Go Auto, the authors of perhaps the best and most comprehensive 2008 Saab 9-3 review so far, have written another article about Saab. It's a very curious and interesting piece.
There's a lot of articles going around at the moment quoting Jan-Ake Jonsson and Carl-Peter Forster with regards to Saab's future sales targets and coming models. This article features a lot of those, and more, as well as some model news that differs a little from the news we've heard previously. Just a little, but enough to make me curious.
I've previously mentioned timelines for future models as well. Timelines that I'm very confident in as the sources are quoting the highest ranks of Saab. Those timelines are related to US releases though, and I'm now left wondering if the differences relate to geography or one of us speculating on less than optimal information. If it's the former I can understand. If it's the latter then I maintain my confidence in the information I've received.
Enough talk about the information - let's have a look at it.
I've most recently quoted the following timelines, which were all confirmed recently to me by the Djup Strupe conglomerate:
<blockquote>Saab 5 year product plan
2008 - New Aero diesel with twin sequential turbo chargers with similar performance to V6 petrol.
2009 - New 9-5 Saloon similar size to A6 with 4 wheel drive.
2009 - 9-4X SUV a similar size to BMW X5 but lower.
2010 - New 9-5 Estate
2011 - New 9-3 Saloon
2012 - New 9-3 Sportwagon & Convertible, will be neither a conventional soft-top or a retractable hard top, something new.
2012 - New 9-1 a smaller model to create a style icon for the Saab brand.</blockquote>
In slight contrast, Byron from Go Auto touts the following as being what's coming from Saab:
<blockquote>Nov 2007 - MY2008 9-3
March 2008 - 9-3 with XWD
2008/09 - New 9-5
2009 - 9-4x SUV/crossover
2009/10 - 9-1 compact
2010 - New 9-3
2011 - 9-3 coupe</blockquote>
I'll be quite happy to be wrong if that's the real time frame as it means we get a full complement of Saabs much sooner than we all think.
However, I've seen my timeline and other features of it confirmed by enough people in positions to know that I retain my confidence in it (though I really hope hope I'm wrong when it comes to the 9-1, which can't come soon enough).
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This shouldn't all be about questions over future cars, though. The article is an excellent one and well worth your reading.
A few snippets:
<blockquote>The MkII 9-5, due out next year, will be based on a completely revamped version of the current European Vectra's platform, which will also form the basis of the fourth-generation Opel Vectra.
Reportedly, this ‘Epsilon II’ architecture is modular in design, so expect a longer and wider wheelbase to accompany a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension set-up.
Speculation also points to air springs, sophisticated electronic software controlling navigation, media, entertainment and safety items, V6 turbo-diesel power and a ramping up of BioPower options across the range.</blockquote>
Exciting stuff indeed!!
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Whilst we're talking 9-5, you Swedish types can go and purchase the latest issue of Auto Motor and Sport, which has some CGI renderings of what they believe the next 9-5 will look like, as well as the coming 9-4x and 9-1 models.
There are some people in Sweden that have seen the real deal when it comes to the 9-5 and they've mentioned that the AM&S renderings are actually pretty accurate. The 9-4x is also pretty close to the Teknikens Varld image that has been published and spoken of in positive terms (for accuracy) as well. The 9-1 image? Well, I can only hope that it doesn't come to pass.
I've been fortunate enough to see a PDF of the Saab articles in the magazine but can't publish images as they're copyright and not on the web as yet. There's a thumbnail here (it says Nu Eller Aldrig Saab)
But I think it's fair to say that the 9-5 renderings bear some resemblance to this, this, and in a cartoonish way, even this - all images that we have seen before on the web.
If it does come out like that, I think it's going to be a really good thing. Looks great to my eyes.
There's a lot of articles going around at the moment quoting Jan-Ake Jonsson and Carl-Peter Forster with regards to Saab's future sales targets and coming models. This article features a lot of those, and more, as well as some model news that differs a little from the news we've heard previously. Just a little, but enough to make me curious.
I've previously mentioned timelines for future models as well. Timelines that I'm very confident in as the sources are quoting the highest ranks of Saab. Those timelines are related to US releases though, and I'm now left wondering if the differences relate to geography or one of us speculating on less than optimal information. If it's the former I can understand. If it's the latter then I maintain my confidence in the information I've received.
Enough talk about the information - let's have a look at it.
I've most recently quoted the following timelines, which were all confirmed recently to me by the Djup Strupe conglomerate:
<blockquote>Saab 5 year product plan
2008 - New Aero diesel with twin sequential turbo chargers with similar performance to V6 petrol.
2009 - New 9-5 Saloon similar size to A6 with 4 wheel drive.
2009 - 9-4X SUV a similar size to BMW X5 but lower.
2010 - New 9-5 Estate
2011 - New 9-3 Saloon
2012 - New 9-3 Sportwagon & Convertible, will be neither a conventional soft-top or a retractable hard top, something new.
2012 - New 9-1 a smaller model to create a style icon for the Saab brand.</blockquote>
In slight contrast, Byron from Go Auto touts the following as being what's coming from Saab:
<blockquote>Nov 2007 - MY2008 9-3
March 2008 - 9-3 with XWD
2008/09 - New 9-5
2009 - 9-4x SUV/crossover
2009/10 - 9-1 compact
2010 - New 9-3
2011 - 9-3 coupe</blockquote>
I'll be quite happy to be wrong if that's the real time frame as it means we get a full complement of Saabs much sooner than we all think.
However, I've seen my timeline and other features of it confirmed by enough people in positions to know that I retain my confidence in it (though I really hope hope I'm wrong when it comes to the 9-1, which can't come soon enough).
-----
This shouldn't all be about questions over future cars, though. The article is an excellent one and well worth your reading.
A few snippets:
<blockquote>The MkII 9-5, due out next year, will be based on a completely revamped version of the current European Vectra's platform, which will also form the basis of the fourth-generation Opel Vectra.
Reportedly, this ‘Epsilon II’ architecture is modular in design, so expect a longer and wider wheelbase to accompany a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension set-up.
Speculation also points to air springs, sophisticated electronic software controlling navigation, media, entertainment and safety items, V6 turbo-diesel power and a ramping up of BioPower options across the range.</blockquote>
Exciting stuff indeed!!
-----
Whilst we're talking 9-5, you Swedish types can go and purchase the latest issue of Auto Motor and Sport, which has some CGI renderings of what they believe the next 9-5 will look like, as well as the coming 9-4x and 9-1 models.
There are some people in Sweden that have seen the real deal when it comes to the 9-5 and they've mentioned that the AM&S renderings are actually pretty accurate. The 9-4x is also pretty close to the Teknikens Varld image that has been published and spoken of in positive terms (for accuracy) as well. The 9-1 image? Well, I can only hope that it doesn't come to pass.
I've been fortunate enough to see a PDF of the Saab articles in the magazine but can't publish images as they're copyright and not on the web as yet. There's a thumbnail here (it says Nu Eller Aldrig Saab)
But I think it's fair to say that the 9-5 renderings bear some resemblance to this, this, and in a cartoonish way, even this - all images that we have seen before on the web.
If it does come out like that, I think it's going to be a really good thing. Looks great to my eyes.
