You are browsing the archive for 2010 December.

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

Saab ‘Independence Day’ edition coming in 2011

December 15, 2010 in News, Saabology

Let me take you back to February last year and a quote from Victor Muller (direct to me via email).

I propose to call the actual closing day, which will be in the coming week, Independance Day and celebrate it year after year. vic

Exactly what this will look like is a little unclear at this point. But it seems there are plans afoot to celebrate Saab’s independence with a limited number of cars created especially for the occasion. The name “Independence Day Edition” is what I’ve heard but is not definite.

The whispers that I’ve heard indicate only the following.

There will be a limited edition of 365 vehicles, plus one for the number of years independent from GM. So for 2011 there will be 365+1 Independence Day Edition vehicles produced. For 2012 there will be 365+2, etc.

Initial indications are that the Saab 9-5 will be included but things were a little fuzzy as to whether the Saab 9-3 would be included as well (i.e. a mixture of 9-5 and 9-3, totalling 366 in all for 2011).

I’ll keep you posted if I hear any more, but they sound interesting. The anniversary of Saab’s independence from GM is on February 23, 2011.

Thanks to Djup Strupes.

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

DI.se: Antonov cleared of criminal charges

December 15, 2010 in News

That headline is the result of a GoogleTrans. I don’t think there were actually any formal criminal charges here, but there were suspicions, rumour and innuendo surrounding Vladimir Antoonov, enough that GM insisted that he not be a formal part of the group seeking to acquire Saab one year ago.

The following is a Googletrans and it’s good to see a story like this appearing in DI.se. I hope they leave it as a headline all day.

Fistbump to Vladimir.

——

Antonov cleared of criminal charges

Can not find any evidence that the former Spykerägaren Vladimir Antonov been involved in crime. It shows two independent audits, according to Dagens Industri.

It was in February that Dutch sports car maker Spyker bought the Saab Automobile from GM. A prerequisite for the deal was that Vladimir Antonov disappeared as Spykerägare.

Sources of DI has been shown that GM suspected that he was involved in more than questionable and downright illegal business, such as money laundering.

Suspicion must be received from the Swedish government, which is also related to the sales process gave the U.S. firm Kroll commissioned to examine Vladimir Antonov.

DI have read the report. In no case did Kroll manage to prove their suspicions. Antonov acquitted in the investigation which he himself initiated after GM stopped him from becoming the owner of Saab. No evidence has been found to Vladimir Antonov or any of his companies are or have been involved in organized crime or money laundering, writes DI.

Saab’s President Victor Muller has made no secret that he wants back Antonov as owner.

“That’s what I have tried to say all the time. Antonov has been falsely accused, he is an honest man and must have his reputation restored,” he says to the DI.

——

Thanks to Anders L for the tip!

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

What does the Saab brand mean to you?

December 14, 2010 in Saabology

At the recommendation of Curvin O’Rielly, I’ve just watched this video – the Ries Report – produced by an advertising and marketing guru named Al Ries. It’s around 7 minutes long, so it won’t take much of your time, but it’s a good look at why the strength of a brand is important and the fact that better products don’t always win.

The video was made in 2009.

VIDEO NOW REMOVED – CLICK HERE TO VIEW

No way does Pepsi taste better than Coke! But anyway…..

I disagree a little with Mr Ries’ emphasis on branding over product. I’m a firm believer that the car industry will always emphasise the quality of product and that products found to be lacking will suffer for it (the fall of Toyota since this video was made is a case in point).

But the importance of a strong brand alongside a strong product can’t be denied.

In the car business, the strength of a brand tends to flow on from its sales strength and the consistency of its presence. Audi have cemented themselves as a premium brand based on technology and the tactile and visual quality of their product (perceived quality). Their brand presence reflects this and their rising sales attest to it. Volvo, on the other hand, are trying to reinvent themselves from being a safe, family-oriented company to being ‘naughty’ and I wonder how long that transition will last.

All of this leads me to the question in the headline – What does the Saab brand mean to you?

Saab has quite a strong ownership culture surrounding it, but how strong (or weak) is the Saab brand? What are the attributes that you think of first when you think of Saab? Does Saab still radiate the same brand attributes now that they did when you first encountered the company? Are those attributes communicated clearly in Saab’s advertising, websites, publications, products?

On an official level, Saab’s core brand pillars are

  • progressive design,
  • responsible performance, and
  • sporty driver focus

Personally speaking, Saab means a number of things – driving fun, practicality, design, turbocharging and Scandinavian. I guess some of those relate to the official brand pillars, but I wonder how closely.

