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Saab are taking some critical bagging in the motoring press this week as various outlets do their year-end thing.
Autoblog have run a post listing ten vehicles that don’t deserve their engines. One of the ten is the Saab 9-7x Aero, which has the same LS2 engine as the 2005-2007 Corvette under the hood.
Their contention – one that I can very well understand – is that the 9-7x is pretty much the anti-Saab and as such is a blight on the brand (I wouldn’t go that far). Despite the fact that the 9-7x Aero is without doubt the best Trailblazer-derivative there has ever been, they say that a vehicle that so poorly represents the brand on the badge shouldn’t have such a ripping powerplant.
People who own a 9-7x Aero will disagree, but I can see Autoblog’s point, pointless as it is for them to make it.
Thanks Alexandre!
——
Australia’s Drive has compiled a list of Hits and Misses for 2008, and Saab’s on it. You might have already guessed that they’re not on the “Hits” section.
Currently Saab and Hummer fall under the umbrella of GM premium brands but the US car maker will soon bring Cadillacs to showrooms. It’s a bold move and one that was delayed until 2009, something of a blessing given the economic crisis. The next big challenge for Cadillac is taking on the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
GM will no doubt be hoping Cadillac has more success than Saab, which saw sales slump 38 per cent in 2008.
And GM will no doubt invest more in marketing Cadillac than they did in marketing Saab. And they’ll no doubt provide more funds for new models for Cadillac than they did for model development with Saab.
I live here. I think Australia’s much more of a Saab-inclined country than a Cadillac inclined country.
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Ryan over at Saab History is reporting, via Nines magazine, that Saab USA’s John Libbos has left Saab in the last few months.
Libbos was most recently the product guru for the 9-3 and 9-5. That made him the guy who put together the specifications of the vehicles, the options and packages.
His experience with Saab is vast and, to be honest, it’s hard to imagine someone who’s been involved with Saab most of his adult life just leaving and starting something new.
Like much of the stuff that’s happened at SaabUSA recently, I’ve been critical of product decisions and that would probably fall into John Libbos’ territory. Regardless, the guy’s given a working lifetime’s service to Saab and I wish him well in his future endeavours, whatever they might be. I hope it’s not too far away from Saab as he probably has more knowledge about the brand than anyone else at SaabUSA right now.
——
I hope the people who will end up managing Saab in the future are reading this stuff.
I hope they’re reading it and saying to themselves “never again”
Never again will we allow Saab sales to go unrealised due to poor model development, poor management or poor customer service.
Never again will we allow Saab to be lampooned like they have in recent years with brand-killing mistakes like the 9-2x and the 9-7x.
Never again will we allow the character that inhabits* this storied brand to be diluted for the sake of a short term hook.
Never again.
* Thanks Ted!
17 responses so far ↓
1 ctm
// Dec 30, 2008 at 9:08 pm
It doesn’t matter how much they spend on models and marketing for Cadillac – it will never sell in Europe. The brand name has too much luggage that doesn’t do it good. It has gone almost 30 years since the horrible crap of the seventies, and still that is what people over here think of when it comes to Cadillac. To us, brand names like Hummer and Cadillac are what’s wrong with the US auto industry. So good luck to Lutz et al in not having a premium brand in Europe any more.
2 Sauschnäll
// Dec 30, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Never again??? but they are in the process to release the Saab 9-4x. This car is shure the next mistake for non US markets.
3 van god los
// Dec 30, 2008 at 9:40 pm
@ctm : once/if gm gets out off this mess and premium brands are the hype again (remember 10 years ago ?), GM will probably buy an european premium brand again (because by then they will have realised that cadillac is not considered a premium brand in about 75% of the world no matter how much money you spent on promoting that brand) and neglict it (again).
4 Nico
// Dec 30, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Hi there all,
Has anyone seen the new ads for Saturn, Cadillac and Saab? They show the cars in independent commercials from eachother in a large white warehouse. At least with Saab you see three vehicles. It has the same voice over. But what is more striking is the large GM logo in th middle. The best so and so brought to you by GM?
Will we ever hear: “The latest Volvo brought to you by Ford”. I don’t think so.
Is this GM’s last battle to create some goodwill towards Saab, in order to get a better price in the near future?
These advertisements are poorly made, not like the independent Saab ones. Yet with the money saved, they might have purchased more airtime, as I am seeing more and more of them.
But then, airtime has become cheap as well, as networks scramble to get advertisements in as big companies don’t want to pay anymore.
Anyway, here is hoping to a better and even more exciting 2009 for Saab and Swade & Eggs and all your readers.
Nico
5 saabyurk
// Dec 30, 2008 at 11:06 pm
“…the character that inhibits this storied brand…”
I don’t think it inhibits Saab at all, but it does inhabit Saab.
Thanks Ted. Correction made and noted
6 joemama
// Dec 31, 2008 at 12:35 am
No offense, but if John Libbos had the final decision on the US 9-3 packages trim levels, then he’s better off doing it at another company.
Let’s see, no express up/down on the 2.0T, no polar white for the Aero or 60th edition, no bluetooth or ipod integration….
