Tuesday Snippets
Hey! It’s Tuesday where I live. I can’t help it you guys are always having to play catch-up 
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Whilst US Saabers are still celebrating over the arrival of Bluetooth for their phones in 2009, Hyundai are out handing everyone their own asses with a Bluetooth car audio system that can read songs of your Bluetooth capable device. And it’ll dim the music when your phone rings and place the call through the system, too.
It’s the logical extension. I guess we’ll see it in the 2012 or so Saab 9-3….
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The Saab 9-3 SportCombi 2.0T 2.0t has rated an honorable mention in the Australian government’s Green Vehicle Guide. I guess the notion that there aren’t any green vehicles slipped by them, but I’m not a real hardcore greenie anyways, so it’s just semantics.
I’m not sure what the stars are for, exactly, but the SportCombi rated 4.5 out of 5, which is pretty darn good. In order to see just how good, I used the website to run up this comparo between the 2.0T 2.0t SportCombi, a BMW 3-series touring (2.3) and an Audi A4 Avant 1.8T. The results are well and truly in the Saab’s favour, as you can see.
Click.
Now go an compare equipment lists and it’s really hard to see why it doesn’t sell in bigger numbers.
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And speaking of green vehicles….the Australian V8 supercar race series is going to run on E85 next year. To say it’s received a mixed reaction would be an understatement. There really is a perception problem with ethanol that carmakers are going to have to solve.
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GM have developed Saabs brand image:
Saab sells cars around the world, so it can speak to a smaller audience: people who consider themselves independent thinkers and want a car with Scandinavian style and environmentally responsible performance.
Intelligent design, anyone?
Each brand has a definition at that link and if the story is accurate, then you do have to wonder why they’re juggling all eight brands, or why they’d keep seven after Hummer is gone.
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Saab are going to have to do with less marketing money.
General Motors’ top marketing executive says there will be general “belt-tightening in every area” as GM cuts its marketing budget.
Mark LaNeve says he has met with all GM ad agencies and asked them to remove any unnecessary work. That way, GM won’t “directly take down their fees, but they take out some work, and by that the fees come down,” LaNeve told Automotive News in an interview on Thursday, July 17.
Thanksfully, they’ve had lots of practice already.
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And GM are definitely going ahead with the push for Cadillac in Europe. Edmunds confirm that the CTS station wagon is coming soon.
Does this compete against Saab? Not if they’ve cancelled the 9-5 wagon, which I’m sure they haven’t. You can’t tell me that those two vehicles won’t be competing for the same European dollar in the same showrooms.
Kill Caddy in Europe. You know it makes sense.
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And in a totally selfish bit that I just had to share…..
Last weekend I chipped my Alfa 33. This isn’t like some plug and play BSR setup. This was a case of hang upside down in a small space under the dash (reminder: I’m not a small person) and remove the Bosch Motronic unit, then pull it apart and substitute the stock chip for my new Squadra Performance chip, then replace the unit.
I got it all done in just over an hour and result is absolutely superb. The chip only adds about 10% in terms of power and torque, but what a difference!
I only note this here as I’m a complete mechanical doofus so any work that I do personally that doesn’t result in the car falling apart is a triumph of the highest order.
So far the car’s got red Konis, 2.25-inch exhaust with hi-flow cat, K&N performance air filter and now the Squadra chip. I’m feeling so confident with my latest triumph that there could be a brake bleed in my near future!
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The CTS is RWD, the 9-5 is FWD. That alone will split apart many car buyers.
Well, have anyone heard of this?
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/safety/gm-working-on-high-tech-windshield-display-for-older-drivers/
Swade,
Make sure you use the highest octane you can get in your Alfa from now on. These chips typically work by eating into the safety margin that’s engineered into mass-market cars.
Absolutely, Bernard. I only use 98RON Premium stuff in it, and my 900. - SW
Motronic is nowhere near as sophisticated as APC was…
Up until recently I didn’t know that SAAB had a marketing budget. I guess they advertise in Europe and everywhere other than Houston, TX!
The Detroit Free Press article is optimistic in one sense: it treats the 9-1X as if it’s in the product pipeline. This just makes the point again that any delay in giving it the green light looks more silly with each passing day. Everything I read says the well-healed folk are desperate for a small, cool, eco-friendly car. The Prius/Fit/hybrid-Civic cars clash with their Range Rover in the garage. They would be standing in line for the 9-1X. On the subject of the CTS wagon, I agree with Jeff and would add that it will be difficult to sell the Caddy to europeans as an eco-friendly vehicle, no matter how much GM spends on adverstising. It will be the loud, over-dressed, gluttonous American at the party, even though it is far better looking than any Caddy that preceded it.
TT Aero,
Thanks for the link, that is interesting? I can see how that would benefit drivers. Let’s see if GM can produce that before another car company beats them to it.
Yup, that definitely sounds like the 9-1 is coming but I don’t want to get my hopes up and it be a no show!
If they build it, we will come!
Saab sells cars around the world
so it can speak to a smaller audience
Am I the only one who notices the disconnect between these two statements? The rest of the article is very positive on Saab:
What I’d like to see is Euro-Cadillac’s brand statement
Chitty Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Oh you pretty Chitty Bang Bang,
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
We love you.
And, in
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
What we’ll do.
Near, far, in our motor car Oh what a happy time we’ll spend.
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend.
Please someone buy us!!
something like that jaguar… : )
Regarding the Australian Green Vehicle Guide rating, I think you’ll find that the 9-3 SportCombi rated 4.5 stars is actually the lower output 2.0t (129kw) variant (standard engine in Linear model).
The greenhouse emissions listed for the SportCombi rated 4.5 stars is 197g/km - which matches the 2.0t engine specs on http://www.saab.com.au.
The higher output 154kw engine (standard in Vector) is rated only 3.5 stars… still quite good for a turbo engine.
I also think that the SportCombi air pollution rating of 8.5 is incorrect. The Saab 2.0 litre engines are certainly Euro 4 compliant - but I don’t think the low pressure variant is significantly different than the high output variant.
Could ask Saab Oz to confirm this but they may be reluctant …
Cadillac in Europe - a total waste of time. If GM wont pour money into Saab sell it to someone who will!
Right you are, David. The GVG website does have the capital ‘T’ there but I should have twigged when I saw the word ‘Linear’ written.
My bad.
It was late. I was distracted by Rosie Lopez on Letterman. They’re my excuses, at least.
“is actually the lower output 2.0t (129kw) variant (standard engine in Linear model).”
Also is for manual combi which Saab does not bring to Oz except as special order. I noted this rating a long time ago and was smug until I realised our auto has the lower rating. I think you would be hard pressed to find a manual combi in all of Oz expect maybe for an Aero somewhere but I don’t know of it.
Also the reason the combi is rated highly is that it’s interior space puts it in a different size class to many other similar cars. Similar to how the US EPA used to rate the 9000 as a large car due to it’s cavernous interior.
Speaking of being behind in technology. I wonder if Saab has any plans to offer HD Radio. It’s really a no-brainer and BMW has made it standard http://www.hdradio.com/press_room.php?newscontent=51
Radio?…..
…What’s that?
I think iPod integration would take priority over HD radio. (let’s hope)
Am not afraid of Cadillac eating away Saab sales. With only a few dealerships, who are you gonna reach?
And why should anyone have a reason to buy a Cadillac? What’s the USP (unique selling point)?
Just pitty for all the wasted money.
love your Alfa!