Saab 9-1 news from Aftonbladet
Greetings from Los Angeles. I rode in a Ferrari today. More to come later 
Richo was having dinner with someone from Saab Oz last week and he emailed me to say that something was going to be coming in the next week or so about the Saab 9-1. The person he was dining with declined to give details as she knew it’d appear here on the blog in quick time.
And right she was.
But no need to worry, as it appears that Robert Collin from Aftonbladet has covered it anyway.
Trakdah has produced this translation, as has Tompa in comments.
——
“Saab will be showing a whole new model in the Golf-segment later this year. Not only that. The car will be a so called plug-in-hybrid where the batteries can be reloaded of a wall socket and - which is unique - the explosion motor in the system runs on ethanol.
[...]
9-1 as the car will be known is based on the same technology as teh upcomming Opel Astra and will be General Motor’s competitor to luxury brands as the Audi A3 and Volvo S40/V50. The car which is a naturally is a hatchback was designed by Brian Nesbitt who at the time was design lead for GM Europe.
- The coolest car I’ve drawn, says Nesbitt to [Aftonbladet]
And now [Aftonbladet] can announce that a concept car with plug-in-hybrid technology and ethanol engine will be shown at the Geneva car show in March [2008].
And as if that wasn’t enough, another revelation: this fall we will be able to see the new 9-5 modell which will be made available at teh same time as the 9-4X next year.
The car will as Aftonbladet already disclosed be larger than the current 9-5 and have a design that will be clearly unique. Speak of GM wanting to see Saab get going.”
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Great to hear from you! The world is not the same when we don’t what you are up to.
Explosion motor sounds so much more exciting then internal combustion engine.
3 new Saabs in 1 year… I don´t believe it… I bet the 9-5 will be shown this year, but the 9-1….
I´m afraid that if 9-1 will be shown this year and goes for sale 2009, it´ll be just Astra in different clothes. What I mean, is that it differs from Astra only aesthetically. But we´ll see. Anyways, it´s simply unbelieveable that we´ll see three new Saabs in a row pretty soon! That´s what they´ve been telling us, but it´s been soo hard to believe it!
3 new Saabs this year and this site gonna reach a critical mass and self-ignite…
ctm, I actually laughed out loud reading your comment
May I add: “the site will become explosive”?
The lag between concept and production 9-1’s will probably be longer than in case of 9-4-X. I’d guess the production car won’t arrive at least one year after the new 9-5 has gone for sale.
That’s because it will be built in Trollhattan and I assume there will be no room for it before the 9-5 generation change (maybe even 9-3 generation change ?).
Sure, it will be an Astra in different clothes, as the Audi A3 is the Skoda Octavia disguised.
I think their will be on major difference between the Astra and the 9-1: the engine… Unless Saturns (or is the plural like deer? :P) are going to be come turbo’d also.
I’m hopeful for the new cars, especially after participating in a blog at gminsidenews about the difference in the platform sharing GM is using now versus the complete re-badging it’s done in the past years (save the 9-2x and the 9-7x).
i’m excited to hear the new-product news.
@ marko A
“….astra in different clothes….”
^almost every car-brand is unsing its platforms for different models to get economies of scale, so i am not surprised about this.
this is great news for saab. The more news the better, gm needs to keep saab’s name in the public eye. That’s what will build the brand up.
multi link independant suspension all round please, not a cheapo torsion beam rear!!
Kaz: “multi link independant suspension all round please, not a cheapo torsion beam rear!!”
Amen!
“MarkoA // Jan 11, 2008 at 8:25 pm
I´m afraid that if 9-1 will be shown this year and goes for sale 2009, it´ll be just Astra in different clothes. ”
After the flop of the 9-2x, I can’t believe that GM would make that mistake twice. It may be based on the same platform (which only dictates certain things, like the engines mounts, floorpan, etc) but will be higher end.
I’m guessing ReAxs will make another appearance along with an indep rear suspension, the turbo Ecotec 2L 4 (for the US), and maybe a wraparound windscreen reminiscent of the 900 - some Saab guys have made comments about that design detail needing to make a comeback in the past.
Be honest, Swade, you didn’t ride in a Ferrari, you rode in a 328. That’s like saying you rode in a Mustang when you really rode in a Maverick.
