Friday Snippets
This is the first time I’ve had a full week off due to illness. Crazy. Must have been all the running I did for that Turbo X video last weekend.
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I’m currently chasing some very interesting historical news about Saab. Unfortunately it seems that everyone in Sweden is on holiday at the moment so it may be a little while coming….
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I received a response from Saab USA about that 2.0t thing written up in the Saab 9-3 press release. I’m still a little unclear on it, however, and requested some further clarification. More to come, but it looks like the small ‘t’ was a Typo.
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Saab Sales in Germany
Would you believe that after several years of trouble, the German market is one of the few where Saab sales are actually rising at the moment?
Saab sold 428 vehicles in Germany in June, and have sold 2,240 there this year. That around 10% up on Jan-Jun last year.
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Saab sales in The Netherlands
Dutch sales are in line with other markets, however, with sales falling in June - from 1,918 last year to 1,318 this year, so far. Ouch.
Thanks to Albert for both those sales figures
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I’ve been crowing about this for around two years, and I know many of you will roll your eyes and say “here he goes on Cadillac in Europe - again!”, but here I go on Cadillac in Europe - again!
I know that cutting Cadillac in Europe won’t turn GM around, but if GM are looking to cut costs (hello Aero Academy, Euro Delivery and GM-pricing for Saab 9-3 in the US) then I think Cadillac in Europe should be first in line at the chopping block.
Consider these tidbits:
Sweden: The BLS is yet to move 200 units for all of this year in it’s ‘home’ market in Sweden.
Netherlands: The Cadillac BLS comes with the 2.0t engine (175hp) for €28,590. A comparable Saab 9-3 costs at least €36,490. For the price of the BLS in the Dutch market, you’d normally get something like a basic Mondeo 1.6 or a Passat 1.4.
Despite this aggressive pricing, they sold just 51 BLS’s in the first 6 months of 2008 in The Netherlands. Diehard GM apologists will damn the car with faint praise, of course, saying it sold 75 in the whole 2007, so 2008 is actually going better than 2007. True, but still far from good. In fact, ‘disastrous’ would be a compliment.
Kill Caddy in Europe. I’d love to know how much they’ve wasted on this brand for this market.
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Here’s a 2009 Saab 9-3 price list for Norway. Click to enlarge, then divide the price by 5 to get the approximate USD price.
You may now commence the thanking of your lucky stars…..
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The problem: The BLS is neither a Cadillac nor a Saab. It’s a compromise. A bad one.
Right now with the exchange rate as it is, the real Cadillacs should be cleaning up. Except that the larger EU markets have protectionist tariffs and quotas.
And, the Aero Academy is the least of the worries. Saab and GM need the money for getting cars sold, and I’m good with that. The truth is, if the Aero Academy sold vehicles, it would still be around. As is, that money will be used for better things like advertising and dealer promotions. Once the volume comes back, then the Aero Academy can come back.
I think that this will be a tough time for the automobile business — through 2010, most likely.
Sorry Eggs, we’re going to have to agree to disagree. The BLS is, by all accounts, a well built and well equipped car. It’s obviously well priced. And it’s also obviously unwanted.
They should have stuck a fork in this one a long time ago.
Oz gets Caddy pretty soon, and real ones Eggs. Let’s see how it goes down here. Actually we know already, it’ll be a hit. HSV has launched a $150,000 version of the Pontiac G8 with the Corvette 7litre/427ci engine. They have pre-orders already. Heaps of Aussies love the American stuff.
Increasing Saab sales in Germany? Incredible! But in line with my earlier thougths expressed in an email (30/5) that Sweden is a home market far too small for a car producer. Germany is big enough so Saab “becoming ” more German” (local production/local design & development) helps the brand in (local) sales. But I didn’t expect sales going against the market so soon! Very well done!
Saab will survive as a brand if the German market starts seeing Saab for real and buys them in reasonable quantities. No more is needed. The rest of the (Saab enthusiast) world will thank all Germans forever.
