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Saab 9-3 Independence Edition sneaks out ahead of Geneva debut

Filed under: Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Saab

Saab 9-3 Independence Edition

The Saab 9-3 Independence Edition (based on the Aero Convertible) marks the day, February 23, one year ago when Saab left the General Motors corporate org chart to once again become an independent automaker (inasmuch as it can be called that, since it’s still owned by Spyker). Expected to debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, the Saab 9-3 Independence Edition has leaked onto the web a little early.

Unique Independence Edition touches include a new color called Sunset Red and special 18″ wheels. Meanwhile, the interior gets parchment leather seats with an orange stripe down the middle, an orange needle on the turbo guage, a Super Sport steering wheel and an assortment of other interior bits from Saab specialist Hirsch. The best part, though, is that the 9-3 Independence Edition also gets the 220-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four from the Saab 9-5.

Enamored? Try not to be, because with only 366 individually-numbered examples to be sold worldwide, the likelihood of getting your hands on one is pretty slim indeed. Thanks for the tip, Knape!

[Source: SaabsUnited]

Saab 9-3 Independence Edition sneaks out ahead of Geneva debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Feb 2011 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Saab 9-4X rolls off the assembly line

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Saab, Luxury

GM's Raymond J Chess and Saab CEO Jan ÅkeJonsson with the first Saab 9-4X

GM’s Raymond J Chess and Saab CEO Jan Åke Jonsson w/Saab 9-4X No. 1 – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s been little over a year since Saab unveiled the 9-4X at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, and now the first production example has left the assembly line.

Envisioned when Saab was still under the General Motors umbrella, the 9-4X is based on the same Theta platform as the Cadillac SRX. As such, it’s being built not in Trollhättan, Sweden, like other Saabs, but in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.

This first example – an Aero model in Ice Pearl metallic with the 2.8-liter turbo V6 and XWD – carries the chassis number 00001, and will be displayed at Saab’s museum in Sweden – after it makes the media rounds, of course. While you’re waiting for the 9-4X to hit U.S. dealers in May, check out our galleries below along with the official production announcement after the jump.

Gallery: Saab 9-4X chassis #00001

Gallery: 2012 Saab 9-4X

2012 Saab 9-4X

[Source: Saab]

Continue reading First Saab 9-4X rolls off the assembly line

First Saab 9-4X rolls off the assembly line originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saab hatchback concept teased ahead of Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Saab, Luxury

Saab at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show

It looks like Saab is planning a party for this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The Scandinavian automaker has just rolled out its invitations to the shindig, and the cards feature a whopping total of four cars covered by sheets. According to the company, the public at large will get its first look an all-new concept car from the automaker, and judging by the inset image below, it looks like it could be a return-to-form hatchback that presages the next 9-3. In addition to the show car, there will likely be special edition versions of the 9-3 and 9-3 Cabriolet. Of course, the 9-4X crossover will be on the show stand, and the freshly teased 9-5 SportCombi is also set to make an appearance.

Saab Concept Car According to enthusiast site Saabs United, both the tweaked 9-3 and 9-3 Cabriolet are said to be getting a pre-Geneva unveil on February 23. Expect to see full photos and greater detail on what those models will have to offer as we get closer to that date.

Hopefully, these new models will help drum up some interest in Saab. Last year, the Swedish automaker struggled to find traction after being released from General Motors’ shackles, selling a mere 5,445 units in the States. Officials have earmarked a goal of triple that figure for 2011.

[Sources: Saabs United, Saab]

Saab hatchback concept teased ahead of Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Saab looking for 15-20k sales this year

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Crossover, Saab

Saab 9-4x

2012 Saab 9-4X – Click above for high-res image gallery

Saab Cars North America (barely) lived through a horrible 2010, with sales of only 5,445 units. For perspective, Toyota makes that many Camry sedans by Thursday of most weeks. Part of the problem, no doubt, was Saab’s flirtation with oblivion and the resultant crippled supplier base and a lack of consumer awareness, but a lack of new product also played a big role.