I’m just kidding, I like the 328. It’s fun to poke fun at the entry-level exotics, though.
Sounds good here, especially the plug-in hybrid, but I’ll reserve judgement. My heart has been broken too much lately (9-2, 9-7, 9-4 concept).
Yeeez. Good News.
Just the info that we’ll see 3 new models this year is fantastic. I really can’t wait to see the 9-5.
And if the 9-1 comes as a »small 900« a bit like the Lancia Delta…
The Saab USA folks gave US dealers official word yesterday that we would see the 9-4X for the 2009 model year, the 9-1 would debut in Geneva, and a “special edition” 9-5 in August. That may mean the 9-5 will come out halfway through 2009, maybe labeled as an ‘09.5, and the early ‘09 9-5s being the final iteration of the current bodystyle. Steve Shannon also emphasized that we will see some substance behind the “Born From Jets” slogan moving forward, and that we would have Saab in the news at least every 90 days from now on.
The article actually uses the word “förbränningsmotor” (förbränning = combustion), not the older, and more poetic, “explosionsmotor”.
So that choice was purely the translator’s.
—
The problem with the platform sharing is not the sharing, but GM’s terrible, terrible history of “badge engineering”. Other makers have done much better (V40/Focus/Mazda3 for example).
But let’s face it: the platform sharing worked just fine with 9-3 and Vectra, didn’t it? So they could actually succeed again.
If badge engineering is the same as poor sales figures, then you are wrong.
Example: in 2006 there were 340,000 Chevrolet’s sold in Europe. Almost 300,000 of those were rebadged Daewoo’s. Pretty good numbers…
I think GM has dug a great big whole for themselves by re-badging. The Industry hits on GM for it everytime now. Problem is The public have caught onto it too, but not all understand the difference between badge engineering and Platform sharing.
So I’ve already seen comments about the 9-4x being an Envoy or Arcadia. Even the media has got the platform wrong and are calling it Theta Premium (what ever that is) and not the ‘TE’ platform that it is.
So now we here rumours of a 9-1 Concept and some are already bashing it as an Astra in ‘Drag’ if you so wish.
Delta II platform has already been used the the Chevrolet WTCC which was shown last year with a 190hp Diesel motor. It really sickens me how GM gets whacked for building more than one car on the same platform… “GM re-badge again!” Come the cries… This quite frankly is a load of crock. Nobody else writes ’spied the new Porsche panamera which will underpin the next gen Passat’. Oh no German brands get applauded these days.. but GM gets whiplash for every vehicle.
In case anyone has missed the plot and I think a lot have GM has 11 Brands, VAG has 6, BMW has 3.
Platform engineering is a must for GM. Re-badging is perfectly sensible where the products and market segment don’t clash.
Saab have been no better in the past, and in fact they wouldn’t of lasted into the 90’s without collaborating with other companies. So for all those who are driving Lancia’s disguised as 9000’s, Maybe you can let others know that platform/Badge engineering does work.
Wood:
Plataform sharing is not the problem.. it worked fine with the 9000, gm900, 9.5, 9-3ss… but take a look at the 9-2x, 9-7x, 0-4x… the problem is how GM works…
Pedrot16: WooDz can speak for him/herself (sorry I don’t know your gender, WooDz and I don’t want to assume anything) but I think what s/he was referring to is how GM has shot themselves in the foot with badge engineering (9²X, 9⁷X) because now when they platform share (9³ in common with Vectra, 9¹ in common with Astra, etc.) people have a knee jerk reaction and assume that every new GM vehicle are badge-engineered also even though they may share nothing except the most basic underlying structure (the floorpan, etc).
While this is a valid worry, I don’t agree. Supposed auto “journalists” were calling the OG9³ a tarted-up Vectra (or Chevy Malibu, or Pontiac G6, or…) due to the fact they share the Epsilon platform way back before the 9²X or 9⁷X were ever badge-engineered.
It continues today. “Pundits” still claim the 9³ is a slightly different Vectra and are already saying the next-gen 9⁵ is a modified Opel Insignia, simply because they share the same platform (Epsilon 2, which is also to be used by the next-gen 9³). They’re also calling the 9⁴X a “Cadillac BRX cousin” though they simply share the same platform (along with an upcoming Buick, reportedly), not sheet metal, interior, or anything else.