I have been told by a dealer that the “Saab” BLS will also be coming to Aus, along with the American built ones.
Well, the BLS does have two cup holders in the center console instead of the single one the 9-3 does. The second cup holder also eliminates the one in the dash that many journalists complain about. In the end the BLS is a plain out weird car, and a poor excuse for the real deal.
Aside from CTS, there is nothing to get excited about from Cadillac.
You have to wonder why 9-3 sales are off this year considering the updated styling. Lack of rebates? The fact the car uses premium fuel (people are shocked when they hear I use premium – you would think I pay $2.00 more a gallon)?
Anyone know if you can still get the GM supplier discount on the 2009 9-3? Not a big savings, but at least it eliminated haggling with the dealer.
I’ve been told we’ll see Cadillac at the Australian Motor Show in September, then see them at show rooms October/November
http://www.cadillac.com.au
Ted: Well, I’l throw in the XLR and all three of the V-series Caddies. 0-60 in under 5 sec. baby!
Our GM supplier discount is still active, but it’s not much as you’ve pointed out.
Our supplier discount with Audi is apparently pretty good, that’s what the newer folks with our company are driving — A4. Personally, I’d almost rather keep the Impala than have the A4 — it’s just too small for me and the scrambles.
Turbin: The feeling is mutual; the Monaro (sold here as the Pontiac GTO) and the G6/G8 cars are well-liked in the US.
Swade: You and I have been disagreeing on Caddy for some time. Why stop now?
the caddy-in-europe experiment (hence known as CIE) has been a very poor allocation of resources, twice over.
not only were those funds spent developing a brand that will have an uphill battle over there (uphill, barefoot, in the snow, into a headwind, while being attacked by porcupines), those same funds could have been further entrenching an established brand with market-relevant products — a brand that is currently struggling in the US due to lack of investment.
no doubt gm is approaching their push for CIE as long term….but at what cost? with merrill lynch throwing the “B” word around as a possibility for GM, do they even have time for that?
saab can make them money in europe NOW. today. with healthy currencies. and, omg, profit.
my opinion is certainly biased, but i would like to see CIE killed. pull out completely. invest that into saab in europe. with the dollar the way it is, they should maintain the status quo for saabusa until they have new products on the floor ready to go, then take the money saab europe made them, invest that into north america, by then dollar will be back, and blammo, we might have ourselves a profitable brand.
Oh, 2.0t, how I miss you…
caddy will never work in europe.invest in saab.
There will not be any 175hp…
The 255 FWD aero are also gone.
http://media.gm.com/us/saab/en/product_services/ps_cars/ps_c_9-3/09index.html#pr
Swade, I agree with you about Cadillac in Europe. How much evidence does GM need before the message hits home? Forcing Caddys down the throats of Europeans who DON’T WANT THEM is just a colossal waste of money and time. These funds could have gone a long way with Saab! What’s motivating GM to pour resources into this futile endeavor?? Is it just stubborn arrogance? Some kind of automotive imperialism? Or just downright stupidity? I think the answer is “yes, yes, yes”. I have no sympathy for GM!
Tedjs.. Saabs ALL Saabs run on qualities from 92 RON.. Even the Turbo X can be run on 92 without any problems… Except lower performance.. Saabs turbo cars has been doing this since the 99 turbo.
Caddy as a whole is unwanted in Europe and I hope that GM has learned it´s lesson when it comes to Caddy when they have to loose huge bucks selling the BLS. And NO other Caddy will sell better than the BLS does in europe… So why bother?
I tried to get an offer of ym. 2009 Saab 9-3 Sport Combi 1.8t but was unable to get it since all salesmen at my favourite Saab store were on their summer vacation. There was only a young bloke who was working with the attitude “I don’t know anything, I’m only working here”. So I couldn’t get the offer which is truly a shame.
Someone wrote here that ym. 2009 Saab 9-3 1.8t will have a six gear manual gearbox. Is it true since this aforementioned bloke told me that 1.8t will still have five gear manual gearbox?
From several sources: 1.8t = M5 transmission.