Yes folks there’s nothing but good news here at Trollhattan. The 9-3SC is on it’s way (see below) and the first 9-7x’s are being delivered to happy customers.

Personally speaking, I think I’m now authorised to reveal my own good news: that job application and interview I was sweating about a few weeks ago has turned out successful. Starting around mid-June I’ll be a Senior Consultant in my department and about 20% better off than I was earlier on.

Now if we can just sell our block of land I’ll have all the funds I need to get my 99 back to all it’s glory!! Speaking of which, I had some fun at Saabwreck in Melbourne last week, picking up a used Alpine head unit and CD changer for just $165 and a used turbo intake pipe for $30. I also grabbed a few badges while I was there.

I think it’s time for a big fat celebratory steak!!!

The 9-7x is finally rolling out from dealer’s lots in the US, with watchful eyes and hopeful hearts everywhere wishing it success in the world’s biggest car market. Elsewhere, Saab’s newest and ‘purest’ new model, the 9-3 Sport Combi, is in takeoff mode in Europe this week.

Saab Great Britain head honcho, Jonathan Nash, is holding very high hopes for the new wagon (via Just_Auto). The segment is estimated to have accounted for around 250,000 sales in 2004, with diesels being 70% of these. Given a new estate model, Saab’s growing presence in the UK already and a proven diesel success with the 9-3 Sport Sedan, Mr Nash’s hopes seem well founded. Add to all this the competitive pricing (the Combi’s only 1000 quid more than the Sedan) and Saab in Great Britain could be well on it’s way to achieving it’s 25,000 sales benchmark, a whopping 25% increase on the previous year.

New Saab supremo Jan Ake Jonsson, quoted here in an ITV review is also being optimistic about the newest 9-3.

“I know it will not be easy,” he said at the international launch of the 9-3 lifestyle estate car. “These are challenging times in the motor industry and I see Saab’s growth as less of a sprint and more of a marathon. But I am very confident. This is our first entry into the premium wagon market I am sure it will do well for us.”

The article above is a short, but interesting one. Did you know that the tailgate on the Combi is made from aluminium (that’s aluminum to you North Americans), is 6kg lighter than a steel tail of the same size, and helps the Sport Combi come in at only 40kg heavier than the 9-3 Sport Sedan?

The final kicker?? How’s this for quotable:

There’s a lot more to come from this charismatic Scandinavian car maker. Let’s hope their American masters in GM have the wit to realise their potential as a stand-alone producer and not, as is rumoured, just a convenient assembly facility for their tasteless, but sadly Europe-bound, Cadillac range.

OUCH!!

One of the most popular areas of my old site was the Saab Vs posters, which I’m hoping to load up on here again soon. I am missing a few of these though, so if you have a copy of the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ poster or any others that you didn’t see on my old site, please let me know. I’d love to get the whole set.

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I felt compelled to write about the posters, but that wasn’t the reason behind the headline.

Who is Saab’s competition?

I was disappointed to read the following over at SaabCentral, in response to a comment I’d posted there a couple of weeks ago (I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but illness and my work schedule conspired against posting about it).

Originally Posted by Swade
I’m a little concerned by this. if Caddy is being aimed squarely at BMW/Merc/Audi, then where is Saab going to aim at? VW? Whatever happened to the “global premium brand”?

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Saab was never as prestigious as BMW, Mercedes, or even Cadillac in it’s current form.

It’s more of a “quirky, dare to be different” type of brand that appeals to a limited number of consumers. GM has to work hard to figure out how to make a brand with limited appeal ( like Saturn) profitable.

Mercedes and Cadillac, I’ll give you. My comment in reference to these marques was based on my ideas of future competition.

But never as prestigious as BMW? Granted, Saab fell behind the hun in the 90’s. Bob Lutz’s work with BMW bore fruit as the money they recouped and the investment it allowed finally bore fruit.

Prior to the 90’s, however, I’d be happy to hold a good condition classic 900 Aero up against any 3-series BMW and see how they stack up. I’ll have to do some digging in terms of performance, but in terms of styling and design I’d say the Aero was all-that and more!!

YES PLEASE!!

Take a good look at Drew Bedelph’s sensational 900 Aero, above. Click on the picture to enlarge it. The classic shape, which stood firm right from the early Combi Coupe’s of the 1970s until 1993 when the classic 900 was replaced. Now, let’s take a peek at a BMW, circa mid 80’s – and to be fair, I’ll us a stock photo of a (as it was then)pristine new model (the photo of Drew’s car is a new photo of an 17 year old car).

NO THANKS

Now, which car would you rather have? Which car looks more dated? Which car would be more fun to drive?

And do you still think Saab were never competitors to BMW??

Back in the day, the 900 was not only a stylish vehicle, it was an innovative vehicle too. Leading the way in turbo application and enhancing the model with the beautiful convertible in the mid 80’s,
Saab were a very desireable vehicle at the time.

