The All New Saab 9-4 Insignia
This week’s feature post was written by WooDz, a Saab nut of British extraction living in Europe.
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A shocking headline, isn’t it? And what sacrilege to ever directly combine a Saab with such a mediocre brand as Vauxhall.
Set aside our general view of how GM has hung Saab out to dry for the past 18 years, used all their latest turbo technology in all manners of vehicles except Saab cars themselves and concentrate on what is probably one of the most important vehicle launches in GM’s history. That’s high billing, I know, and with such a description many of you may think of classics like the Corvette. The difference, however, between a classic GM vehicles launch and the Insignia is that as we’re on the brink of a global recession. OPEL are not only launching an all new vehicle but one that is intended to open doors to the premium sector at such a financially unstable time. Naturally amongst present company an obvious statement to make is that ‘Premium’ is Saab’s territory.
The way in which Mark Adams talks about the Insignia you really get the impression that he and his design team are really proud if this car, if fact he uses such a word in a recent interview. Phrases like premium feel, quality materials and beautifully sculpted are all mentioned by designers and reporters commenting on the car at the British International Motor Show.
GM haven’t held back on giving this car a memorable entrance, either, dropping the car from around 50 feet onto a stage from a box suspended in the air (truly outstanding).
Watching the Insignia in animation and seeing it’s surroundings reflected at different angles, with sheet metal mixed with precision clean cuts between shadow and light, makes you want to try this car for real. Can a Vauxhall really be as good as it looks? Will that interior be just as soft to touch as pictures and designers suggest?
Then we have the engines to contend with: 220hp Turbo with AWD, or Euro V compliant direct injected diesels. Driver comforts are offered in abundance with iPod-ready entertainment systems, 4 zone electronic climate control, sport and comfort driving modes at a touch of a button through continuous electronic damping control. Moving onto safety and the Insignia comes with front and rear air-bags and an intelligent adaptive lighting system, where Mercedes is the only other company to offer the same system as an option. Given that 1 year separates the Insignia and the 2008 Saab 9-3, it’s fair to say that almost a decade separates the technology.
Carl-Peter Forster has outlined Saab’s future with sporty, compact vehicles featuring distinct design and driver appeal and in order of hierarchy they should be placed with Cadillac above Vauxhall/Opel. We have received a glimmer of hope that the 9-1 may be on its way and will be built on GM’s next sub-compact architecture. The next 9-3 will move onto their upcoming compact platform and many assume that this will mean a physically smaller car. With the new 9-5 approaching 5 metres in length, there will be a big difference between the two and no doubt 2 big handfuls of cash to go with it.
The current 9-3’s list price is too much money, a fact borne witness by the proliference of incentives on the car in various markets. They may now offer XWD, but for some that won’t be enough for a vehicle stuffed with GM parts that lacks the perception of quality held in other premium brands. The new 9-5 might be too big and too expensive for some to buy either new or used. Are Saab owners expected to wait a few more years, or just accept that GM’s future for Saab is an expensive niche brand where we will be forced to pay a high premium for the extra quality?
Saab never started out as a premium brand but this seems to be their destiny. Something I don’t want to happen because I may never be able to afford another Saab. This leaves me with a dilemma and I’m sure other Saab owners too. When it’s time to change my car do I jump ship? Should I buy an Audi because in my eyes they are Saab’s main competitor, or do I shift to the other quirky brand and buy a Citroèn C5?
I don’t like the prospect of either and the main reason is because I have been driving Saabs for nigh-on 8 years and although they do have a that special badge, the bottom line is; they’ve all been GM vehicles, even my beloved Viggen. I’ve heard enough and experienced some of the problems first hand that GM vehicles can hand you. What I don’t know is what little horrors could another make of car throw my way? A very daunting thought especially when you hear some of the stories told about the after-sales support.
So at the risk of having a hoard of Saab enthusiasts breaking into my house beating me half to death and then using me as a Saab-hating effigy in some weird burning ritual, I believe the new Insignia would make a very good Saab substitute in our stop-gap years. Because despite how twisted and sick the thought might be, the Insignia has been designed and engineered by the same team who brought us the Aero-X and the 9-X Bio-Hybrid. Naturally the aesthetics will be different but ultimately it is the size we could expect if Saab built a vehicle to bridge the gap between the 9-3 and the 9-5.