For me, picking one thing above all others, what resonates strongest is Scandinavian. Because I’ve visited Sweden (and loved the place) and because I like Swedish design and simplicity, the experience I’ve had with Saab cars really reflects their Scandinavian origin. They’re different.

Maybe different is the attribute that resonates with me the most and Scandinavian is a part of that? And maybe the fact that I can’t separate the two is indicative of some brand confusion?

——

Again – what does the Saab brand mean to you?

PIck the strongest single attribute that stands out for you, and a little bit about why.

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

Tuesday Snippets – Cool edition

December 14, 2010 in Saabology

Real-life work is ganging up on me this week, so things might be slower than usual. Here’s a grab bag of stuff to keep you going while I try to stay cool and get things done, like my pal to the right.

——

Victor Muller has been in Detroit recently, wining and dining some local pundits there including the Detroit Free Press’ Mark “The Love” Phelan:

It’s anybody’s guess whether Saab will recover from its near-death experience this year, but the Swedish brand will soon have the strongest vehicle lineup in its 73-year history thanks to investments by former owner GM and ceaseless deal-making by new owner Victor Muller.

Hey, what’s 10 years between friends?

Muller expects Saab to be profitable when the new 9-3 arrives in 2012. “We sold 125,000 cars in 2007, when the model line consisted of a 10-year-old 9-5 and seven-year-old 9-3,” he said. “In 2012, we will have the broadest and newest model line in the company’s history, and our break-even point will be 80,000 to 85,000 sales.”

Hey, what’s 3 years between friends?

Date issues aside, it’s a good read. Nothing new there for the well travelled Saaber, but good to see Saab in the news in the Motor City.

And Victor looks cool in the photo, too.

——

I’ve heard that Saab have started an investigation into the Saab 9-5 that caught fire in Linkoping over the weekend. I’m keeping an ear to the ground but as suspected, the cause is thought to be a non-factory-authorised engine heater.

——

The Chevy Volt is a lot of things (to me, at least): a genuine breakthrough, stylistically dated, revolutionary, visually challenged.

But it does have a really cool and useful app.

——

Via SaabActu, a video mashup featuring Saab, Tron and the dog from what is quite possibly the coolest Saab video never officially made – Blackbird. Cool.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z28us489V6E

——

Also from Saab Actu, a note that Saab France and moved to a new location. Nice spot. Cool.

——

Apparently Saab sponsored Manchester City back in the 1980s.

You can get this replica jersey from Kitbag. Retro-cool.

——

Saab will be showing an ad during Monday Night Football next week. Keep an eye out.

I’m not sure what game it’ll be, but it probably won’t be at the Metrodome in Minnesota, where conditions could be understated as being ….. cool.

——

A listing of 11 Ice Cold Scandinavian Cars, featuring a Koenigsegg and two Saabs. Should have been more. Ice Cold.

——

Finally, here’s an interesting read about some of the worst selling cars in the US.

Small cars aren’t doing so well, and the Subaru Tribeca (not a small car but one Saab could have built an SUV from a few years ago) gets some special unwanted attention at the bottom.

Not cool.

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

oiBPower badge brings the funk

December 14, 2010 in Saabology

Spotted at a dealership. Location and all names withheld for fear it might be remedied and spoil the funkiness :-)

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

“Dear Jonathan” – it seems Saab GB are listening

December 14, 2010 in News

It’s great to read stories about Saab responding to feedback. In this case, it’s the boatload of negative reviews that eminated from the British motoring press about the driving characteristics of the new Saab 9-5 on British roads.

The response?

Britain is one of the key markets in Europe for Saab, which is why they are treating the customers there with a specially upgraded version of the new 9-5 sedan with no change in pricing. The model is based on the Vector SE trim level and features leather trimmed seats as standard, replacing the previous leather and textile interior trim.

What’s more, they offer a set of 18 inch Carve alloy wheels, improving the aesthetic appeal of the car, replacing the regular 17 inch Blade alloy wheels.

In addition to the new wheels, they’ve also tweaked the chassis to enhance the dynamics and comfort. The previous sport chassis fitted as standard has now been replaced with a revised comfort chassis specification, so you get a sweet ride with the 2.0-litre TiD 160PS models equipped with manual transmission.

Jonathan Nash had this to say….

These improvements are the result of feedback from the UK automotive media. The improved driving characteristics address issues related to ride comfort on UK roads. The fact that the engineering team have managed to make the changes without affecting the impressive CO2 emissions of just 139g/km for the manual 2.0-litre TiD 160PS car show that the small independent Saab engineering team can respond very quickly to market requirements.

——

It’s great news, a great response, and I look forward to a new round of press reviews for the Saab 9-5.

