 cars versus 828 last year. Convertible sales increased 81 percent, from 425 to 771.

Saab sold 2,302 9-5 models in October. The Saab 9-5 Sedan and Wagon were ranked as the Best Mid-Luxury Car in the 2001 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS).

A strong month brought Saab Cars USA’s year-to-date sales virtually even with 2000.

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