UPDATE:
It appears that the following is not to be as I've interpreted. Thanks to the German-speakers who have chimed in via comments to explain the quote.
Opel will be producing Buicks for the US and parts for Saab and will get their own new architecture in 2011.
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As much as we're anticipating the new 9-5, especially the Combi, and a large portion of people expect the 9-4x to well in selected markets, the one car that Saab need, perhaps more than any other, is a new Saab 9-3.
There's an interesting interview with Klaus Franz, the head of the union at Opel, where he possibly gives a further hint that a new 9-3 may be expected in 2011.
The original German is as follows:
Welche Auswirkungen haben die Pläne des Magna-Konsortiums auf den Standort Rüsselsheim, vor allem auf die Arbeitsplätze?Rüsselsheim ist das Herz der Marke. Das Entwicklungszentrum und das Werk haben eine hervorragende Zukunft. Es war richtig, dass die Arbeitnehmer 1998 das neue Werk mit durchgesetzt haben. Ich gehe davon aus, dass wir nach einer Übergangsproduktion von Buicks für USA und Teilen des neuen Saab 2011 eine zusätzliche Architektur bekommen.
Now, I'm only using Google Translate so it may not be totally accurate, but it does mention architectures for a new Saab in 2011.
What impact have the plans of the Magna consortium on the location Ruesselsheim, especially on jobs?The development center and the plant have an excellent future. It was true that the workers in 1998, the new factory have prevailed. I assume that we have after a transition of production of Buick for the U.S. and parts of the new Saab 2011 will receive additional architecture.
Shifting the text around for grammatical differences, I tend to think that's talking about production and parts for Buick in the US and a new architecture for Saab in 2011.
Of course, we've heard previously that the next Saab 9-3 will be on a marginally smaller architecture referred to as Delta II, which is used as a basis for the new Opel Astra. The Saab 9-3 will be 8 years old by 2011 and well in need of a new base.
The talk is that prospective buyers of Saab saw an early full size rendering of a proposed 9-3 whilst touring around the Showroom of The Future a few months ago. There's no real opinions that have flowed through to me from that car, just one quiet muttering indicating some reservation, but it IS an early prototype and if you've seen some of the early renderings of Saab in the past, you'd understand any reservation.
Given that it's now mid-2009, a new 9-3 by 2011 sounds alright to me.
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Thanks Peter!
I assume that we will receive additional architecture 2011, after a transition production of Buick for the U.S. and parts of the new Saab.
He is not saying that there will be a new archicture for a new Saab in '11.
He says that after a transition period with production of Buicks and parts for the '11 Saab
(could it be the NG9-5 based on so many Opel parts)
Then there will presumeably be a new architecture to be produced in Rüsselsheim! -But not for Saab.
Shouldn't Saab be on their own now and develop a all new 9-3 platform, and not GM or Opel stuff ?
After a transition period of producing Buicks for the USA and parts fpr the new Saab we will get a new architecture.
So it means that parts for the new Saab (9-5) will be produces at Rüsselsheim until 2011 (and Buicks of course) and after that they will find something different to build... Whatever that will be.
There is indeed a need for the new 9-3 but I don't think this really is a hint. Just some googly trans (remeber the" powerful barbecue" on the NG9-5)...
Thanks for the insight.
I wouldn't be too surprised if the next 9-3 is still built on a GM architecture. They need it sooner rather than later and starting from scratch with a bespoke platform would most likely take things out another three years.
"Ich gehe davon aus, dass wir nach einer Übergangsproduktion von Buicks für USA und Teilen des neuen Saab 2011 eine zusätzliche Architektur bekommen."
translates to
"I presume that after a transition-production of Buicks for the USA and parts of the new Saab we will get an additional architecture in 2011."
The point is that the german text definitely talks about "parts of the new Saab" and "additional architecture in 2011" as different things, no room for interpretation, sorry.
Three contributions/corrections within minutes of posting - you guys are great!
So they will build some LaCrosses and lot's of Insignias, and maybe something for the NG9-5.
And yes the NG9-3 will be based on GM's delta II, otherwise they would loose 2 Years of development.
I assume....will be produced.
Which is more or less the same ;)
I've read the full Interview, and he isn't exact(I won't say wrong) a couple of times.
Danke!
"...Astra's chief designer, Malcolm Ward, revealed that the sports hatch would feature a far more rakish and lower profile than the current model and would arrive on the market in 2011...Opel is taking the economy gains that can be had from better aerodynamics very seriously ..."
Thanks Swade - the U.S. dealers need those 9-3XWD, the customers are waiting! BTW, nothing personal, your new gravatar freaks me out.
in my remark to: Mr. Franz had better said "would be produced" my intention was to say: Currently it is not sure that the new 9-5 ever will be procuded since we don`t know the real future of Saab.
Perhaps my English has not been correct to express this my personal opinion.
Sharing platforms and components is one way of achieving financial efficiencies along with speeding up the engineering timelines. Of course it can be a trap or compromise on compromise as well. No question that a great new 93 is required - minimum of compromises and maximum of originality.
At the end of the day there will be bills to pay and beyond the cashflow from the 95/94Xthats probably where Saab are looking to their new owners for inspiration and $$ in the bank.
When it comes to hybrids wasn't there quite a bit of work done by Saab before it was launched as the Chevy Volt? I'm sure I saw a plug-in 93 cab somewhere here in the past Swade?
these possible constraints on 2009 sales just make it more frustrating, though emerging from reconstruction before week 33 will no doubt change all of these timing issues.
or, if Government Motors is permitted, perhaps even encouraged, to remove these constraints in July. Certainly the new 9-5 is good for GM too.
oh well.
So, yes the delta II platform is hybrid capable.
Take for example the plan how to transform the Trollhättan plant. GM Europe (read Opel) wanted to reduce the Trollhättan capacity to less than 80.000 units/year. Good thing that the swedish union stood up and made their own investigation. It turned out that with a different plant layout the capacity could be much higher and to a lower cost than what the Opel managment proposed. GM US made the decision to follow the swedish union proposal.
Unfortunately this has nothing to do with a new Saab 9-3. And I think that in the future no Saab or components will be made in a German factory as Saab plans to produce everything in Sweden :-)
We will show you what can be achieved with a lean, competent and motivated organization.