GM thinks that even though other manufacturers (especially Japanese) are introducing their new models every second year or so, Saab could still stick to its guns and keep selling the old models for 7-11 years. I guess GM’s loss of money has also something to do with it. It’s better to spend some money for those high volume cars (such as Opel here in Europe) than invest to Saab which is only selling ~150000 cars / year. It’s also very silly that some money has been invested on Cadillac BLS but the good thing is that at the same the engineers at Saab have been able to develop 9-3 and introduce the facelifted model of the car.

Through 60′s-70′s-80′s it was possible to survive by selling the same (well, some faceliftings here and there) model but I think that now in 21st century it’s almost impossible. It seems that Saab and Volvo are the only car brands which are able to do it somehow whereas other premium manufacturers change their model more often. Well, that’s only possible by investing more money to R&D but in the situation where GM is right now, I’m afraid that’s not gonna happen.

Nevertheless, I got a good offer from my favourite Saab salesman and I think I’m gonna order ym. 2009 9-3 Sport Combi 1.8t (now when it’s equipped with six gear manual transmission) in the near future

my car : convertible 9-3 MY 04/2007 1,8 t automatic, white
and I loke it very much !!! nice caar !

francis

1. After sale support and stop of ignorance

I have writen SAAB GM official post where they claim that is waiting 14 days on exhaust part, being 12% per year without car because is in official service repair shop, they dont feel hard if they repear your gearbox 4 times in 3 years. . – Answer was that it is SAAB standard and according to internal regulations and asked me why I declined discount for new car because they were afraid to repair current one.. I have also a apologize of superiors because of this letter, but it is normal that costumers who wants to know what to do with damaged 3.0tid engine because of factory quality problems waits on official answer more than 4 months. 3.0 on end ended on car dump. Last year my friend bought company car from SAAB official dealer and repair shop. In 6 month he had his car 4 years on repair and they offered him a special discount on KIA car.
Situation was so bad in past years that we (costumers) founded own association and started to deliver spare parts by our own. On average we needed 5 to 7 days, official dealer up to 21 days. In half year of strugle with GM officals situations improved. Dealer was changed and new one seems to be on good way.

Unfortuntaly old dealer still has SAAB oficial repair shop licence. I cant understand that.

I still own 4 SAABs (c900 1980, 9-3 I.gen 2000, 9-5 1998 and 9-5 2006 new model). I am just sad that unexperienced aftersales managers are destroying this brand. I am very positive toward brand and I personaly thing that most of owners dont care what GM marketing philosophy want to achieve – we buy SAAB’s because of our own individual beliefs and emotions. We all do our profesions on our job, and I think it is basic what we demand from our car manufacturer that also he runs his job profesionaly.

actualy what brand perhaps want to achive is someting that perhaps evend doesnt need to.. we (costumers) are so indvidual that SAAB can be just SAFE premuim brand because rest of character give costumers by them own and personal attitude and behaviour.

Nothing what you posted wont stop costumers fleeding from brand if you dont assure propper aftersales support.

Free to contact me any time if you are internal person devoted to improve situation. I think that documentation I gathered during last year gives plenty of work for COO (chief operation officer) office and internal process control . My case went from state level to Eastern europe officess and I simply think that it was resolving to slow and in wrong directions.

More or less I gave up to improve GM and SAAB processes and I enyoy in my own SAAB world.

I’ve determined Saab dealers recognize the importance of service, and make a real effort, because they know it’s one way they can retain valuable customers.

But it can only stem the tide unless or until the brand has competitive product. Anybody really think the 9-3 will measure up to the new Audi A4, which will also offer an efficient four-cylinder turbo? Anybody compare the current 9-3 2.0T to the new Acura TSX? For refinement, it’s not even close, but when the Aero-spec 2.0T arrives the Saab will at least be close to par dynamically.

It truly needs someone who can recongnize what it is about, understand it’s unique qualities and bring to the market, prouducts that embody those qualities. After 18 years GM has failed to that and most likely will always fail mainly because it just basically has never understoood what Saab is about.

In some ways Saab is like a tremendously gifted orphaned child that got adopted by parents that diidn’t understand they had adopted such child. The child was brilliant but needed special handling and special schools to bring out it’s unique potential but the parents have never been able to totaly recognize this and couldn’t afford the special educational requirements that the child needs.

That child still has so much to offer. It just needs to find the right parents.

$0 down, 0% finance and Free Servicing sounds like a sub-prime meltdown waiting to happen to me. If you haven’t got the cash for a car ( or can’t afford market rates to borrow) and can’t afford to service it, you really shouldn’t be driving it.

IMO, a lot of those owners who cannot afford another BMW will probably end up with a Toyota or Honda.

“Cars are like our clothes, our hair, our watches, etc. They make a statement. When customers spend upwards of $30,000 they want to look good.”

“Safety. Saab must maintain their record as one of the safest cars on the road.”: this morning, i was just looking at “bmw magazine” (2/2008–…albeit untimely and left at the gym by someone, likely a bmw owner, perhaps preoccupied by the mystique of using a turn signal…) and noticed lots of articles or testimonials about bimmer safety (and how a crash in any other brand would have brought about fatalities). well, safety has always been saab’s domain. if others want to imitate, so be it, but saab needs to tout that feature (“born from jets” muted it), not only in terms of responsibility, but also in terms of coolness, and, as in bmw’s case, sophistication.

“Less flimsy cupholders. Make them strong and functional not only beautiful. Think practical.”: amen! i’m afraid to use my cupholders–…rather, i’m afraid to let the women i’m dating use them. (“no” to everyone else.)

“Saab has so much potential and it is time to strike and MAKE IT HAPPEN. We have watched Saab make cars to meet existing product benchmarks and then keep the products too long. It is time to set the mark and start thinking of the new benchmark 7 years into the future.”: true, that!

good post.