Saab Convertible Concept in Paris????
Albert VDB has been kind enought to translate and send through another VERY interesting article.
It comes from Telegraaf, a paper from The Netherlands, and if true, then the latter part of this year is going to be a lot more interesting than I thought it might be.
Here’s the article in Dutch. Here’s the translation:
In October at the Paris auto show Saab comes again with a new design study. It is already the third concept car of this brand as Autovisie reveals in their newest issue. According to the magazine it will be the 9-X Cabriolet Concept, which has to warm up the public for the next generation 9-3.
That is why the successor to the current 9-3 will not be based on the platform architecture of the Opel Insignia as initially planned. Instead, the next 9-3 will use the compact architecture on which also the next Astra will be based. The smaller 9-1 has also been assigned to another platform. That of the Corsa, although Mr. Forster reacts just with a “Yes, that could very well be imaginable”
Autovisie writes that the study 9-X that was presented at the Geneva show is not a forerunner to the 9-1, but to the next 9-3 of which the design has just been approved.
More on Saab’s future plans is in the Autovisie issue 16 of July, 31.
So……..
We might have a 9-X cabriolet concept to go with the 9-X BioHybrid Concept we saw earlier this year, and according to this Autovisie magazine, the 9-X is more likely to be an indication of the future Saab 9-3 than what will now be a smaller 9-1.
The idea of a convertible concept is an intriguing one. If you were lurking at this site this time last year, you may recall that I had heard from Djup Strupe (an insider) that Saab had some very special ideas in development for a convertible. It was mentioned to me in terms of a convertible benig completely re-thought. I have no idea what that will mean, but the person I spoke to was definitely in a position to know.
I was expecting the Saab 9-3x XWD wagon thingy in Paris, primarily because there wasn’t really anything else on the menu. It seems that there may be now.
Ooh la la!!!
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so i guess my toughts/questions about the new smaller 9-3 convertible will get at least some answers in paris, nice!
WOW…..
If the next 9-3 is to be based on the 9-X BH, it comes as an enormous dissapointment.
That concept was fine for a small car but with a new 9-5 now exceeding 5 metres in length, there would be a ridiculous gap between it and an Astra sized 9-3 (approx 4.30) and that’s quite unfathomable.
The 9-X BH concept may be fine for a small car, but is the wrong configuration for a 9-3 replacement. It would need a heck of a lot more work and who the hell wants a Golf sized 9-3? Certainly not me! I’m sure it’s just smoke and mirrors, that’s about all that GM is good at anyway, it seems.
I’m certain we’ll see what they are really planning soon enough. Probably when they’ve finished serving up red herrings!
Much as I like the 9-X BH, I truly hope it never sees the light of day as a 9-3.
Perhaps the next 9-3 Vert will be a hardtop like the SLK, 3-series, EOS and C70 ?
Enough of the concept cars already that never turn into anything (9-4X exempted here) as its going to get to the point where Joe Public is gonna think Saab is all talk and no action when it comes to cars.
PS I have my eye on a 04 9-3 Arc, I already drove it and I LOVE IT! Wanna see the service manual now and if all goes well and the price it right……..just watch out Swade coz you will be bombarded with pics etc etc
Markac, you’re so right, the 9-3 already struggles to compare with C-class and A4 (never mind the larger Mondeo and Passat) in terms of interior space and a smaller one will condemn in forever as a sub-exec class car.
If 9-3 is going to retain the space but with a lighter body, then fine, but otherwise I’m out too. New 9-5 sounds interesting but will depend on price - in UK at the moment you can lease an A6 for less than a 9-3 presumably because of the stronger residuals, so there need to be compelling arguments to spend more money on a smaller car like the Saab.
My 9-3 lease expires in Dec and whilst I am keen to remain a Saabisti (I’m testing a ‘vert TTid) on Tuesday, I’m struggling to justify it to myself. The 9-5 is just too old and ridiculed to consider. The 9-3 saloon is too small. The 9-3 wagon is fine, but I’m getting bored of it. The ‘vert would at least be a novelty.
I’m torn because for same monthly rental I could have a C-class sport trim, an A6 special edition with satnav, leather, alloys, 6CD etc, or a for a little more a 5-series or even a Discovery/Cayenne.
Decisions, decisions.
Oh, forgot 9-4x - actually the most likely one for me, but sooo slow to market, I’ll be one year into a 2year lease when it arrives.
Good news at least if 9-3 is based on 9-x and design is sorted, then it should not require >18mnths to get it to testing stage and onto market by 2011?
Your hotel place Vendôme is booked ?
I think people are overreacting to this whole size thing. If its a great car for you and you want it, you’ll buy it (money aside). I would seriously doubt someone saying, “Well i would like to buy this new 9-3, buuuttttt its just not proportioned correctly with the rest of the SAAB lineup.” Based on what I’ve read here, and with other car informats the 9-3 will keep its basic dimensions.
