Teknikens Varld on a possible Saab 9-9
I’ll put this one down to rumour and speculation, but it’s fun to think about anyway.
With Saabs getting smaller in the future, the potential is there for another model at the top of the lineup. Tekniken’s Varld say that car will be called a Saab 9-9 and they have some ideas as to what it might be like.
I’m jetlagged, and it’s too late to find the link. If you must see the original TV post in Swedish then check out the comments in the Holiday Mode posting. Thankfully, Gordon has posted a precis of the article in English in that comments post, and here it is.
My thanks to Gordon!!
——
I don’t have time to translate the whole thing, but not to worry, there is very little here that is new. The article is mostly speculation, history and opinion.
They do cite Jan-Ake Jonsson, however. He has promised at least one new product, production car or concept car every year for the next six years. He is also satisfied that product development is following the strategy that was laid aside (or is that “put in place”) three years ago. 2009 and 2010 SAAB will return to profitability and that will happen through the introduction of new models and a broadening of the existing models. After that it is not clear that any of the other information comes from Jonsson, although the author alludes to having “uppgifterna”. Which in Swedish is much more than guesses and deductions, it is more like information. I will leave it to others to let us know how much of this is real.
For the list of models, the author just generalizes about the type of car. There are specifics only for the 9-4 and 9-5 and there is nothing new.
For you dreamers out there, the author says that the Aero X concept car marked the start for the “new” SAAB. If the car becomes a reality, then SAAB will have a sporty but luxurious coupe in its model lineup. The bottom box just says, sporty luxury car with four wheel drive.
For the 9-3, they mention a sedan, a half-combi and a combi. The half-combi should be a combi-coupe, so either that is actually being discussed or Teknikens Varld would like to see it.
For the 9-5, the author says that it will be no longer, but it will be roomier inside. We will see it at Geneva 2009. The author also says same body styles as the 9-3. (That would include the half-combi. Since the Insignia comes as a four-door hatch that half-combi would probably be a four door hatch as well. The Insignia has also been shown as a real coupe, so who knows?)
So the big new is the 9-9. The article does not promise that it will come, and says there are still a lot of outstanding questions about it. If it does come, the author says that it will use Chevrolet Volt hybrid technology, AWD, the Epsilon-2 platform, next generation Cadillac CTS technology including electromagnetic shocks, and be produced starting 2010 or 2011. More details will be available fall 2009.
The size is at least 5 meters long, at least a 3 meter wheelbase and competitive with Lexus GS, Merc E-class and Audi A7.
Engines are detuned a 250HP 2.8LV6, a 350HP V8, and a 250HP V6 diesel with 600Nm. The author notes that such big motors, especially the V8 may not fly as Volvo has dropped its V8 in the XC60. (I say go for the V8 Twin 4 based on the current 2.0 and make it twin turbo biopower. As was posted here, an example was built in Finland 20 years ago and it worked great.)
The author notes that the reflector design that goes all the way around the rear of the pictured 9-9 is from the old 9000CS. I hadn’t thought of that. They also had it on the GM 900.
More from this category
- Saab Barn Find (sort of) - for sale!
- Who knows what - about the 2.1 Saab 900i??
- Saab ain’t quite GM’s minnow brand
- Question: how would you go about starting a Saab car club?
More from this author
Subscribe to this author
Recent Comments
- MarkoA on Saab rumours abound….
- Ken H on Wednesday Snippets
- Talonderiel on Wednesday Snippets II
- Joel on Aero-X in alt colors
- MitchbSC on Wednesday Snippets II
- me on Wednesday Snippets II
- tom on Wednesday Snippets II
- Jeff on Wednesday Snippets II
- swade on Wednesday Snippets II
- aeronaut on Wednesday Snippets II
Man, that 9-9 is UGLY. OK, so its a speculative CIG, but that snowplough front, skinny glasshouse and huge yankie/oriental rear. Ugh. If that is meant to sit alongside Merc CLS or even Passat CC (and its not pretty), then someone is seriously misguided.
Saab must focus on the new 9-3 and the quality of the upcoming 9-5 and then, and only then, if finance permits think about niche models.
