Saab rumours/speculation/news(?)

[ZL-1]

The links are in Swedish (sorry), but Swedish Auto Motor & Sport reports that the NG Saab 9-3 can be delayed until 2012 and also that it might change its platform to DeltaII instead of sitting on EpsilonII.

Given that the size stats on that LaCrosse mule spotted in Sweden (IIRC not that much longer than the Insignia), I'd expect the NG 9-5 to be around 4850mm in length. Why then have an EpsilonII 9-3 if you can use the DeltaII platform, which I assume is AWD compatible, to produce a NG 9-3 range consisting of Sedan/Wagon, but also with a family of 3-door and 5-door hatches, to return some quirkyness to Saab? For comparison purposes, Astras range from around 4.2m to 4.6m in lenght, and that would be an interesting range for Saab to explore.

Discuss!

[regfootball]

sell saab or kill it, please GM

[Drew Dowdell]

DeltaII will be lighter than Epsilon II even if it is stretched a bit. Astra proves that even the existing Delta can have a premium feel to it.

I say do it.

[Oracle of Delphi]

sell saab or kill it, please GM

CPF will never let that happen. :AH-HA_wink:

[ocnblu]

SAAB is another drain on GM coffers with no appreciable return on investment. GM: sell SAAB and kill Hummer.

[Camino LS6]

Saab does seem utterly pointless in the US.

[91z4me]

Saab does seem utterly pointless in the US.

Key part is bolded!

[Oracle of Delphi]

To tell you the truth, I'm torn between a Cadillac or a Saab for my next personal car, especially with Saab going EP II.

[Camino LS6]

EPII holds no interest for me.

New Saabs and new Cadillacs won't ever make my list either.

They just aren't what I want in a car.

[Camino LS6]

Key part is bolded!

That's why I said it that way. :AH-HA_wink:

[vonVeezelsnider]

kill Hummer.

Here Here! It doesn't matter that they aren't as bad as the environmentalists make them out to be... They have a tarnished image and they make GM (The Company) look bad.

[regfootball]

actually the XWD in the saab kind of revitalizes interest for me some.

if saabs had new designs and interiors that weren't crappy plastic, maybe it would help. the 9-3 is too small, also.

i think saab needs to exist in a place at or below acura and above vw a bit and compete for the hip factor vw has. if saab can tap any of that and make cars that are more reliable, i think they can actually be healthy here. example, the 9-3 should be a passat killer.

saab also needs to emphasize green more than any other GM division.

saab needs to be about DESIGN (from the land of IKEA) and right now it hardly comes off as anything ikea like or apple-esque.

[ZL-1]

saab also needs to emphasize green more than any other GM division.

saab needs to be about DESIGN (from the land of IKEA).

I agree on those two.

[titan]

There's a place for Saab and Hummer. Hummer is expanding in Africa, and with the right product Saab can be brought back to good position also. The U.S. should not be the main market for either brand.

[RJB]

I like the new 9-3, I'm even considering getting one. A hardcore UAW guy I work with was walking out with me and saw a new one in the lot and stated 'that is a good looking car!' Who would have thought that. There are a few quirks interior-wise that need to be upgraded but overall it is a nice car. I think they need to get the XWD out now across the board for the 9-3 segement instead of just on the Turbo X model. The born from jets slogan is getting way too old so they need have those selling points like the XWD in their marketing corner.

[enzl]

The 9-3 as used CPO makes sense...save $10-15k easy.

A new one? You might as well light your wallet on fire.

If the Delta rumor is true, it means that GM is even further behind in replacing the 9-3...not good.

The 9-4X has to save this brand in the states...current sales figures are now below Jag on a monthly basis!

[SoCalCTS]

sell saab or kill it, please GM

well. when it comes right down to it. GM doesn't really need Pontiac, Buick, Hummer, SAAB or Saturn. The only problem is that if they kill any brand, they will never recover the lost market-share.

[ehaase]

The only problem is that if they kill any brand, they will never recover the lost market-share.

But they may make a higher profit.

[Robert Hall]

well. when it comes right down to it. GM doesn't really need Pontiac, Buick, Hummer, SAAB or Saturn. The only problem is that if they kill any brand, they will never recover the lost market-share.

Thing is, they keep loosing market share the way it is...and Pontiac is what, 75% fleet? Unfortunate circumstances...

[regfootball]

i am fine keeping saab, IF THEY GIVE US NEW MODELS IN A TIMELY FASHION that do not suck.

[cire]

I say sell Saab. Even though its not in sterling shape at the moment, I still think there would be quite a few other car companies interested in buying it. It would be a win/win situation for both Saab and GM. Saab would hopefully be bought by a company that has the resources to give it the attention it needs to grow and prosper. GM would hopefully gain some seriously needed revenue from the sale and would have one less brand to cultivate and watch over. It would be silly to kill off this division; I am positive there are interested parties out there who are just waiting to purchase this Swedish jewel.

Selling Saab could also help GM reconsolidate their dealer networks and further refine the lineups and images of their remaining brands. GM could create three focused dealer networks if Saab was out of the picture:

1) Chevrolet: Mainstream, Mass Market.

2) Saturn/Pontiac/GMC: Midmarket, Import Focused Network. Saturn would carry FWD Opel inspired cars and MPVs. Pontiac would carry midmarket RWD Alpha/SigZeta based cars. GMC would carry midmarket FWD/AWD crossovers.

3) Buick/Cadillac/Hummer: Luxury Network. Buick would carry FWD luxury cars and crossovers. Cadillac would carry RWD Alpha/SigZeta based luxury cars. Hummer would carry truck based luxury products.

This plan would further refocus the lineups and assist in reducing redundant/competing products. For example, there are 4 Lambda products and 2 of those products can be found at the same dealer network under GM's current consolidation plan (Acadia and Enclave). Under my plan, the Outlook would be discontinued (Saturn will offer sleek Euro styled MPVs instead) and there would only be one Lambda product at each dealer network to appeal to that network's customer base (Affordable: Chevy Traverse, Midmarket: GMC Acadia, and Luxury: Buick Enclave). The same setup would work for Theta based crossovers (Affordable: Chevy Equinox, Midmarket: GMC Terrain, Luxury: Buick Rendezvous?, and Discontinued: Vue) and FWD Epsilon II based FWD midsize sedans (Affordable: Chevy Malibu, Midmarket: Saturn Aura, Luxury: Buick Invicta/LaCrosse?, and Redeveloped: Pontiac G6 midsize sedan on SWB SigZeta/Next generation G8 would move to LWB SigZeta). The Sky would be discontinued and the styling of the next generation Solstice would be aligned with the global version sold by Opel, Vauxhall, Holden, and Daewoo (Saturn would carry "TwinTop" coupe versions of their car products to compensate for the loss of the Sky); GM could then develop a retractable hardtop luxury version for Cadillac. In fact, Alpha and SigZeta would be limited to Pontiac and Cadillac only in the U.S. (the one exception would be the Chevrolet Camaro). Seven brands are still quite a bit to handle and manage in the U.S., but it could be done if executed and managed properly.

Edited May 21, 2008 by cire

[ZL-1]

Why sell Saab? Why not just starve it and keep the engineering staff in GM to support Opel's push upmarket?