I think the problem rests in lazy, stubborn, or just plain uneducated auto “journalists” and pundits who like to stir people up by denigrating these automobiles as uncreative copies of each-other rather than ground-up unique designs that they are. I’ve given up hope that they’ll change at this point…
Seriously, I would question the credibility of any auto “journalist” who apparently doesn’t understand the difference between “badge engineering” and “platform sharing”.
Grip, unfortunately you are right. The problem is not isolated to the auto industry, however. People are increasingly getting information from blogs, wikis, and other dubious sources. A blog - no matter how well done - is not written and edited to the same standard as a print car magazine or the NY Times Autos section.
Even popular sites like Autoblog (owned by AOL) are still just that: blogs. Amateur journalism amd hobbyist editing (at best) in combination with a mass of unedicated kids ready to start flame wars and keep them going. These are all problems that have been around from day one of the Internet.
On a side note, I myself regularly poke fun at friends who drive Inifinti and Lexus cars for paying a hige premium for Nissans / Toyotas with leather interior and 50 extra horsepower. At the end of the day, poor fit and finish on the 9-3 did a lot more harm and made people think the badge-engineering fun is justified. With improved quality, this will become a non-issue apart from pundits like me who like to poke fun at brands they just don’t like. Call it human nature.
Kroum: I agree with you for the most part, except where you point-out that the print outlets are immune from this problem. Several prominent European magazines have claimed that Saabs are just slightly changed Opels. It’s unfortunate, but true.
In the U.S. we’re a little more immune to this by the fact that we don’t have Opels here and journalists haven’t really been comparing Saabs to Saturns (American Opel) yet…
I thought Saab was quite successful with the 9-2X. First off, Saab greatly improved the look of the WRX wagon. I dispised the 2006 WRX’s Alfa Romeo inspired nose and all previous generations of the WRX wagon. Secondly, GM made the 9-2X a more affordable WRX(gotta love the incentives GM gave). And lastly, the 9-2X introduced me to Saab and I possibly will buy another Saab.
i’m really looking forward to the 9-1. partly because it’ll be the first new saab that i might be able to drive relatively easily (due to the insurance etc)… me being a teenager and just about to start driving.. but a big saab lover none the less.. By the way does any1 no a saab which would be good for someone starting driving?
thanks
It’s easy to forget that the “good old Saab(-Scania)” have been there before. The used Ford engines, they rebadged a Lancia, they shared platfrom with Fiat… Somehow it seemed more romantic back then, but it was just the same thing.
I know exactly what you mean.
GM have created this hassle themselves.
As far back as the 60’s they’vebeen slapping a badge on a car and expect people to pay the difference. However today GM has a lot more engineering is involved.
You mention the 9-2x but in all truth most people who compared the car against the Impeza reported that Saab had produced the better vehicle. Unfortunately the budget didn’t allow the version that Saab Initially wanted to use and although the exterior would not have been much different to the final product the Interior would have satisfied a far greater amount of people.
The 9-7x has a lot more of a Saab look about it; whether internally or externally and granted, you can still see the generic outline of any other vehicle built on that platform. However; reports left no doubt that Saab again engineered the best handling vehicle.
Neither vehicle is perfect but there is only a finite amount of work that can be done to a vehicle on a set budget. Even if you compare the current 9-3 to the Saturn Aura (Opel Vectra) you can still see similarities in the green house and C-Pillar. What is clear; is that dispite the perceived short comings of the 9-7x we all know it’s Saab’s 2nd best selling vehicle in North America selling better than the more traditional looking Saab, the 9-5.
The point I’m making is that when GM are designing and engineering distinct differences between certain brands, most want to shout re-badge like some demented parot without giving any fore-thought. I even saw somebody write that the AeroX was just a corvette, even though the press release stated that the concept was built on a chassis that wasn’t currently in production.
To be honest the record has got stuck and and it’s about time we moved on. Saab is with GM and every car will be built on one thier platforms. But what should be taken on board is that as the 9-4x is the only vehicle we have seen post the 9-7x and I’d say they certainly done a good job is making it not look like the Cadillac provoq concept.