I can’t see this appealing to Saabisti who will decry its size and lack of functional design, nor to newcomers who can get much more svelte models from tried and tested manufacturers like Audi/MB or BMW.
I think this is the result of following, not leading.
That thing is truly HIDEOUS. When I see things like this I begin to fear the future.
Hideous?? No, certainly not. I like it. But will the 9-5 not have a back like that?
Take it easy guys, Teknikens Värld has obviously sent a computer wizz-kid to Amsterdam’s coffe shops for inspiration. No such thing is underway.
Haven’t we seen enough of these irresponsible stories from ther car press. It is speculative in the extreme and it is ultimately damaging the car makers as it forms people’s opinions about their brands.
Let’s look forward to the lauch of the new 9-5 and the 9-4X instead.
I’m with the two Marks up here.
It is ugly nonofunctional maketing-inspired copyism.
Not fitting in a Saab line up.
The CLS might be good looking (a matter of perspective) and it has présence.
The Passat CC is a bad copy of the coupé idea, without the présence.
The back is not convicing at all, neither hatch nor sedan, a bit disappointing like the Peugeot 607. A 9000 blend would’nt help that.
Old Saab 90 amateur-like welding together different fronts & backs is a jewel compared to this nonsense.
The 9-4X front doesn’t match the rest, proportions are terrible.
Only ever good looking cross between sedan & coupé is this, despite the retro looks:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Rover_P5_coup%C3%A9.jpg
Thet better not only bring back the propper hatch, they better make it a decent 5-seat coupé (900/900/9-3).
Saab, go your own way !
Please.
This one looked far better
http://www.autospies.com/images/users/JCF110/1-aug7-9-5.jpg
I guess a Aero-X niched real coupé would have more success than a 9-9.
Look at the Pheaton desaster versus the Alfa 8-C relative success.
Positive about a 9-9 means perhaps they stop thinking the Caddy is the only premium route to take.
The new 9-9 is a brilliant idea. I am sure that the styling will work itself out. SAAB seems to be strong on that in the concepts. My fear is that SAAB will become indistinguishable from Saturn and Opel. The 9-9 sounds like a re-entry into the world of the 9000, but now with the V8 the 9000 always needed to go against the big boys. My dream car would have the driving feel and smoothness of a BMW 530, but with safety, clean lines, and Nordic fluid simplicity (in a 2-door combi coupe).
Sorry it’s me again. As I understand the article a bigger SAAB is actually being discussed for introduction a year after the 9-5, but a decision has not yet been made and right now the focus is on the 9-5 launch. The article says that they will know more next fall. Well the 9-5 will be pretty much cast in stone next summer, then there is August vacation. So in the fall, there will be time to make the 9-9 decision. We could use a regular Swedish reader of this magazine to tell us how much it can be trusted.
Since 1999 SAAB has been nothing more than two different but virtually identical looking cars on the Epsilon/Vectra/Malibu platform. Until very recently, it seemed that the new 9-3 and 9-5 were going to be the entire range and both still on the Epsilon platform, but now Epsilon II. My guess would be that SAAB has spent the last 7-8 years developing these two new Epsilon cars and they have both come along pretty far. I recall reading that the new 9-3 would follow only a year after the new 9-5. Now this 9-9 is said to be only a year behind the 9-5. After they got the Delta/Astra production in Trollhattan and switched the 9-3 to Delta, they had only one new Epsilon II. So what happened to the other one? I would guess that SAAB’s 9-9 discussion is what has become of the second Epsilon II car. The 9-9 under discussion may well be what the 9-5 was going to be until it got downsized. The article says that the new 9-5 will be the same length as the old. We have read here that the Delta/9-3 will be only a tiny bit smaller than the current model. Look around and everyone else’s cars are still getting bigger and heavier. In relative terms, SAABs are shrinking. My 9-5 is a little trimmer than a new Camry or Accord, but much bigger than those cars of 10 years ago, when my 9-5 was designed. So I would guess that the new 9-5 initially when oil was $30 a barrel was going to be bigger, smoother, quieter car. 5 meters puts it right between a 5-series and a 7-series.