Now, if only we could get some responses to issues raised from those November Saab sales in the US…..

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

Saab 9-4x comparison table

December 13, 2010 in Saabology

“Me” has put together another table of useful information (his previous one was in relation to the low emissions Saab 9-3 TTiD).

This one is concerned with Saab 9-4x competitors in the US market and once again it makes for interesting reading. The Lexus is the king of this sector and will likely remain so for some time, but the 9-4x matches the rest of the field on paper quite handily. The combination of size, power and price makes the Saab quite competitive in the field.

SizeWeight2WD/4WDHPFuelmpg Citympg HwyPrice
BMW X3 i3518342224300Petrol192641925
BMW X5 i35191.149604300Petrol--2347275
BMW X5 35d191.151924265Diesel192652675
Audi Q5 3.2182.242994270Petrol182343375
Audi Q7 3.0T200.351924272Petrol162247125
Audi Q7 3.0TDi200.355674225Diesel172552325
Volvo XC60 T6 AWD182.242254300Petrol172239825
Volvo XC90 3.2189.347512240Petrol162239275
Volvo XC90 V8 AWD189.348364311Petrol142148875
Merc ML350188.246302268Petrol162147365
Merc ML350 AWD188.247294268Petrol152049865
Merc ML 350 BluTec188.249744210Diesel182551365
Merc GL 350 Blutec200.654234210Diesel172161825
Lexus RX350 FWD187.841782275Petrol182539950
Lexus RX350 AWD187.843434275Petrol182441350
Cadillac SRX190.342242265Petrol182534615
Cadillac SRX AWD190.343074265Petrol172341540
Saab 9-4x190.142502265Petrol182534200
Saab 9-4x XWD*190.144254265Petrol172336700
Saab 9-4x Aero190.144254300Petrol152248835

——

* the base XWD price for the Saab 9-4x has not been released yet, but the base model is stated in this table. A price of $2,000 more or thereabouts is considered appropriate, but is still an estimate. “Premium” editions of the 3.0V6 start at just over $38,000.

Thanks once again to “Me” for the information. Hopefully I’ve transcribed it all correctly :-(

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

Student Saab Design concepts

December 13, 2010 in Saabology

Last month I shared some student designs from the Umea Institute of Design, which were done with Saab in mind, mixing the Saab brand along with the values of several other noted brands.

The illustration below is from another student designer from Umea, however it wasn’t amongst those covered in the earlier entry and from what I can tell, isn’t part of the ‘mixed brands’ project.

This car was designed by a student named Yungho Jung as a Saab for the year 2025. The aim is to prove that cars can be made safer for pedestrians without being boring to look at (regulations are standardising the proportions of many vehicles in the name of pedestrian safety).

The main theme of the project is safety, as Yungho noticed that most of accidents occur due to carelessness of drivers or speeding. The body of this Saab is made of a flexible composite and can change its shape, absorbing impacts to reduce damage.

Of course, Saab historians will remember that Saab pioneered flexible, impact absorbing bumpers in the early 1970s. This concept combines that idea and modern materials to bring the concept to the whole vehicle.

——

And whilst we’re talking student designs, this is a short animation from one of the Umea students, Travis Vanietti, who designed a Saab combined with brand values from Swedish retailer, H&M.

Innovating Dreams from TJ Vaninetti on Vimeo.

——

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

Press Release: SAAB GB APPOINTS NEW DEALERSHIP IN SCOTLAND

December 13, 2010 in News

No need to shout!

The following is a press release from Saab GB.

——

Saab GB is pleased to announce the appointment of a new dealership in Inverness.

Ness Motors Ltd, situated on the Harbour Road, opens for business on the 1st January, 2011, and will offer the full range of Saab vehicles as well as providing full servicing facilities, MOT testing and an extensive after sales department supplying parts and accessories.

The existing County Saab dealership at 60, Harbour Road will close its doors for the last time on 31st December, 2010.

Chris Rankin, Managing Director of Ness Motors Ltd, explains: “We are pleased to open this new Saab franchise and see great potential for increasing Saab’s market share in Inverness.

“Understandably some local Saab customers have expressed concerns over the changes, but I’d like to take this opportunity to reassure people that Ness Motors will take care of all their motoring needs. We look forward to welcoming new and existing customers to Ness Motors and can assure you that all customers will receive the very highest level of care and service.”

Jonathan Nash, Managing Director of Saab GB, said: “I am delighted to welcome Ness Motors into our network of dealers. Ness Motors have a wealth of experience in the motor industry and will maintain the standards of excellence that our customers expect.”