I’m sure there those out there who won’t just let it lie and will be convinced that they can see something that isn’t actually there.
Just like now; before anyone has seen an official sketch we hear the floutings of re-badge and Astra as if it’s bad thing.
The Astra was the No.1 selling car in UK for 2007 So I guess it isn’t all that bad.
I’ve heard some really good things about what Saab are intending for power variants in the 9-1. You can probably think of them for yourselves but hearing from a Saab engineer that out of a priority of 10 they see XWD as 2nd most important issue; it really gives you a lift.
Next thing you know they’re talking about e-flex and variable geometry turbos and it as this point that you realise Saab has some seriously big ideas.
So all I ask is please don’t write it off on a whim. I actually think the 9-1 is going to get Saab back in the market where they had most of their success and that’s building what they are actually good at.
Small Compact hatchbacks
dan9-1: Depends on where you live. In the U.S. I think it’d be great to start with a non-turbo C900 or an early non-turbo 9000. Why do I say “non-turbo”? Because when insurance companies see that a car has a turbo the price of insurance for a young driver goes WAY up. The Saab 9000 would maybe be the best way to go as it was pretty premium at the time (leather seats standard and all) and it’s probably the safest car of that vintage on the road. Good luck.
I hear a lot about how Saabs are now designed by Opel, and it just makes me want to jump through the ethernet and rip people’s teeth out.
ok thanks for that Gripen!
Although I live in the UK i expect i can transfer that info because its still relevant
The C900 was the 1 i’ve been looking at and have found the insurance is mad high for the turbo 1. Anyway thanks for the advice and i will continue looking!
saab may not be a popular choice for my age but there you go, breaking the mould
1985Gripen and WooDz, those were good writes. Platform shring today is very sensible way of cutting the costs without losing ANY of models individuality or something else. It´s when they start using same engines, transmission, getting closer to be like far relatives. But when they start using very visible parts, be it interior or exterior, they start making them cousins. And at the best (or worse?) I´d say, like BLS and 9-3 are like brothers.
I really hope that what WooDz wrote about 9-1. But the class is not easy. The hot hatch market is full of very good cars competing against each other. The Golf class like journos call it. At least in European (and mostly British) car magazines are very keen on writing about small hatches. And today, it´s the driveability that counts. It has to be practical, sporty, good looking, communicative, powerful and so on. A truly top Performance in all possible ways.
And last but not least economic.
Direct injection, variable geometry turbo (or why not Twinturbo like on TTiD) and double clutch transmission should be standard. And the icing of the cake - XWD.
I think the 9-1 will be more than just a re bodied Astra. Remember the NG900 was built on a Vauxhall Cavalier platform and th 9-3SS on an Opel Vectra platform, but it’s much complicated than that. I’m sure GM has learnt from it’s mistakes with the 9-7X and the 9-2X. There’s more to a SAAB than just a badge and a few different panels!
My guess is the 9-1 will be launched late 2009 for the 2010 model year. At least it will be built in Sweden. By then I imagine it will be the only SAAB model left that can claim that distinction.
Wow, if this news is accurate thats great news for Saab.
Wow, the 9-1 seems to be creating such a buzz on the internet. So much speculation! Some people are saying it’ll be as large as an NG900? I think that would be a mistake. Lengthwise I think it should be modelled on the 99 Combi Coupe, but with a transverse engine and modern integrated bumpers, it should be about the length of a 99 2dr/4dr sedan.
That would be perfect for me, my first Saab was a 1976 99EMS. For some reason I’ve always liked the size of that car. Perhaps they can call the 99x?
Markac: because none of us know a thing about the 9¹ we can all imagine it as everything we’ve ever wanted from Saab, and more. I don’t think they’ll call the 9¹ anything with an “X” on it because that would allude to inclusion of all-wheel-drive.
I’m a little worried that the stories coming out attribute its design to Brian Nesbitt. I’m personally not a huge fan of Nesbitt’s prior design work. Björn Envall should be put in charge of designing this one.