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UPDATE (2/6/05)
I’ve been called in comments by Peter (and rightly so) for picturing a crappy basic 318i against a c900 Aero. Fair enough. So thanks to Eggs n Grits, here’s a 1988 M3. From a styling perspective (and from any other) I’ll still take the Aero, no question.

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The problem?

Although the sales levels for Saab were records at the time in the mid 80’s the reality was that comparitively low sales volumes meant low profits, which meant low investment compared to the larger-scale competition. BMW has moved ahead in leaps and bounds since this time, whereas the financial difficulties at Saab continued through the 1990’s until the final sale of the brand to GM in 2000.

So where does this leave Saab going forward? This is what I was commenting on at SC.

Some people seem to be thinking that Saab can create it’s own niche in the motoring market. The line of thought seems to be that somehow, Saab can create *grrrr* quirky vehicles that people will buy when they can’t quite afford a BMW or an Audi.

They also seem to think that in a modern auto-manufacturing world, accepting the crumbs that fall off BMW’s table will be enough for the marque to survive.

Dead. Set. Wrong.

Let me tell you this: I believe that if properly managed and financed, Saab can not only compete with BMW, Audi, Alfa, Volkswagen, Volvo, the smaller Mercedes classes and Cadillac, it can top them.

40 years or so ago, Swedish engineers developed the 99 out of absolutely nothing and developed it into one of the best and most versatile cars of the 1980’s (as the 900). With proper management and investment, I have no doubts whatsoever that the innovation and quality brought to market in the classic 900 could be regenerated again.

Not only is it a case of it COULD be done, it’s a basic necessity. If GM are going to be persuaded to keep the Saab brand alive, then it’s place in the world is as a competitor on the global scale against these other players. Being a bit player just under the class is NOT going to cut it – and who’d be satisfied in a car that’s acknowledged as being the one you buy if you can’t get another? Saab could be the Euro equivalent of a Hyundai (i.e. I can’t afford a Honda)???

No thanks.

Bob Lutz – I take pride in my Saab ownership and I always want to do so. I’ll gladly run my 99 Turbo against anything a 3 series Bimmer could offer in 1979. I’d gladly take Drew’s 900 Aero against a 3-series of the equivalent year and I want more than anything to be able to say the same thing about Saabs and BMW’s in 10 years, 15 years and 25 years from now.

Give those lads in Sweden some time, some freedom and the appropriate finance – and watch them go.

The 2.8 Aero and the Sport Combi are just the beginning, folks. From what these vehicles promise, and from what the model lineup in the future could look like, there’s going to be much more to buying a Saab than sheer loyalty.

Thanks to Ryan in DC, I got a peek at one of the new 9-7x ads earlier today. I’m still away from the office (staying at my sister’s place in Melbourne now), so I can’t upload it. I’ll put it up on the site early next week.

I don’t know if this is being aired in the US yet, but if some of you have seen it, maybe you could share your thoughts.

The ad features a valet parking guy who’s trying to find the ignition – ha-de-ha-ha. Is it just me? Or was this ad deliberately written by Debra Kelly-Ennis, she of the ‘gee-whiz functionality’ quote, as a parting gift to an employer she stopped caring about a long time prior?

Surprise, surprise – they highlighted a ‘quirky’ bit.

Never mind the tweaked suspension. Never mind the torquey engine. Never mind the fact that it’s Saab’s first foray into the SUV marketplace. Never mind the best interior that this platform has ever had.

Let’s show them some dweeb that can’t find where to put the key, coz it’s probably the only thing we can sell the car on.

I don’t want to sound sexist here, but the vast majority of Saab buying decision makers are men. Does this car have absolutely no balls whatsoever??? I know it’s tweaked for power AND comfort, but surely there could be ads about a Saab SUV that emphasise some more of the power and class and less of the quirk. It’s a freakin SUV, not a hybrid revision of the Goggomobile!!

Here’s the motto of today’s post. Bob and Jay – listen up please.

More oomph. Less quirk.

Say it after me, Bob.

More oomph. Less quirk.

Your turn, Jay:

More oomph. Less quirk.

Quirk ceases to be quirky when you sell it to the mainstream. Just give the people the oomph and let them discover the quirk for themselves. Hint: the understatement is intentional.

More oomph. Less quirk.

As I said earlier – I’ll post the ad next week. It’s an 8MB download, so it’s not for the fainthearted, but it’s worth it in order to see what you all think. I’ll also post my treatment for what I’d do for a 9-7x ad. It’s good. I think it’s real good. Call it my first self-provided job interview for GM Saab, Canada.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE – Saab is “intelligently inspired”. Each GM brand has it’s differentiation point and apparently “intelligently inspired” is Saab’s. I don’t necessarily disagree per se, but I am unsure if it’s an appropriate platform for pushing your global premium brand.

I feel like I’m stuck in an automotive version of ‘Revenge of the Nerds’.

Read on for the full story behind this……..(and yes, I think my ad treatment will still work)
[Read the rest of this entry →]

You might remember a few weeks ago that some poms drove the 2006 9-3 Aero with the 2.8, and they didn’t quite warm to it.