Ness Motors Ltd was established in 1960 and has a long successful history in Inverness and across Scotland. The principals of honesty, reliability and justice are paramount in the way that they run their business and these are applied both to the people who work at the company and customers.

To find out more pop in to see Chris and the team at Ness Motors Ltd, 35 Harbour Road, Inverness or ring 01463 227416.

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

Saab 9-4x to make European debut in Brussels(?)

December 13, 2010 in News

I’ve included a question mark in the headline as it hasn’t been fully confirmed yet, but I’ve received some indications that the Saab 9-4x might make its European debut at the Brussels Motor Show, which is on in January 2011.

I received this info third party from someone in Belgium. An email seeking some confirmation from a contact of my own drew what’s best referred to as a winking non-denial ;-)

So…. not definite yet, but if you’re in the region then pencil in the 15-23 of January next year as what is quite likely to be your first opportunity to see the production version of the Saab 9-4x for the first time.

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

Saab ad competition update

December 13, 2010 in Saabology

The (unofficial) Saab ad competition was an outstanding success, with more than 450 entries received.

Again, I must pass on thanks to our sponsors, who have supported this effort so generously and in doing so, have made this competition that little bit more interesting. Thanks to New Salem Saab, International Saab, ATS, transport services, SoonSaab, State of Nine, Maptun, Elkparts, Saab USA Parts, The Fudge A’fare and a couple of private donors.

——

We now have three judges in place and they’re currently going through the ads and shortlisting their favourites. Two of the judges are from the United States and one is from England. I can tell you that all three have had years of experience in the fields of advertising and marketing, particularly with Saab cars and we’re fortunate to have them on board.

I am not a judge, but I’ll cast a tie-breaker vote if needed (unlikely).

I’ve asked the judges to send me a list of 15-20 of their favourite ads. Of course, their preferences are not likely to be exactly the same, but hopefully there should be a reasonable number of common selections, enough to make up a group of finalists.

The final vote will belong to you, the readers of Saabs United, via a poll.

I sent these guidelines to the judges over the weekend:

——

1. What I’d like for you to be able to do is pick out your favourite 15-20 ads. If we’re all thinking along similar lines, then hopefully there should be enough ads in common between your three lists for me construct a final group of 10 or so for people to cast their vote on.

2. What are the judging criteria?

I initially asked people to do the following:

Design and construct a graphic and text suitable for a Saab magazine-style advertisment. Your ad needs to be ready to run – image and print all together in the one jpg file.

So that’s what should be at the top of your mind. A magazine style ad, either single page or double spread (depending on the shape of the ad submitted). If you were flicking through a magazine, would you stop at the ad? Would you read it? Would it make an impression on you, maybe enough of an impression to take an action?

3. Whilst impressive text is impressive, I would hate to rule out someone for whom English is not their native language if their concept is impressive but the expression shows they’re not a native English speaker. If someone’s got a great, original idea but the text could improve, then I think the idea should take precedence.

4. Where an ad is obviously reliant on other ads as part of a series, I think we should count the series as a whole. This, however, should not be confused with a series of ads along a similar theme, but which are standalone, complete ads in themselves. There are not many submitted that need to be judged as a series.

——

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

About the fiery Saab 9-5

December 13, 2010 in Saabology

In yesterday’s snippets entry, I posted a disturbing photo of a Saab 9-5 that had caught fire.

I mentioned in comments to this article that from anecdotal evidence, it seemed there has been two of these incidents, both around the same location. I can’t confirm if that’s the case, but it’s what I’d heard.

Anyway….

Dippen posted about this topic on the forum from the Saab Turbo Club of Sweden (the incident happened in Sweden) and one response there included the following (the guy commenting works at a dealership):

“I have heard that the engine heater from Defa (http://www.defa.com) can do damage if they are installed wrongly and bulletins have been sent out how to install it correctly. This is nothing that comes installed from the factory but is installed at the dealer”

I had also heard – from nowhere official, mind you – that this incident may have been related to an engine heater, so it’s good to have more information to put that line of thinking in context. If two similar incidents have happened in a similar location then it may be a matter of two incorrect installations originating from the same dealer.

If I hear any more about this I’ll follow it up.

Thanks Dippen!

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

Sunday Night Snippets

December 12, 2010 in Saabology

Remember the vote over at Jalopnik earlier this year, to get the Saab 99Turbo as a potential entry into an update pack for Forza3?

Well, the time has nearly come, and Forza3 players can get the update pack, including the 99Turbo as well as the Delorean DMC12 and a bunch of others.

The update pack will be available from Tuesday, December 14. Details over at Jalopnik (where there’s no 99T photo – boo!)