So there you have it, the all new Insigna: a Saab 9-4 sedan and hatch in disguise. Now all we need them to do is go to the same effort and produce the same seemingly outstanding results for an actual Saab.
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Thos girls aren’t playing the violin, they’re faking!!!! Maybe I’m wrong… they may have come from the famous Violin Modelling agency.
It is not a given fact that there even will be a gap between the successor to the current 9-3 and the coming 9-5.
Why do I say that? I just read an interview with Mr. Demant (Opel chief) where he states that the differences in componentsarchitecture between the Insignia and the coming Astra are very small. Given the flexibility GM is engineering into it (so they say), we all could be surprised. I mean, the new 9-3 is not necessarely going to have a smaller interior than the current one. If you want to compete wit A4 etc. that would be a problem.
WooDz: Given that a Gamma II based 9-1 will possibly come in around 4.1 metres in length, and the next 9-3 (probably a tad shorter than the current one) coming in at just under 4.6 metres. Are you saying the same thing about the next Astra (expect around 4.3 metres) as you say about the Insignia? ie: That it will plug the gap that’ll exist between the 9-1 and the 9-3.
Has anyone noticed the new badge for the 4×4 version. From a distance it reads “Turbo X” when looked at closer there are 2 very small number 4’s each side of the X.
Interesting read… Since it is vacation time, I have been dozing off in the hammock thinking about my 9-3. It will be eight years old this autumn. Time for something new(er).
NG 9-3 pre nose-job? Feels a little old. I actually like the styling of the OG 9-3 more.
NG 9-3 with new nose? Like it less and less. It was “wow” when it arrived, but now… No, it doesn’t work for me.
9-5 pre nose-job? Well, could be OK. You can get them really cheap.
9-5 with new nose? Yes, I like it. But, the dash is minus, and sine I want a sedan my choice is limited. Seems like only 10-15% of all 9-5 sold in Sweden were sedans. Not interested in pony up the dough for a new car with the prices of cars in general in Sweden, and the Saab price tag in specific.
And it is somewhere here that I start thinking about other brands. Should I go with something else while waiting for a broader and modern Saab lineup?
Audi and BMW are out of the question. The design inside and out is horrible, seats are horrible, and I do not want to be associated with other people driving these cars. Volvo could be OK, but the only model that is interesting is the S60. Unfortunately, it is getting old and the dash is a big minus. An Alfa would be cool - if I didn’t had a one hour drive to the nearest workshop. But although Alfa do look good, I don’t think it is a car for me. Honda used to be a cool car, but looking at the lineup they sell in Sweden nothing gets my interest at all.
OK, the new Citroën really got my attention. Sleek, exotic. It will not be all over the roads here in Sweden. The new Skoda Superb is interesting. I like the idea with the hatch, and the comfort is said to be - superb. A common thing here is that you get a really modern comfortable car, absolutely filled with modern technology, a car with an attitude and that gives you a nice quite ride with good safety - all that to the same price as a baseline 9-3 without any extra options at all. A 9-3 that is six years old despite a nose job last year.
And now WooDz bring us the Insignia as a viable choice. Is there some sort of forgiveness if one stayed with GM when one betray Saab? I mean, buying an Opel would help GM Europe, right? But it is still an Opel… I just wonder how it would feel to not own a Saab for like two years or something. I have to make it clear though, that IF I buy something other than a Saab I intend to return. Which of course give rise to a horrible thought that once on the other side, I will wait and wait and wait for that new Saab with that good looking Saab design, Saab dash, Saab technology… And the years go by…
ctm: If Saab doesn’t release something interesting by 2012, I’ll walk away. I’ll be sad but I will walk.
The new 9-5 might be interesting, but 5 metres is just too big a car for me. So my hopes are pinned on the next 9-3 and to a lesser extent, the 9-1.
As long as I don’t yawn like I did when the 9-3SS was released, then maybe I will be interested?
I know I’ll yawn when I see the first 9-4X, because SUVs are well, just plain boring.