Some of those might have been beyond his control, but I’m still taking this opportunity to make a useless comment because I’m on vacation.
7 Markac
// Dec 31, 2008 at 1:10 am
With GM in it’s current situation, is it really feasible to launch Cadillac in Australia at the moment? I think not. Surely GM’s bean counters will have another look at this one? It’s kind of like breaking a second bottle of champagne on the bow of the Titanic. It’s not going to make any bloody difference. Just another example of GM wasting money and now they don’t even have it to waste.
8 Markac
// Dec 31, 2008 at 1:15 am
Perhaps John Libbos got tired of banging his head against a brick wall and came up with a more profitable way to satisfying way to spend his time?
9 Karen
// Dec 31, 2008 at 1:36 am
Cadillac as a global premium brand against BMW and Mercedes? Do they have lead water pipes in Detroit?
@Nico – those ads would be effective enough WITHOUT reminding people the cars are made be GM, a brand name with less equity than their share price.
Got to be lead poisoning that has caused this level of delusionary brain damage.
SaabUSA could hire us for a fraction of what Libbos made, and we could start the desperately needed turnaround for Saab in what should be easily a 300,000 vehicle market.
10 PGAero
// Dec 31, 2008 at 2:33 am
Karen and Nico,
I agree with you about the GM logo at the end of the Saab ads. That just wrecks it for me. It’s laughable that GM is spending money to associate Saab and GM in such a direct manner. Surely many people are noticing, for the first time, that GM owns/runs Saab; and they immediately cross Saab off of any list they might have had.
~Peter
11 MarkS
// Dec 31, 2008 at 3:09 am
Karen – Quite right, GM execs must be drinking some strange Kool-Aid over at the Ren Cen. Collectively, they seem to have suffered complete ossification of the cranial aperture. These people are like the George Costanza of the auto industry. Since all their instincts seem to be wrong, perhaps doing the OPPOSITE would be correct! This could be the basis for a GM turn-around strategy. I know I’m being facetious but it’s not too far from the reality of the situation. Just look at the self-deprecating nature of the current ad campaign. What chimpanzee came up with this?? The “GM – surprised?” tagline seems to have a two-pronged negative effect in Saab’s case however. It draws attention to GM’s less-than-salubrious reputation for building junk just as it draws a connection between GM and Saab.
Good work Coco.
12 MarkS
// Dec 31, 2008 at 3:26 am
Markac – Two bottles of champagne indeed (LOL)!
13 Ballistic Billy
// Dec 31, 2008 at 4:16 am
Breaking news for the Saab buyers in the United States. GMAC has recieved TARP money and is offering 0.0% financing for up to 60 months. In addition the rebates are still included with the 0.0% and no either or as before. This money and rate are available on the 2008 models only. Still a good choices out there. Let’s do some buisness!
14 Dan9-1
// Dec 31, 2008 at 4:31 am
the only successful american brand in Europe is Ford… and that’s only becuase they have two completely different portfolios for the home market and Europe…. so who know what GM are trying to do…. trying to sell us a brand which no one wants, needs, is not relevant to Peoples’ needs, is seen as being big american and brash and has no place in the market because of it… rather than focusing on its brands which it has established- Opel/Vauxhall (not really in lack of funding but hey), getting chevrolet to take on budget/low value mainstream and give Saab the money to be able to take on Honda/Bmw/Audi for sub-premium/ premium area with a innovative product range. It would take so little work to improve a Saab- the chassis is fine, interior quality is good but it needs a bit of improving. This is compared to having to invest millions of Euros to get Cadillac to be recognised, but that will not change the relevance of their engine lineup.
Saab if anything need to be distanced from GM, either by sale or by marketing rather than integrating them more and more, anyway I thought GM were trying to sell them? Isn’t pulling them more into the advertising saying “here’s a lineup which we’re quite possibly trying to get rid of, but we need the money so please buy one because its a GM”. If anything for me personally, I’m not sure how you Americans feel, but at the current time this would put me off buying – even if it is a Saab.
Phew I feel better now
15 zippy
// Dec 31, 2008 at 5:49 am
Saab needs to get its quality issues sorted out.
I dont know what is going on at Saab HQ but my 2004 seems to suffer the same niggling annoyances as a 2007 so do they even care?
“Issues” I have had in the near 5 months since we got ours.
Electrical gremlins. SID displaying “lock failure” and “stability control failure”. Everything AOK next time I start her up!
Rattling front driver side suspension on rough(ish) road surfaces on a car with just 32000miles. Took a tape measure to the car and found my left front side is 1/4″ lower than the right side. Suspect springs or strut issues that I will have looked at next oil change. $$$
Having said that the one thing that always impresses the heck outta me – TURBO!!
16 joemama
// Dec 31, 2008 at 6:14 am
0% AND the rebates on 2008 models? Wow that seems TOO good to be true!
17 1985 Gripen
// Jan 1, 2009 at 11:08 am
Best of luck to John Libbos, if you’re reading this. I met John on a couple of occasions (at the 60th Anniversary event in San Diego and again at the S.O.C. in Troy, MI in 2007) and think highly of him.
Perhaps these long-time Saab people who jump ship will be lured back should Saab be sold to a new owner.