By RICHARD WILLIAMSON
Scripps Howard News Service Saab, the Swedish automaker "born from jets" will be flying solo as soon as bankrupt General Motors can shed the brand it bought in 2000.
A consortium led by Koenigsegg Automotive AB plans to take Saab off GM's hands with the aid of $600 million from the European Investment Bank guaranteed by the Swedish government. GM is expected to help the company launch several new products that are in the final stages of development.
Meanwhile, Saab itself has been reorganizing under bankruptcy since Feb. 20.
Despite a lot of happy talk about the bright new future, Saab's prospects as a niche player in a crowded world market appear dim. The company has been losing money for years, and its meager sales represent less than 1 percent of GM's total.
In May, sales of Saabs fell 64 percent in the U.S. to a mere 783, fewer even than Hummer. Saab sales in Europe dropped 66 percent to 2,191.
In an intensely competitive market where sales of all brands are expected to fall 15 percent this year, Saab is one of 50 automakers, many of which you may not have heard but which are based in the growth markets of China and India. And, oh, by the way, Hummer, the civilian version of the American war wagon, now belongs to a Chinese company after GM ditched the gas guzzler.
Even with its rich history as a spinoff from Saab's aerospace enterprise and the respect of automotive enthusiasts worldwide, the automotive line lacks a compelling reason to exist. The Saab models are not as exotic as Porsche's nor as affordable as Nissan's. The company has gotten by with variants of two basic models, the 9-3 and the 9-5, with the addition of a 9-7X, a rebadged GM sport utility, for the U.S. market in 2005.
At the Geneva Auto Show last March, Saab introduced the 9-3X, an all-wheel-drive wagon powered by a 2-liter turbocharged, 210-horsepower, 4-cylinder gasoline engine.
"The 9-3X is an efficient all-rounder for anyone who doesn't want or need an SUV- type vehicle," explained Simon Padian, Saab Brand design chief. "Simply put, we are offering a trekking shoe that will do what's required in more comfort and style than a heavier mountaineering boot."
The new Saab is decked out in new front and rear bumpers clad in a dark gray, grained finish that is also applied to the side sills and the edges of the wheel arches. Skid panels with a matt aluminum finish curve up towards the door opening at the rear.
Additional cosmetic flourishes come from matte, aluminum-colored lower door decor strips, roof rails and twin round exhaust tailpipes. Front fog lights are ringed with a chrome finish. The 9-3X rides on multi-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels.
The wagon's rear cargo area, with a low floor, creates an unusually usable amount of space for cargo. By folding down the front passenger seat-back, the car has room for objects as long as 8 feet.
The TwinFloor stowage facility, too, helps secure cargo with middle section of the floor that hinges upwards transversely when the handle is pulled. The main load area also gets a 12-volt power socket in the main load area and a separate storage compartment at either side of the floor, one fitted with a molded holder for large bottles.
The 9-3X is expected to arrive in Saab showrooms throughout the United States this fall. Pricing will be announced at the start of the model year.
A larger sport utility vehicle, the 9-4X will arrive as a rebadged version of the Cadillac SRX to be built in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. The mid-size SUV will give Saab a better chance to attract a broader section of the automotive market into its showrooms.
Saab began building cars in 1949 when the aircraft business began to shrink in the Post-war era. The company's name is an acronym from Svensk Aeroplan Aktiebolag (Swedish Airplane Company).
In 1955 the original Saab 9-2 evolved into the 9-3, the maker's mainstay for many years. The engine was upgraded from 2 to 3 cylinders but operated on a two-stroke cycle like that of a motorcycle. A wagon variant, the 9-5, was added in 1959 and would remain in production for the next twenty years.
In 1989 General Motors bought 50 percent of Saab's automobile division for $600 million with an option to acquire the remaining shares within a decade. Nevertheless, losses continued, forcing closure of an assembly plant.
In 2000, GM bought the remaining shares of the company. Ford Motor Co. would later add Saab's Swedish rival Volvo in an ill-fated attempt to acquire a series of luxury brands that would include Jaguar.
E-mail Richard Williamson at motorfriend@sbcglobal.net