In comments on that article (and indeed in the article itself), it was predicted that the thirstier US market would take to this configuration with more enthusiasm.

And so they have – from Edmunds (and what’s that I read?? Smart money being kept away from the BMW 3-series??) Read on punters:

Saab’s Newest 9-3 Takes Flight
By Alistair Weaver
Date posted: 05-23-2005

Sometimes it pays to view a car in its home location. Just as Hyundais look strangely conservative in South Korea and Land Rover Defenders look authentic in Tanzania, so Saabs make sense in Sweden. Take a stroll in Saab’s quiet, understated hometown of Trollhättan and you start to understand why someone could prefer the subtle, cultured appeal of the Saab 9-3 to the more obvious charms of BMW’s 3 Series.

[Read the rest of this entry →]

Gee, you take a few days away from the PC and the news doesn’t just rain – it pours!!

UK 9-3 SportCombi pricing – go order yours now.

A ‘write-up’ on the 2006 9-3 Aero 2.8.

It’s all happening.

Added to this is some “On again” news relating to the 9-6x. If you’ve followed my 9-6x thread, you’ll know that there’s been a great deal of conflicting mail as to what’s happening with this project. So what’s the latest?

SaabKen found this item and let it rip on SC.

Washington DC May 23, 2005; AIADA reported that Saab is gearing up for production of its seven-passenger 9-6X SUV to begin next year at Subaru’s Lafayette, Ind. plant — the first vehicle produced in Indiana for the automaker. According to Automotive News, “Saab has not specified volumes for the 9-6X. But the plant, which is owned by General Motors partner Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., will apparently have room for about 10,000 to 15,000 a year.”

More from the News: “In the second quarter of 2006 the Indiana plant will begin producing export-only, right-hand-drive versions of the Tribeca. Production of the 9-6X is planned to follow. “Whether it develops into anything long term, we don’t know,” said Thomas Easterday, senior vice president of human resources and corporate affairs at Subaru of Indiana Automotive. “But having General Motors and Saab have the confidence in our quality and our production capacity to build a vehicle here is important.”

Looks like it’s definitely on again. But then again, I wrote that the other day, right? So isn’t it “OFF again” time?

I’m waiting for access to another article on the same subject and I’m hoping it’ll give a little more detail.

ITV have a little snippet with a great photo I haven’t seen before. The article is on the UK pricing of the 9-3 Sportcombi, for which UK Saab dealers are already taking orders. Here’s the pic:

As to the content, well, if you’re a pom you’ll be forking out another 1,000 quid over the top of the Sport Sedan for your base SportCombi.

The range starts with a £17,995 entry-level car with the most basic trim and a naturally-aspirated 1.8-litre engine. Then come the Linear, Linear Sport, Vector and Vector Sport, all of which have five engine options – that 1.8 again, plus turbocharged 1.8- and two-litre petrol version, and the 1.9 TiD turbo diesel in 120bhp and 150bhp forms. Prices for these range from £19,295 for the Linear 1.8i to £24,340 for the Vector Sport 2.0 Turbo.

Finally, there are two high-performance Aero versions. One of them uses the two-litre turbo engine, but with maximum power uprated from 175bhp to 210bhp. The other gets a new 2.8-litre V6 Turbo which produces 250bhp. Prices for these cars are £25,495 and £27,795 respectively.

It ain’t cheap, but then again it ain’t ordinary either. Here’s another pic to get you all thinking. As always, CLICK to enlarge.

Autoweek have either driven the 9-3 Aero 2.8 or do a reasonable job of acting like they’ve driven the 9-3 Aero 2.8. If indeed they have driven the 9-3 Aero 2.8, then they do a lousy job of writing up the car.

I show the article, you decide.

Either way, I really can’t wait for this baby to hit the streets. To those who don’t think Saab is in competition with BMW, maybe this will have you thinking otherwise…

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2006 Saab 9-3 Aero

Core Values: Saab Pumps Up Its 9-3 Aero

MAC MORRISON

Published Date: 5/23/05

2006 SAAB 9-3 AERO
ON SALE: September
BASE PRICE: $34,900 (est.)
POWERTRAIN: 2.8-liter, 250-hp, 258-lb-ft turbocharged V6; fwd, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3465 lbs
0 TO 62 MPH: 6.9 seconds (mfr.)

Neither Saab executives nor devotees have had many reasons to smile lately, but on this day the overtly good-natured Swedes manage to flash their biggest grins and extend the warmest of handshakes to visitors of their Trollhattan factory.

Click to enlarge.

Of course this is the same plant GM recently announced lost its bid to produce the next all-new 9-3 and its European-market sibling, the Opel Vectra, both due to hit a German assembly line in 2008. That development saw Saab CEO Peter Augustsson resign in March, as GM’s creeping corporate hand and the loss of yet more “Swedishness” pleased the boss about as much as it has longtime Saab drivers.
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