1985 Gripen: You’re probably right about the “x”, but the “X” can also signify that it’s a “crossover” from another vechicle design like the 9-2x and 9-7x. I truly hope that it’s more than that! Mr. Envall would be my first choice of stylist too, so I think you’re right about him needing to be put in charge. I think GM have a terrific opportunity with the 9-1. I just hope they don’t just cut too many corners and stuff it up again. Like me, there are many Saab fans who long for another hatchback, and something with a whole lot of character too!
Markac: the 9²X and 9⁷X were named such because both were equipped with all-wheel-drive.
I thought the 9.4 could be a bit more rounded and looks like the euro ford focus.
with that said, GM has a chance to make a great small premium car.
By the time 9.1 or 9 come out I will be in the market for a car.I hope a stunning small Saab is ready for me because I’m Truly looking forward to it.As, I will be finishing my Masters degree.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention I wish they would use more from the Aero X concept mainly the back end (how it’s rounded off and how the wheel wells are extended)
1985 Gripen: Of course you are right about the X designation, but Saab boss Jan Ake Jonsson in an interview for UK “Car” magazine described both models as really only being a “crossover” from another GM brand. He said future models needed more to be more SAAB and more Swedish. I kind of hope the 9-1 name isn’t used for the new model as I beleive it should be higher up in the model range than that. 9-2 is no good either really as the Saabaru is best left forgotten and it certainly doesn’t need to be associated with that car.
Ok, let´s call it 9x!
To my mind, the platform approach is recognized quite differently between the brands. People (and journalists) easily accept it e.g. for VW brands (Bentley is heard to be a Phaeton), but not for GM. But GM spoiled a lot with the badging.
better idea… call it the 9-well knows really?
by the way is there going to be a 9-3 coupe? or is the 9-1 replacing that?
dan9-1: nobody knows for sure, but if they haven’t offered a 9³ two-door up until this point, I don’t see them doing it this generation (Epsilon) at all. Maybe there’ll be a two-door offering in the next-gen 9³ (Epsilon 2) due around 2010, or like you speculate maybe they figure they’ll just forgo it in favor of the 9¹.
Remember, market research has shown that four-door automobiles sell much better in the U.S. market than two-doors. That was the reasoning behind the sport SEDAN only being offered as a sedan, combi, and ‘vert. You know, GM beancounters get to make all the decisions. If buyers in Saab’s largest market don’t like two-doors, nobody gets them!
Bob Sinclair has told the story how back in the early-to-mid 80s Saab Sweden insisted he take some number of two-door C900s for sale in the U.S. Bob told them that he can’t sell them here. People either wanted two-doors with a hatch (”three door”) or four door sedans (I don’t think the 5-door was very popular here either the few years they did sell them). Bob then told Saab Sweden if they made them into convertibles then he could sell them!
There was originally a coupe planned for the current bodystyle 9-3, but GM pulled the plug on it. The next 9-3 will be larger and is a coupe still a good idea? I don’t know. But I do remember in the days of the C900, SAAB had the Aero 16S Coupe (SPG) as a figurehead model that many people (myself included) dreamt of owning and ended up with a lesser version. It drew people into the showrooms.
The Viggen coupe played a similar role with the OG9-3, so maybe it’s important to have a coupe model even if it’s not a volume seller? I think the smaller 9-? will definitely come in a 3dr hatch and perhaps that’s as close as we’ll get for a while. Well I hope so anyway.
1985 Gripen: Re: your earlier comment about Björn Envall, didn’t he retire from SAAB in the early nineties? Doe he still still work as a consultant? If so, hopefully they got him to consult on the 9-1!
Markac: I don’t know that much about Mr. Envall. Swade knows more about him as he actually met him in Trollhattan during the Saab Festival about six months ago.
I have little hope he’d consult on the 9¹ as it sounds to me as if Saabs are designed in Germany by GM Europe designers with input from Saab Brand Center designers. According to news a few days ago the 9¹ was actually designed by American Brian Nesbitt, who designed the Chrysler PT Cruiser and the Chevrolet HHR.
According to the press release on the 9-4X it was designed by Anthony Lo at the GM Europe Design Center, but there was prior word it was designed in the U.S. Looking at the CGIs, it looks a lot more like an American SUV than the Aero-X design-wise, but that’s just my opinion.