I’ve always liked coupes and Saab gave me a chance to own a coupe that was highly practical and individual and wasn’t mainstream. They did that with the C900 3 door and the NG900 and the OG9-3 and even my first Saab, a 99EMS was practical without having a hatch and you could almost see it as a coupe. Where do you buy a car like that now? Will Saab give me another chance?
I don’t wan’t a mainstream 4 door or a wagon and I can’t really use a convertible as an everyday car.
What should I buy? Will Saab eventually answer that question?
Nicely put article Woodz.
I have been wondering for weeks just how much the excellecne of Insignia will affect the new 9 5.
I mentioned in a post here a few weeks ago the Insignia coupe- which will also whip its competitors.
Make no mistake, Insigia takes Vauxhall/ Opel from Vectra to credible possible class leader in one step. And the obvious question (Woodz makes) is why can’t GM re-skin it as a quick stop-gap mid range Saab car?
It could work- but it would be neither fish nor fowl- not 9 5 nor 93. And I said in the Saab Psychosis article, GM needs to buld Saabs that can be believed in - NOT - stop gap, badge engineered cars- that we have had already. So no matter how good Insignia is (and it is very good), would it not, if it were Saabised, be a false icon?
Great Job with article and video.
I have discoverd that this ” new idea of GM’s ” of rebadging Europian cars has a history that dates back to at least 2002. I have a 2002 saab 9 3 convrt that has the double y wheels , that looks remarkably like the 2000- 2002 opel convrt. so i believe this was a great GM trick.
Why the bleep are they re-skinning the Insignia for Saturn ? For sure, to have this European beauty on the same lot would make Saabs even harder to sell in Canada.
Bob Lutz said there was no point in doing an Insignia coupe, if it is to share the same skin…
I don’t think premium when I think Saturn and, imo, this is definitly the wrong move for the Saturn brand.
I’m not understanding GM’s logic. The 9-5 will grow to compete with other Euro models. Then the 9-3 will shrink? So we need to add a 9-4 to bridge the gap???
My thoughts….the 9-3 has history and heritage being born out of the SAAB 900 series.
Bring the new (larger) 9-5 model on line.
Make the 9-3 off the Insignia platform with more SAAB characteristics and driving dynamics.
Make the 9-2 off the Delta platform (what’s proposed for the new 9-3)
and finally, bring the 9-1 to market, close to the concept recently shown.
AND FOR GOODNESS SAKES GM….BUILD AN AERO X. Use the XLR as your starting point!
This way SAAB will have a full vehicle line up to compete for market share. The way the line up would look like is…
9-1 - premium compact
9-2 - sporty, near lux. sedan slightly smaller than current 9-3
9-3 - midsize luxury XWD sport sedan, wagon & hatch - bridge gap between 9-2 & 9-5.
9-5 - full-size luxury XWD sport sedan, wagon & hatch
AERO X - Luxury convertible XWD sports car
9-4X - AWD CUV
It’s hard to tell what GM should do with Saturn, specially at a time when all brand identities, except Cadillac and Chevrolet, are being scrutinized. They already started moving Saturn upmarket, which I think is in line with the great reputation the dealers enjoy, but it doesn’t seem to be working well. It’s great that they have the Astra, but they also need something less expensive to keep the Ion clientele.
One must remember that Saturn was created, at a huge cost, to lure Japanese car buyers and it succeeded at first. Unfortunately, it was starved for products much too long and got into the midsize segment too late, with the bland Opel-based L series. The Aura is much better and has more chance to compete against the Alticamcords but they have moved upscale also so I don’t see why Saturn wouldn’t get the real Insignia if it is to pursue that road.
For sure, the more they mess around with the identity of the brand, the harder it will for it to thrive. Instead of re-badging an Uplander soccer-mom van which never took off as the Relay, and for good reasons, they should have adapted the brilliant Opel monospaces like the Zafira, Meriva etc…
Saturn could be a North American Opel (which it is becoming more and more) for those who want European design with an American logo. All this could be fine for Saturn but an embarrassment for Saab. I don’t think I would hesitate a minute between an Insignia and a 9-3, although of course I haven’t driven the Insignia. The problem will only be worst in Europe where Opel has much better power train options than Saturn versions, re-skinned or not.
