Saab History

 
The video above depicts a new generation Saab 900 (1994-1998) involved in a moose crash test described by former Saab USA President, Joel Manby conducted in 1997.
 
Residing in the state as illustrated in the video above, I find that there are a lot of similarities between both this state as well as Sweden, most notably the per capita moose population!
 
I am eager to find out Saab Automobile’s response as to whether or not this test has been continued since that time in current model year Saab 9-3s and 9-5s.

I just received updated future product rollout details from an anonymous internal source today from Saab Automobile:

Here are some more elaborate details on existing as well as future product rollouts as briefly announced this past friday at the GM Press Conference.

Future Products:

Next Generation Saab 9-5

The Next Generation Saab 9-5 (saw pic, its ugly) is pushed back 3 months (until 1qtr 2010)

Saab 9-4x

The 9-4x is pushed back 12 months (until 4th qtr 2010).

Saab 9-3x

No Word Yet on the 9-3x.

———–

Existing Products:

Saab 9-5 (1998-2009)

The Saab 9-5 Griffin Edition will be the only 9-5 available for 2009

Saab 9-7x (2006-2009)

There are 260 9-7x units available in GM inventory worldwide.

Saab 9-3

The Saab 9-3 Convertible, Sport Sedan & Sport Combi will need to carry the brand in addition to the 9-3x until 2010.

At approximately 20 minutes into the General Motors today during their 3rd quarter press conference, I have found that GM will be officially delaying the launches of the next generation Saab 9-5 as well as the 9-4x until 2010. There were no other specific mentions of Saab at all, for the duration of the press conference.

However, in contrast to this official announcement, I received an unofficial announcement yesterday from Eric Geers, Director of Global Communications at Saab Automobile AB in Sweden, that the Saab 9-3X (Cross-Combi) as I am calling it, not to be confused with the 9-3X Concept back in 2002 is still on schedule.

11.6.2008

Eric Geers
Director of Global Communications
Saab Automobile AB
Trollhättan, Sweden

If we’re lucky, it now appears that the only vehicle that will be launched in 2009, may be the Saab 9-3X Cross-Combi as a continuation of the Cross-Wheel Drive (XWD) programs that are now ramping up globally.

The question is, will Saab Automobile AB and associated dealerships be able to survive with just a single model launch in the 9-3 range in 2009 along with an aging 9-3 Sport Sedan, SportCombi & Convertible model alongside the final production years of the 9-5, 9-7x?

I leave you with their press release from the conference today, only mentioning the 9-4x in the release in comparison to mentioning both the 9-5 and 9-4x in the press conference.

GM Announces $5 billion in Additional Liquidity Enhancement Initiatives

* Operating actions announced July 15 remain on track, targeted at $10 billion in cash improvements through 2009
* Asset sales of $2-4 billion in process, including Hummer, ACDelco and Strasbourg facilities
* Additional actions targeted at further improving liquidity by $5 billion by end of 2009
o 2009 capital spending reduced by $2.5 billion; key product and technology programs on track
o Additional GMNA structural cost reductions of $1.5 billion
o Further working capital improvements of $500 million
o Further salaried employment cost reductions of $500 million
* Engaging the U.S. government to aid the domestic auto industry

Read more »

Today, Eric Geers of Saab Automobile AB, whom I’ve interviewed this past January in Detroit, has responded to my inquiry about the meetings that are taking place this week in Trollhättan, Sweden.

He has given me permission to publish his response here for us to see. While I thank him for his response, I am concerned about what he wrote in last sentence about “hoping to show some of the new products next year”. It appears to be implied that there is a chance that these new products (ie. 9-4x, 9-5 NG, and 9-3XC) won’t be shown next year, which is scary to think.

Well, there are always important meetings taking place but nothing that would stand out. Perhaps your source was referring to the GM Quarterly broadcast that is planned for tomorrow, but thats a global one that we will view here in Sweden.

Other than that we continue to focus on what we have ahead of us in terms of products and we hope to be able to show some of it next year!

Eric Geers
Director of Global Communications
Saab Automobile AB
Trollhättan, Sweden

The image above was taken from the Saab USA promotional video that debuted to a captive audience at the recent 2008 Saab Owners Convention in Devens, Massachusetts/

I was watching the film today and surprisingly realized that a number of the next generation Saab 9-5 design elements were revealed.

As you can see in the photo, the green dash display, instrumentation guages and rear C-pillar design elements are immediately apparent, and look like no other concept car nor production vehicle.

The next generation Saab 9-5, built in Germany, is supposed to be debuting sometime near the 4th quarter of 2009.

Photo Credit: Auto Motor & Sport

Blog, Jalopnik believes they have spotted the next generation opel based Saab 9-5.

The next generation Saab 9-5 will be based on the GM Epsilon II platform, built in Russellheim, Germany at the former Opel factory, now GM Europe that include the following vehicles.

* 2009 Opel Insignia
* 2010 Buick LaCrosse
* 2010 Saab 9-5
* 2011 Saturn Aura
* 2012 Chevy Malibu

The irony in all of this is that this next generation 9-5 model for GM’s Saab brand, will evidently be a high-end luxury model. I certainly hope that they differentiate it every way possible because its brothers and sisters listed above, aren’t exactly brands known as “premium”.

Ask and you shall receive as I indicated in my previous posting about why we have not seen any spy photos yet.

Here are some spy photos of the next generation Saab 9-5 recently published in the Dutch magazine “autoweek”, thanks to Joost van Breukelen

It always seems like the Dutch magazines are the first to cover spy photos on all things Saab, well, evidently they have quite the crew of spy photographers in any case.

Photo Credit: Saab History at Saab Museum, Trollhättan, Sweden - 2005

I was thinking recently about the next generation 9-5’s production timeline since many of you have recently indicated that you are more interested in seeing a new 9-5, than any other future Saab product rollout.

If the production timeline for the next generation Saab 9-5 will be around the same time as the Saab 9-4x (MY2010), to be released sometime in 2009, why have we not seen any test prototypes from professional spy photographers like we have seen with the 9-4x?

Furthermore, why has the sketch shown to us during the Saturday evening dinner at the 2008 Saab Owners Convention not changed since I first saw it at the Saab Museum during during the