Albert VDB has been kind enought to translate and send through another VERY interesting article.

It comes from Telegraaf, a paper from The Netherlands, and if true, then the latter part of this year is going to be a lot more interesting than I thought it might be.

Here’s the article in Dutch. Here’s the translation:

In October at the Paris auto show Saab comes again with a new design study. It is already the third concept car of this brand as Autovisie reveals in their newest issue. According to the magazine it will be the 9-X Cabriolet Concept, which has to warm up the public for the next generation 9-3.

That is why the successor to the current 9-3 will not be based on the platform architecture of the Opel Insignia as initially planned. Instead, the next 9-3 will use the compact architecture on which also the next Astra will be based. The smaller 9-1 has also been assigned to another platform. That of the Corsa, although Mr. Forster reacts just with a “Yes, that could very well be imaginable”

Autovisie writes that the study 9-X that was presented at the Geneva show is not a forerunner to the 9-1, but to the next 9-3 of which the design has just been approved.

More on Saab’s future plans is in the Autovisie issue 16 of July, 31.

So……..

We might have a 9-X cabriolet concept to go with the 9-X BioHybrid Concept we saw earlier this year, and according to this Autovisie magazine, the 9-X is more likely to be an indication of the future Saab 9-3 than what will now be a smaller 9-1.

The idea of a convertible concept is an intriguing one. If you were lurking at this site this time last year, you may recall that I had heard from Djup Strupe (an insider) that Saab had some very special ideas in development for a convertible. It was mentioned to me in terms of a convertible benig completely re-thought. I have no idea what that will mean, but the person I spoke to was definitely in a position to know.

I was expecting the Saab 9-3x XWD wagon thingy in Paris, primarily because there wasn’t really anything else on the menu. It seems that there may be now.

Ooh la la!!!

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