New SAABs coming ?
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Saab’s new Chinese owner, NEVS, has just come up with a plan for the swedish zombie car maker.
First, they still want to keep producing an updated version of the old 9-3. A car that came out about 13 years ago. So good luck with that.
NEVS claims that model will “generate the cash it needs to bring out four more models”.
Again, good luck.
They say the design will be updated. What it will need by 2017 will be an all new design.
Not sure what they mean by “updated”.
Here are the new guys.
All new designs are based on the Phoenix platform Saab was working on while they went under.
The company also claims that all these new models will be sold in the US.
All of these will be electric only.
Cars sold in Europe and the US will be built in Sweden. While the ones for China will be built locally.
It all sounds good, I must say. And these drawings above look pretty nice. Really.
(Better than what Saab was working on as the “next 9-3”)
There was a time, just a few years ago, when people were laughing at the idea of brand new Volvos under Chinese ownership. Look at them now.
So even though sarcasm is very tempting here, I am actually pretty optimistic about this.
A Saab rebirth and re-invention as a modern “all electric” car company.
Why not…
What do you think?
It's a CHINE$E company, so normal market economics don't apply here. If the Socialist Board of Dictators running the Chinese Empire these days deems the new Saab worthy– they'll soon and forever have more money than God. But if anyone at Saab is ever found to utter a less than complimentary phrase about the Chinese Government — funding will disappear faster than that student who stood up to the tanks in Tiananmen Square a few years back. (Never to be heard from again–also just like that student) So the laws of supply & demand in the "consumer be damned" world of Socialist China don't really apply. And exactly what it will look like once it becomes available–is also up to a flip of the coin!
I loved SAAB before GM took over. Afterwards, it became a stale brand and I lost interest. I think the amount of unsuccessful attempts to resurrect SAAB is indicative of the same thing, there is no interest in the marketplace. As much as it pains me to see SAAB disappear, I think if there was genuine interest, SAAB would be alive and well by now.