Size isn’t the same as usability. The 900 hatchbacks weren’t large either, but you could dump a truckload in it without harm. You should also not forget that a concept is still a concept: it’s a study that illustrates the future track a brand wants to follow. Sometimes that study is translated directly into a car, sometimes it isn’t. Take the 9-x for what it is: an indication that the Saab design specifics are still alive, and that GM is investing money to explore those specifics.
as you say Swade:
“Ooh la la!!!”
What if Saab is turning its model names to follow Audi.
9-1 Vs A1,
9-3 Vs A3,
9-5 4dr Coupe Vs. errr A5
Now I’m struggling
Anyway it’s just a thought.
On the 9-3 front If any of you have sat in a VW Jetta then you’ll be aware that it’s about the same size as the current 9-3, Although it’s 10cm smaller overall it has a larger luggage capacity and passenger area. And it’s lighter… But that means it can only tow up to 1500kg but the 9-3 can tow a maximum of 1600kg. Towing capacities are not calculated by engine size.
Jetta is a golf based vehicle so Saab moving onto to Delta doesn’t seem to me as being smaller than the current car. But it will be smaller than an Audi A4, however the A4 will no doubt cost far more money. I think if the next gen. 9-3 ends up being a hatch as per Bio-Hybrid concept than I can only see this as being a good thing.
However I really like the idea of a smaller Gamma based 9-1. Give it a 150hp 1.2Turbo which Hirsch can offer a 30hp upgrade and you got yourself one really nippy motor that won’t cost and arm and a leg to run. This would be a beautiful engine to offering in Linear and Vector form with a range topping 1.6Turbo for an aero version.
What I really wanted to put in here was this link, and EnG’s little bio-hybrid convertible pic
I hope the next 9-3 vert ends up looking like the fist pic… good job EnG.
http://www.trollhattansaab.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/saab_9-x_biohybrid_side_big.jpg
BaRa, the classic 900 was actually longer than the 5-series or Audi 100 of its day!! A long car with actually fairly average space utilisation (all bonnet and boot, little in between).
Looking at EnG’s photochop posted by WooDz, I wonder if we are in for a CombiConvertible?
Remeber people the comments that Saab has made about there being two models in one.
Maybe that’s what they are shooting for here. The 9-x BH that we have seen could be that
next-gen 9-2 that was mention and the new 9-3 sedan/sport combi models could be
based on an extended version of the Delta II platform to add more room and utility space.
Whew, another concept/design study! I was beginning to question Saab’s plan of actually producing a car that consumers can buy. A new design study is just what Saab needs right now! [/sarcasm off]
Seriously, I though we could make it a year without a new concept. Maybe I’m a little pessimistic today but with all the cuts and financial issues that GM is facing right now, spending money on a design study seems a little wasteful. I’ve always been under the impression that a car company should first focus on producing and selling cars.
Exciting stuff indeed. This design study is important. The Saab convertible is an icon but is being eaten for breakfast and especially with the new A3 that’s just come out. The show cars have been a great way to keep in the public eye while we wait (and wait) for product. Show cars are an essential way of guaging public response without giving too much away.
I love concept vehicles even if they don’t get built. To me, they’re like a great piece of art which shows an artist’s design freedom and a lot of great ideas are born from them.
wonder what a new cv concept would look like?
- saab should stick with the “soft-top” its the combination of metal and textile that blends so well.
- the design elements that are used now on the hybrid is cooll!
Right now the 9-3 is more or less the same size as a VW Jetta, and likewise the 9-3SC is about the same size as a Jetta wagon. It makes perfect sense then that the 3-door hatch version of the next-gen 9-3 (NG9-3SS? NNG9-3?), the 9-X biohybrid concept, is about the size of a 3-door Rabbit. Remember that if the 9-X Biohybrid truly is the first look at the next-gen 9-3, then what we’ve been shown is pretty much the smallest possible version of the 9-3 that we’d see.
So rest assured, oh you of the “I’m not going to buy the new 9-3 because it will be too small, and don’t expect me to pony up the cash for a NG9-5 either” crowd, so far everything I’ve seen seems to point to the next-gen 9-3 being the exact same size as the current one. The only difference is that the smaller engine bay and better space utilization MIGHT mean that the engine lineup will be 4-cylinders only. Even then, I can’t be the only one here who wouldn’t mind seeing the 6-cylinder 9-3 go the way of the dodo anyways.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that switching down to the Delta platform for the next-gen 9-3 may well have been the smartest decision that GM has ever made with regards to Saab. The other companies, especially Audi with it’s giant new A4, have gotten sucked into this cycle of “better, faster, BIGGER” with their model lines, and with gas poised to break $5 a gallon within the next year, they may well end up having to reap what they’ve sown once demand for those large cars dries up.
And surely there will be a healthy market, especially in the cities, of people looking for a smaller, more practical alternative to the E39-sized 3-series, the V8 Quattro-sized A4, and the W124-sized C-class. You know, something like a jetta. But nicer.
