Dagens Industri were one of several news services in Sweden that wrote about Saab right throughout 2009 and the early part of 2010 as if the company had some sort of corporate plague.
Everything was bad, bad, bad, dead, dead, dead. It must have really killed these people when the transaction with Spyker actually went through.
Today they've managed to make right Clarksonian cocks of themselves (pardon my Francais) with an article on their site that plain-and-simple infers that the Saab 9-5 costs too much because the top-line model is more expensive than a similar Volvo S80 or 'equivalent' Audi (and what's even more annoying is that they've referenced SU in their article).
They ask "Are customers willing to pay 55,900 kronor for the Saab 9-5 than for equivalent Volvo?" (Googletrans) and then point out a 42,800 SEK difference between the same 9-5 and an Audi (presumably an A6).
Of course, they don't mention that the 9-5 is a brand new car, with brand new technology and handling. They don't mention that the Volvo they're comparing it to is several years old now. And the Audi options list - want wheels to go with your car, sir? - no mention of that, either.
Thankfully, a large number of Swedes have chimed in and given them a good serve in comments to their article. Over 200 of them as I write this.
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So who's going to buy one of these new Saab 9-5's?
Well, this 24-year Mercedes veteran has just gone and bought two of them!!!
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Mr Daaaaagens Industri.
......Even though Thomas Karlström is used to correct expensive cars, it became love at first sight when he got to see and test drive the new Saab 9-5.
- Sure, I have always known that Saab could build cars. But this was something completely different. Saab has not built anything like this before. The feeling is fantastic - at least in the same class of car with a Mercedes Star in front, "says Thomas Karlström.
He did not confine themselves to a car - he ordered two pieces of the family business.
- I was away and test drove both the BMW and Mercedes new top models. But even though they are very expensive, they can not quite match the 9-5: an. It is simply a fantastic car, "says Thomas Karlström.
One might suggest that DI.se should just stop crapping on and casting aspersions at Saab and simply wait until they can drive the car for themselves and see how good it is. I know that doesn't sell papers, but it might stop them looking like a packet of noodles and give one of their nation's good companies a fighting chance.
Yes, some people will have issues with 9-5 pricing. Somewhere in the world there's someone who has issues with Hyundai pricing, with Dacia pricing. Right now, there's probably someone who can't quite put together enough rupees for a Tata Nano.
There are always people on the fringe of being able to buy and they'll always have issues.
The real question here is whether or not Saab will sell enough of them. I bet they will. Di.se doesn't need to cast aspersions or make poor comparisons in order to ask the same question. They just need to ask it and then ask if the car's impressive enough for people to pay.
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