I guess it becomes more and more obvious that GM dug itself into a hole because it had to many brands (and dealers) to juggle with. It was inevitable that some got sidelined for too long. As Lutz once said, some got damaged… perhaps beyond repair. Hope all this makes sense.
I have read as well that Insignia was to be cloned as the next Aura but that it is also rumored to be delayed as the current Aura is to have a few years added to the current cars life cycle due to increased sales and interest in the 2008 model as a result of increasing fuel prices. Sales are up this year. Overall the Aura is not a bad looking (or driving) car for that consumer who is looking not to be in something mainstream GM, although the Malibu tends to undercut it in price and has a nicer interior. I love it when GM competes with itself.
I have to agree with WooDz’s comment that “the current 9-3’s list price is too much money”, but rebates do make the car more a value for the money – and it is not a bad car. GM has never really been good at building smaller cars here in the USA with much of a driving experience attached (reference Pontiac Grand AM, G6 etc.) and compact cars have neither delivered on handling or fuel economy. The Aero variant 9-3 with V6 delivers in driving experience, and the cockpit is not a bad place to spend time. Sure the button dash vs. 2007 interior will continue to be debated, but the overall I view the car as something for those of us looking for something unique in GM’s once bland car lineup (they are improving). The 2008 Turbo X and upcoming XWD variants certainly reinforce commitment to the product, even though some consider them late to the party.
Future (improved) 9-3’s and 9-5’s could be viewed as a nice place for those customers who desire to move upscale, although hopefully prices stay somewhat attainable. I have said this before but GM should be looking at Acura’s TSX as future 9-3’s customer’s competition. The V6 and XWD in the 9-3 give it an edge for now, but Honda’s superior dealer network and rock solid reliability give it somewhat an advantage there.
Additionally, Dave Guilford just wrote a nice piece in Automotive News on the Mini and the wakeup call it has given for Detroit here in the US (subscription required): http://www.autonews.com/article/20080722/ANA06/828612177/1137
In the article Guilford quotes Jim McDowell (Mini brand boss) and how he brought up the fact that small cars “need more than leather seats.” Following up by saying they “must deliver a superior driving experience, he says. That requires a premium suspension and, especially, a premium powertrain.”
There you go GM. Saab could build that car in the 9-1 given the chance, and probably deliver on all counts. Oh – and Mini had a 5 DAY supply of cars at dealerships as of July 1st according to Automotive News. In comparison, the Saturn Astra had a staggering 353 day supply. Is it poor marketing, lackluster engine or the Saturn image that is NOT selling that car? Something to ponder as GM continues to reinvent itself and ultimately Saab.
I don’t know how many of you come from the US, but you have a quite US centric view about GM. If I compare GM Europe with the third world wide car manufacturer, namely Volkswagen, the Insignia has to fight its battle with the VW Passat, which means quality and technology have to be flawlessly, on the other side SAAB has to be positioned as a contender to Audi, which means bigger better faster more.
The new 9-5 will be a really big piece of car and it will be a SAAB through and through. But 5 Years ago nobody would had discussed about a 5 Meter SAAB being too big. Ethanol cars aren’t also the way to go, and many people were/are still celebrating SAAB’s ethanol engines.
Saturn is a quite complicated case for GM. American Managers destroyed the Opel Brand in the 90’s. But Opel has fought its way back with pricey technology and quality. Saturn on the other side is a budget brand in the US. That is why I don’t think the Insignia will become a Saturn. They will take a Daewoo/Chevrolet to replace the Aura and the Astra. As they have done with the VUE.( YES, the VUE is a rebranded Antara and not a captiva, but both of them are Daewoo).
I think for the next 5 Years I will not buy me a SAAB, the 9-5 is too big and the 9-3 too old. But the new 9-3 could be(if they keep the looks) my car of choice. In the mean time we have to hope, that a lot of Merc E-series, BMW 5- series and Audi A6 drivers move to the new SAAB 9-5.
Interesting point Woodz. That’s the double edged sword, isn’t it?
I’ve spoken to a Russelheim based Saab employee who assured me that the new 9-5 will have more bespoke technology and that Saab will from now on always outpower the equivalent sized Opel.
