ALL NEW AUTO CARS: Saab Concepts

Friday, February 18, 2011

SAAB to Celebrate its own...Independence Day on February 23rd

A little over a year ago, Saab's future was very much in doubt. GM was looking for a buyer for the Swedish brand and even contemplated closing down the Trollhattan plant. On the other hand, investors weren't exactly anxious to put their money on what they thought was a sinking ship. But, on the 23rd of February 2010, Saab's fate took a surprising turn for the better as GM sold the company to Spyker Cars, saving thousands of jobs and decades of tradition.

To celebrate the first anniversary from the sale, Saab will throw a massive party on February 23, 2011, turning its factory in Trollhattan into an entertainment arena. All 3,800 employees will have the day off and will be joined by dealers, suppliers, VIPs and media in celebrating Saab's rebirth as an independent carmaker.

The highlight of the event will be the unveiling of a special edition model, most likely the “Independence Edition” of the 9-3 Cabriolet. It might also be a good occasion to show the employees the concept car that Saab will premiere at the Geneva Auto Show. This car will be the starting point for the future compact Saab hatchback, which will be positioned beneath the 9-3 model range.

But Saab has other reasons to celebrate as well. “We’ve triggered the biggest new product offensive in Saab’s history with the launch of the 9-5 Sedan and the 9-4X crossover, the introduction of the 9-5 SportCombi later this year, and the arrival of a new generation 9-3 range next year,” said Saab's CEO Jan Ake Jonsson. Who would have dared thinking about that a year ago?

Friday, February 11, 2011

Saab to Show a New Hatchback Concept as well as Updates on 9-3 Range at the Geneva Salon

0 comments Posted by Unknown at 10:23 PM

For Saab, 2011 will be a crucial year, one that could make or break the company’s success. In a statement made in January, Chairman Victor Mullen said he's confident that the automaker will be able to pick up momentum and achieve the projected sales volume of 80,000 units. But for that the Swedes need new models and it seems that they’ll deliver.

According to a press invitation sent out today, aside from the already confirmed and teased 2011 9-5 Sportcombi, Saab's Geneva Motor Show stand will host the premiere of a brand new concept model and either facelifted or special edition versions of the 9-3 range.

As previously reported, Saab wants to revive the 1950s 92 model, so it’s possible that the concept car will announce just that. Furthermore, a report on the Saabs United website claims that the design study will also showcase the brand’s new design language under Saab Design Chief Jason Castriota.

The enthusiast site also asserts that the updates to the 9-3 could be a special edition version of the cabriolet called “9-3 Independence Edition” to commemorate one year from the day Spyker bought Saab from General Motors (February 23, 2010), and a Griffin-badged variant of the sedan model.

Saab to Show a New Hatchback Concept as well as Updates on 9-3 Range at the Geneva Salon

0 comments Posted by Unknown at 4:44 PM

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Saabsunited & Saab via Autoblog

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Monday, September 20, 2010

Saab 9-5 Convertible Design Study: What do you Think?

0 comments Posted by Unknown at 10:57 AM

Courtesy of SaabsUnited, the people who provided pics of the nice but ill-proportioned 9-5 Coupe rendering (see here) we recently showed you, here is a look at a second possible 9-5 variant. It's a computer generated image for a large, 4-seater convertible that could compete with the Audi A5 Cabrio in the future world of what-ifs.

Using a traditional soft top and nicely-equipped with a turbo-six and all-wheel drive, this car could be a wonderful option for families looking to buy into the Swedish design scene and who also want a unique mid-size convertible that comfortably seats four.

Even better is the potential for Spyker to move itself down-range a bit and receive its own coachbuilt version of the car (and maybe even the 9-4X crossover).

What say you, dear readers? Is this 9-5 'vert an interesting niche vehicle for the Swedish niche brand, or is it simply a waste of time to hope for this?

By Phil Alex

Source: SaabsUnited , Via: Autoblog.nl

Friday, September 17, 2010

Saab Reveals its First-Ever Pure Electric Model: 9-3 ePower to Debut in Paris

0 comments Posted by Unknown at 8:37 AM

This month's Paris International Motor Show will host the world premiere of Saab's first ever EV, the 9-3 ePower. Based on the SportWagon variant of the current 9-3, the prototype model will lead to a test fleet of 70 vehicles that will participate in field trials in Sweden early next year.

The car is motivated by a 184HP electric motor driving the front wheels through a single-speed transmission. Energy is provided by a compact 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack located in a modified floor-pan, in a space occupied by the exhaust system and fuel tank on the standard 9-3 SportWagon

The Swedish automaker says the EV can accelerate from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in a respectable 9.5 seconds and continue on to a top speed of 150km/h or 93mph.

The projected driving range on a full charge is approximately 200 kilometers or about 124 miles. Saab said the battery can be fully recharged from a domestic mains supply in three to six hours, depending on depletion status. However, the company claims charging times can be reduced significantly if the voltage of the electrical feed is raised.

The only noteworthy styling changes over the regular gasoline/diesel models concerns the new gearshift lever that provides selection of 'drive', 'neutral', 'park' and 'reverse', the revised instrument cluster that gains read-outs for battery status, power consumption and driving range, as well as the addition of an electric park brake.

Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile's CEO said: "By 2015, annual global sales of electric vehicles are expected to reach 500,000 units and Saab is determined to be represented in this important, growing segment."

"The 9-3 ePower programme is our first step towards developing a potential production vehicle that will deliver the sort of advanced performance our customers expect."

The 9-3 ePower is the result of a co-operation between Saab Automobile, Boston Power (batteries), Electroengine in Sweden AB (electric power trains), Innovatum (project management) and Power Circle (Sweden's electric power industry trade organization).