BaRa: The C900 was 4.74 metres long in it’s original (big bumper) guise. It could just about swallow a wardrobe. In fact I have a brochure somewhere with a picture of someone loading a huge cabinet (almost warddrobe sized) into a 16S Aero.
They wouldn’t even open the hatch on the 9-X BH so I doubt if it could carry a whole lot more than a current Astra hatch.
I like the 9-X BH design for a smaller hatch, but if the 9-3 is going to be a hatch again (and I certainly hope it is), then let’s have one that can at least swallow as much as an OG9-3, so we need a Mazda 6 style hatch.
If we are just going to get the whole Golf/Jetta thing, then think again GM. It ain’t gonna work.
This is great news, it is good that they are looking at the vert so early, this should mean that the vert will be released along with the sedan & sport combi. Guys, these type of design studies are very important for car companies, as they test the waters for new design styles to guage the publics reaction, they all do this. A couple of years ago Holden did a design study of the current VE Commodore as a Torana concept. This is like using a 9-3 size car to test the design of a car larger then the 9-5, It lets them guage people’s reaction to the design style without releasing that actual car itself. So do not get hung up about the size of the 9-3 becoming the size of the 9-x biohybrid concept, it ain’t going to happen. If it is a concept for the 9-3 then it should be looked at as a design study of the sport combi version.
I hope you are right Trent. But by the same token, I’m sure there are a lot of people at Holden who’d rather be building a Torana now than the VE Commodore! Anyway hopefully Holden will sell the Insignia and dump the poor selling (Daewoo/Chevrolet) Epica. How would a Torana fit in there?
XWD ‘Vert?!?
I think that the next gen 9-3 will be about the same length as now, perhaps slightly shorter, but it will be wider to create more space inside, perhaps also taller to incorporate a large sunroof and give more luggage space. Hopefully it will have very modern engines and a hybrid version.
Remember when we first saw the 9-x Biohybrid? The initial reaction for many was that it was to big to be the 9-1, and now it is too small to be the 9-3??
Have anyone seen the dimension-figures for the 9-x? I think it might well be around the same size as the current 9-3.
Anyhow - Build it!! I want one!
It would be a great descendant from the c900!
@Mark: you’re referring to the outside, I’m referring to the inside of the car. That’s the size that matters in my opinion. The length of the hood has no relationship to usability.
BaRa: I agree there was only a little more space in a C900 compared to a 99 because of it’s longer wheelbase, but I have found very few cars that can swallow as much as a 99 or C900. Looking at a 9-X BH there’s probably no way it could carry much more of a load than an Astra or Golf.
It’s easy to be fooled by design - and sometimes that is just the purpose with the design. I think most people in Europe just by reflex, old memories, or assumption consider VW Golf a “smaller” car. I remember VW Golf as a “small” car” and Volvo 244 as a “big” car. Well, the latest Golf is actually higher than an old 240, has the same width, and is only 70 cm shorter (and without the 240 protruding bumpers, that would shrink to about only 40 cm).
I disagree with the post above about the cab concept being a waste of time.
The 9-3 ‘vert sells so well here in the US compared with the other Saabs. I think that showing the covertible concept early is great marketing. It brings people to the brand.
Size will be a factor, but smaller can work in Saab’s favor, too. I think that a cabriolet model of the 9-1/9X would sell like crazy.
Hard tops are such space hogs. I hope that the soft top is at least available. The Saab soft tops have a reputation as some of the best — just continue that trend and I’m good!
I’d have to agree with eggs here. Plus, in the states at least, there seems to be fuel efficient roadster trend (I love to look of that pontiac solistice) going, so a new or updated vert could only help imo.
Do you guys recall the BMW Gina design study? A wild speculation, but Saab may be looking at something similar that would create the look of a hardtop, but would actually wrap to a convertible. That’d be cool.
If I’d had more energy at the time, Kroum, I’d have covered the Gina concept. I’m not a BMW fan at all but I thought that was absolutely brilliant - the sort of out-of-the-box thinking that I’d like to see more of.
Nah, I think it will be something like this…
http://www.bvmjets.com/JetKits/F86_80/sliding_canopy_open.jpg
Swade, I hear you - not a Bimmer fanboy myself, but that Gina concept is brilliant stuff. Sleek and futuristic, and using new or existing technology to push the foundation. The kind of stuff Saab used to be known for in the automotive industry, before the Dark Ages.
RON, I doubt they’d employ such a technique as it would kill the drag coefficient of the car when you’re driving with the top down. Erm… top back? It’s super cool though. I still have wet dreams about a production Aero X, refinancing my mortgage et al.
The only thing i remember being said by Jonathan Nash at a dealer meeting early last year was the new convertible wold not be a hardtop and would not be soft top either, It will be something else…
WooDz: a “plasma-top”?
Maybe it’s a targa-top. Or a “T-top” like the 1977 Smokey and the Bandit Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am! Woo hoo!