Don’t worry about your new 900 Turbo 3-door. It is possible to have both.
Remember this is General Motors, the biggest or second biggest car company in the world. While Toyota and the Germans sell mostly the same cars to the world, GM designs unique models for Australia, Europe, Korea, India, US and I think South Africa. They can make a 9-9 and also a new interpretation for the 900 Turbo hatchback without stressing their resources. If in fact this car is so close to production that it will be launched a year after the 9-5, then it must be almost finished now. Most of the resources to do this car may have been committed and consumed already.
Even if Saab has a larger car than the 9-5, shoudn’t it be called the 9-7?
Even BMW don’t have a 9 series…
Anything larger than a 7 series can hardly be described as sporty.
I wouldnt hold my breath on a vehicle above the 9-5. While i’m sure the new 9-5 will be a success, it is competing in an ultra competetive class to begin with. And have no illusions, it will not be as big of a volume vehicle like the 9-3 or the 9-4X for that matter. And what class would it be in? Against a 7 Series? LS Lexus? Audi A8? I don’t think so. Don’t get me wrong, being a Saab person myself I would love as many new products as possible but the 9-5 already meets with a lot of market resistance. Plus with fuel costs and people looking to down size already, the chances of a larger that 9-5 vehicle is about zero.
The link to the original article: http://www.teknikensvarld.se/nyheter/080821-saab-99-nya/index.xml
To me, this hideous 9-9 (ridiculous name!) looks like Skoda Octavia.
I haven’t seen the drawing Wilfred talked about, but I think THAT’S the way to go, besides returning SAAB to the entry level luxury car…
I should find time to write about my views and post them here to share with you…
Have a nice week end!
Cannot say anything else that I like the idea of a 9-9 on top and that it would be my choice.
The fuel consumption discussion goes slightly wrong considering that we discuss launching very late 2010 or 2011, then living for 8 years. At that moment I can assume that there are more fuel efficiant engines out there and hybrids and…. maybe E100 and… Big cars will come back with new technology, I cannot believe for a moment people would love their Civic and other small cars forever, especially families with kids.
But let’s see I still hope a 9-9 comes…
Whats the Swedish for “man that this is d*mned hideous. You’d do better putting lipstick on a pig.”? I am glad Swade thinks its a rumour as my eyes are actually bleeding as we speak.
The new 9-5 is going to be the future of Saab and I am considering heading over to Geneva in March to take a look coz I think its going to be a stunner.
Hey, I just thought isnt 9-9 German for “no-no”!?
At this time Saab doesn’t register the trademark 9-9, they only have from 9-1 to 9-8. And In July of this year they registered 93X, that this should be the Crossover version of the 9-3ss.
regards
Thanks Edusaab. Does anyone know which motor show the 9-3X (SC) will make its debut ? Surprisingly there seems to have been virtually zero official words from SAAB on this variant.
SaabKen, I think there was mention of the Paris Auto Show this October being the date.
It’ll be in Paris. Take it to the bank.
Despite the rear looking like that of a generic Japanese car, and the front grille being about 6” too tall, I like it, its sleek and sexy, and definitely pushes the design envelope. I like big sporty sedans, and Saab has done a wonderful job with the current 9-5 (my 9-5 Aero feels like a much smaller car than it actually is). I wouldn’t want to see it with a V8 that would most likely get sub 20mpg, but rather a twin-turbo V6, and it definitely needs to be offered as a hybrid, a la the V6 powered toyota/lexus hybrids (but with forced induction).
Uuhhmmm…… NO! If that is a really rough sketch, then maybe. But that thing? 9-1 Please……..
I definately think that there can be a bigger SAAB than the 95; and I don’t mean the Trailblazered 97 or a Lambda knock-off. Only time will tell and much of that depends on the future success of SAAB and if the 9-4 is successful. I say that because, including the 9-4, there will be at least 4 SAABs in 2010/2011 and SAAB will only add more models than that if they can get the necessary sales volume which tends to go against what SAAB is about. We’ll just have to see and imagine what could be.