Problem is they will remain ( or become more ) expensive. At least I hope that the expense is both warranted, and perceived as such by the market and media alike.
Great article - except for one comment, i.e. “what sacrilege to ever directly combine a Saab with such a mediocre brand as Vauxhall”.
Suggest you take a look at sales figures over last couple of years - that mediocre brand seems on a relentless growth curve that may soon overtake Ford for #1 position in UK for first time in a VERY long time. Even the Top Gear guys (never slow to criticise VX) said the other week that Vauxhall is the only brand to have no ugly cars anymore. If a future 9-1 would drive anything like a Corsa VXR I for one would be very happy (and very ready to drive one…). We should be so lucky…
@Richo
Yes Richo, you’re wrong. They are playing the instruments for real. This is an all girl band called BOND. Just because the girls are attractive doesn’t mean that they can’t do anything else besides looking pretty.
Here:
http://www.dvdtown.com/news/bond—classical-with-a-pop-twist/1124
This is from the actual event:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrP398j70eE&feature=related
Swade, sorry for the OT.
Luchey said:
“This way SAAB will have a full vehicle line up to compete for market share. The way the line up would look like is…
9-1 - premium compact
9-2 - sporty, near lux. sedan slightly smaller than current 9-3
9-3 - midsize luxury XWD sport sedan, wagon & hatch - bridge gap between 9-2 & 9-5.
9-5 - full-size luxury XWD sport sedan, wagon & hatch
AERO X - Luxury convertible XWD sports car
9-4X - AWD CUV”
I personnally like the line-up but think that if Saab does make another 9-2 it should be a Sports Coupe of some sort. Kinda like the Audi TT in size would do really nice for Saab’s image.
The new Insignia looks pretty damn good. In fact, Saab could sell it today in the US just by swapping out badges and probably sell more than it is selling now. I’m not hoping for that, but still it would bring a new Saab to market in North America. Saab’s biggest problem is not having fresh new products. I really think if you build the right car, people will buy it. Just look at the Prius.
Markac - You will not be the only one yawning when you see the new 9-4x SUV! I think it will sell about as well as the 9-7x SUV. Yes, it is a great leap forward, but not even us Americans want a SUV these days!
I saw the Insignia in the flesh on Sunday. All I can say is wow! The pictures really do not do the car any justice.
The interior is very well put together and the materials feel much more premium than they do in my £39,000 Saab 9-3 ‘vert! (yes, there are lots of toys on board).
The 9-3 will not be able to compete with the Insignia, and it really pains me to say that. A new 9-3 is desperately needed.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel mind. If this is the interior quality we can expect of a mainstream GM brand, I have very high hopes for the 9-5.
I do worry for Saab though, the 9-3 is their best seller, and it is looking very long in the tooth compared to the likes of the new 3 series, new A4 and my current fave in the class, the new Merc C class. 2012 is surely too long to wait?!?
I’d also like to add that the 9-4X concept was also in London, and that car looks the business!!!
It’s classy and not brash at all. In the flesh, the 9-4X looks purposeful and the lines of the car do not come out well in pics, but believe me, when it is sitting in front of you, it has presence and poise. I want one!!
Well, I for one am not a snob about brands. As you’ve pointed out, Saabs started existence as very basic transportation.
If Opel makes a good car, why wouldn’t we like it? It doesn’t mean that we can’t like Saabs, too.
It appears to be a well-designed car, one worthy of consideration. In the US, the Chevrolet Malibu and Toyota Avalon are great cars from pedestrian brands, why not Opel?
as Luchey and Ck1x said, Saab needs the following:
9-1 - premium compact
9-2 - sporty, near lux. sedan slightly smaller than current 9-3
9-3 - midsize luxury XWD sport sedan, wagon & hatch - bridge gap between 9-2 & 9-5.
9-5 - full-size luxury XWD sport sedan, wagon & hatch
AERO X - Luxury convertible XWD sports car
9-4X - AWD CUV”
and :
9-3 convertible like A4 with hardtop
9-1 convertible like A3 am BMW 1 softtop
9-6 sport car like audi tt coupé, convertible, and AWD
and the most important is: all these models should come as soon as possible and must have the quality and image of Audi,BMW and Mercedes, otherwise the customers will change to another brand !!!