Automotive News reports that Saab execs are assuring dealers that 2011 should turn out a lot better, with projected U.S. sales of between 15,000 and 20,000 units. That’s a significant sales recovery, and at least part of the increased volume should come courtesy of a strengthening auto market. But increased sales alone won’t enable 400 percent growth. Luckily, Saab has some new product in the pipeline, with the 9-4X crossover scheduled to arrive in May, while continued sales of the 9-5 sedan and the upcoming wagon variant (scheduled for Fall, 2011) should further boost the bottom line.

Will the 9-4X prove popular enough to move Saab over the sales hump? We don’t doubt it, if only because the company’s sales bogey is so low. And it helps that the 9-4X is attractive and poised to hit the market at a time when customers are clamoring over high-end CUVs.

Gallery: 2012 Saab 9-4X

2012 Saab 9-4X

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Report: Saab looking for 15-20k sales this year originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 18:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010-2011 Saab 9-3 faces recall over possible fuel pump defect

Filed under: Sedan, Europe, Recalls, Safety, Saab, Luxury

2010 Saab 9-3

2010 Saab 9-3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Saab has announced that it is recalling around 4,400 9-3 models for defective fuel pumps. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says that the vehicles made have been built with pumps that did not meet the correct specifications, and as a result, the pumps may seize, causing the engine to stall. NHTSA believes that the defect could potentially increase the risk of an accident. As far as we know, no incidents have been reported as a result of the issue.

Saab will replace the fuel pumps free of charge, and the campaign is expected to get under way on or around February 18. Owners may contact Saab directly at 1.800.955.9007 or visit the NHTSA site for more information on the recall. Hit the jump for a look at both notices.

Gallery: 2010 Saab 9-3

2010 Saab 9-3

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading 2010-2011 Saab 9-3 faces recall over possible fuel pump defect

2010-2011 Saab 9-3 faces recall over possible fuel pump defect originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saab 9-5 Sportwagon teased ahead of Geneva debut

Filed under: Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Saab

Saab 9-5 Sportwagon

2012 Saab 9-5 Sportwagon – Click above for high-res image

Saab will be unveiling the new 9-5 ~~Wagon~~ ~~Estate~~ SportCombi at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and what appears to be the first official image has leaked, showing off the hatch’s svelte new rump. The 9-5 SportCombi was caught testing during the automaker’s period of limbo between owners, but now that the company is safely in the hands of Spyker Cars, the stylish station wagon is quickly being readied for production.

Expect powertrains to be carried over directly from the 9-5 sedan, meaning the base turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four and up-level 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 will be available. Saab’s XWD all-wheel drive system will likely be offered on V6 Aero models, and the full suite of optional goodies like adaptive cruise control and bi-xenon headlamps will be available for a price. We’ll have the full details closer to the car’s Geneva debut, and look for the 9-5 SportCombi to arrive in the United States near the end of this year.

[Source: Saab]

Continue reading Saab 9-5 Sportwagon teased ahead of Geneva debut

Saab 9-5 Sportwagon teased ahead of Geneva debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saab officially teams up with Hirsch Performance for high-performance parts

Filed under: Aftermarket, Saab

Saab 9-5 SportCombi with Hirsch body-kit

Saab and Hirsch have made it official: The Swiss producer of go-fast parts will now offer a full line of upgrades for Saab vehicles in North America. Beginning in the spring of 2011, customers will be available to order Hirsch Performance products at select Saab dealers around the country.

A variety of parts will be offered for 2007-2011 Saab 9-3s and 2010-2011 9-5s, including engine mapping upgrades, spoilers, aero ground effects, suspension tuning, exhaust upgrades and even interior upfits like a carbon instrument panel. The Hirsch parts will be installed at dealerships and will not hinder the vehicle’s warranty. Pricing and availability will be announced in the coming months. Follow the jump for Saab’s official release.