Brian Nesbitt, designed Aero X and Opel GTC
Yurk Boy: Anthony Lo designed the Aero-X and Opel GTC, as well as the Opel Flextreme, though if I were him I’d leave that one off my resume.
Brian Nesbitt was the head of GM Europe Design at the time so he directed the team, but Anthony Lo was allegedly the actual designer.
It’s hard to tell as company literature seems to conflict on who actually designs what. Sometimes things are attributed to Lo, sometimes Nesbitt, sometimes Michael Simcoe…
In the case of Bryan Nesbitt I understand people might get confused into thinking he designed the Aero-X because they know him as the designer of the PT Cruiser and the HHR, and the fact that the Saabs designed while he was head of GM Europe Design all have that “Nesbitt Nose” design element to them to some extent.
But I wonder how forthcoming Saab really is with who’s designing what. The press release for the 9-4X claims that it was designed by GM Europe Design with input from the Saab Brand Center, but if you ask Michael Simcoe, Executive Director of Exterior Design, North America, GM Design Center, he’ll tell you it was designed in the U.S. with “theming” (whatever that means) from GM Europe. So now Saab is like Disney where rather than making things authentically Swedish they’re “themed”?
It seems the press release for the 9-4X is either in error or intentionally false to give the impression the 9-4X is more “Swedish” (or maybe more properly “European” or more “Saaby”) than it really is.
1985 Gripen: Will the 9-4x be available in all SAABs markets? Thankfully the 9-7x and the 9-2x never made it outside of the US.
The CAR - magazine wrote about 9-4X:
For: A new Saab! At last!
Against: It´s a Caddy underneath
Verdict: Will US roots devalue Saab even more?
That´s the attitude 9-4X is going to face when it goes for media tour..
Typical journalists… What has devalued Saab is not lots of US roots in the past, but lack of sales of Swedish designed and built Saabs. I don’t say US roots will be good, but sometimes it seems that it’s all about complaining without looking at facts.
Also, it’s kinda fun. When journos give opinion of Ford Mondeo they hail the fact that it share platform with the premium Volvo. When they talk about a not yet released Saab they complain about the fact that it shares platform with the premium Cadillac.
ok thanks 1985 Gripen! sorry i’m not quite up to date with saab things.. part from modern things. So if i seem a bit thick its cos I havent been around that long.
thats for future and current reference
thanks for a clarification on the Aero X designer.
I’m waiting for 9-1 or 9 to be seen;)
So, I can save my pennies to buy one!
Also,wonder if the 9-1 will look or get anything from Caddy CTS-C (or CTC) displayed for Saab’s sake and MINE I hope it’s different.Plus the Caddy’s RWD right?
Saab, please give me something to buy.Here’s my want list: 2-4 dr.,hatchback,1.8t+,Bluetooth interface,Micro fiber sport seats.
Markac: from what I understand the 9-4X will be sold both in North America and Europe, including Sweden. I don’t know about Saab’s other markets.
MarkoA: that just shows that CAR magazine’s reporters are either lazy or retarded. I wouldn’t trust anything CAR says as a result. They ruin their credibility when they report such things without any reliable source info. Will the 9-4X share the TE platform (sometimes called Theta Premium) with the Cadillac BRX? Yes. Does that mean the Saab is a Cadillac underneath? No. Does it mean the Cadillac is a Saab underneath? No. Why can’t these supposed “journalists” tell the difference between badge engineering and platform sharing if a layman like me can? They’re derelict in their job and their supervisor should replace them. There are lots of more sensible and capable people out there who would like their job and could do better, like Swade for example. See how irritated I get with this kind of thing?
It’s fair to say the Cadillac BLS is really a Saab. It’s fair to say the 9-2X was really a Subaru. It’s fair to say the 9-7X is really a Chevy Trailblazer. It’s not entirely accurate, as there’s been work done to “Saabify” all these vehicles, but in essence they’re another vehicle underneath Saab clothing.
But the 9-3 is NOT a Vectra. The 9-1 will NOT be an Astra. The 9-4X is NOT a BRX. Come on, people. It’s not that difficult!
Perhaps we should all read “Top Gear” magazine instead of “Car”? But then again, Jeremy Clarkson isn’t much of a SAAB fan!