[Source: Saab | Image: Hirsch-Perfomance]

Continue reading Saab officially teams up with Hirsch Performance for high-performance parts

Saab officially teams up with Hirsch Performance for high-performance parts originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Muller to let investors know in May if Saab will go public

Filed under: Saab, Earnings/Financials, Spyker

saab 9-4x grille

In the past year, Saab has gone from a near-death experience to an automaker searching its audience. The Spyker-owned automaker claims it is looking for about 120,000 annual sales, but it expects to be profitable by 2012. While the company has a long way to go before sniffing those meager totals, Saab owner Victor Muller is still thinking about going public in the company’s home market.

Bloomberg reports that Muller says the company will announce whether it will enter the Swedish stock market at its annual shareholder meeting on May 19. You’re probably wondering why a company would discuss going public at a shareholder meeting. The short answer is that Saab is already present and accounted for on the Amsterdam Euronext. And even with very lean sales totals for 2010 while the company struggled to restart production and reinvigorate its supplier chain, the stock is Amsterdam’s third highest gainer of 2010, with reported gains of 63 percent.

While Muller and company are considering whether to enter the Swedish stock market, the reborn automaker claims to have no intention of diluting shares to raise additional funds. Instead, Saab is considering opening up to both stock markets simultaneously with the potential to switch to only the Swedish market for future investment purposes. Muller says the company doesn’t “foresee any share issue at this time, but who knows, maybe in many years it becomes a vehicle for future funding.”

[Source: Bloomberg]

Report: Muller to let investors know in May if Saab will go public originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A Conversation with Saab’s Victor Muller and Jan-Ake Jonsson

Filed under: Saab

Victor Muller of Saab

Victor Muller, Saab Chairman and CEO of Spyker

The news Saab has been making in the past few months – the defection of its sales director, declining sales numbers, worker layoffs – runs counter to the feel-good story of the brand’s very existence. On the other side of that, though, the brand is still here, there’s a resurrected factory in Sweden still pumping out cars, Jason Castriota is still working on an anxiously anticipated 9-3, and the 9-4X – unveiled to general acclaim recently at the LA Auto Show – is just months away from retail.

That’s a lot going on for such a small, and new, company. We sat down with Saab chairman Victor Muller and president Jan-Ake Jonsson to find out what makes the 9-4X a real Saab, how the 9-3 is progressing, and where the 9-2 and ePower rank on the company’s to-do list.

Follow the jump for the story.

[Image: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty]

Continue reading A Conversation with Saab’s Victor Muller and Jan-Ake Jonsson

A Conversation with Saab’s Victor Muller and Jan-Ake Jonsson originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saab readies move into China and Russia, downplays 9-4X diesel

Filed under: Car Buying, China, Crossover, Saab, Russia, Diesel, Luxury

2012 Saab 9-4X

2012 Saab 9-4X – Click above for high-res image gallery

Saab CEO Jan-Åke Jonsson has provided the wayward Swedish brand with some direction, and the marching orders point out two very large markets for the sales team to focus on: Russia and China. According to a report in Automotive News, Saab will begin distribution in the Chinese market beginning sometime during the 2011 calendar year. Until the launch of the redesigned 9-3, Saab will shoot for a few thousand sales per year. Once the distribution network is in place and the model lineup is refreshed, Saab will look at the possibility of local manufacturing facilities.

Now that China is rolling forward, Saab can start to finalize decisions with regards to the Russian market. No deal has been announced, but one is expected to be made the end of the year. Saab’s chairman, Victor Muller, specifically stated at the 2010 LA Auto Show that the both China and Russia are getting a taste of the recently unshackled Swedish brand.

One of the newest expressions of the automaker’s freedom is the 2012 Saab 9-4X. Saab offers diesel engines outside of the North American market, and we were curious if this new crossover would also get an oil burner. Per Jonnson, it seems this is highly unlikely:

“If you then look at the life cycle of the vehicle, typically five or six years, before we actually have a diesel engine, we have to find one, we have to test it, we have to install it, validate it, and you are two years into the life cycle… and then you have a very short payoff period.”

Understandable, but a bummer nonetheless.

Gallery: LA 2010: 2012 Saab 9-4X

LA 2010: 2012 Saab 9-4X

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeff Glucker / AOL

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Saab readies move into China and Russia, downplays 9-4X diesel originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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