——

Saab have dropped their breakeven point from 130,000 cars when GM owned it to around 105,000 cars.

So reports the Detroit Free Press.

Saab are aiming at a breakeven of 85,000 cars when things get fully sorted.

——

Some numbers from Till, from Jan-Nov in the German market:

Volvo XC60
6723 sold, 6584 diesel, 3218 AWD

Q5
21017 sold, 17996 diesel

X3
9385 sold, 8865 diesel

As you can see, and as has been argued exhaustively by many, the majority of potential Saab 9-4x competitors are sold with diesel engines. That’s for sure.

But there’s still room there for some ex-US 9-4x sales with no added cost to Saab’s budget.

——

Saab Cars North America are sponsoring a New Years Eve event in Royal Oak, the spot in Detroit in which they’re located.

Thanks Jeff!

——

Two Saab 9-5s have apparently caught fire in similar locations, and in similar circumstances….

Looks like it might be a dealer vehicle. I’m sure they’re investigating.

——

A little bit of housekeeping, if I may.

I’d like to repeat something I wrote in comments earlier today.

……please cut the “If Saab don’t do [the thing I think is important] then the company is doomed” statements. Saab are doing a million things right at the moment. The thing you think they’re doing wrong might make you wince, but please don’t condemn them for eternity for it – your pessimism can be contagious, whether it’s well founded or unfounded.

Let me add something else to that.

The thing you think they’re doing wrong? There’s probably a pretty good reason for it. Saab don’t talk about obstacles they face. They talk about their products and your item of concern – in the big-picture real-world – shouldn’t overshadow what are a great set of product offerings (and getting better).

This is Saabs United, an enthusiast website. It’s not SaabArmchairQuarterbacks.com or SaabMustSatisfyMEorDie.com.

Lift your eyes a little. Saab are doing everything they can.

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

NYT review Saab 9-5

December 12, 2010 in Saabology

This one’s been discussed fairly extensively in comments, even before I got the dozen or so emails about it in my inbox (thanks all).

The word “spin” has already been mentioned in comments, so I was loathe to bring the whole thing to the front page. Why go over this if people aren’t going to read it with an open mind (and funny that they’ll take everything in the NYT as gospel but voluntarily come here and be cynical about what I might write).

Nevertheless…..

The New York Times has published a review of the Saab 9-5 and it would be fair to class it as “a mixed bag” of bouquets and bricks.

The reviewer – Laurence Ulrich – loves the fact that the 9-5 exists and even likes a lot of things about it, but feels that it shows too many signs of its GM origins and that it fades once you introduce it to some competition.

I’m not going to bother with addressing his more contentious points one by one in detail. There’s not a single thing in this review that’s new to a regular Saab reader, so any points I’d make are well known to you all. There are some things in this review that are fair points that I think Saab will address in coming model years (interior) and there are some things in the review that are just downright wrong or inappropriate (the unqualified comparison between an Aero model Saab and a base-mid model Buick).

Instead, I’ll bring these two things to the table.

1) The fact that everyone we’ve heard from who’s actually bought a Saab 9-5, loves it.

and

2) something that Hugh W, a New Yorker, posted in the comments discussion:

……while all of us wish that he would have said this is the car of the year, run out and buy it, I don’t think that it will do too much harm, and will likely help a lot. Let me explain. The NYTimes reader is intelligent and perhaps a bit cynical. They know that nothing is all good or all bad, that reviewers are sometimes concerned about little things that are of no concern to them, that to be a reviewer implies that there will be some not=picking and criticism. On the other-hand, there are enough good things said about the 9-5 to tickle the interest of anyone who has ever owned a Saab, especially those that have owned and liked their GM era 9-3s. But most importantly, it brings to a wide readership the fact that Saab is alive and has a new car, warts and all. For those that Saab was closed, for those looking for an alternative to the Germans, this is huge!!! They at least know now that there is a new kid on the block that’s worth checking out. Will they all buy? certainly not, but I’m equally certain that it will increase traffic into dealer’s showrooms and potential buyers and evaluate and decide for themselves.

The New York Times review of the Saab 9-5, which may require registration, is here.

Avatar of Swade

by Swade

Q&A re: Saab 9-4x in Sweden

December 11, 2010 in Saabology

Much has been made of the fact that there’s no diesel engine for the Saab 9-4x in Europe. Those who wish to bring their dissatisfaction to the surface again with the advent of this post – please save your keystrokes. It’s a regrettable situation, but everything’s been said already.

With that out of the way, Vi Bilgare in Sweden threw a few questions about the Saab 9-4x at Saab’s Swedish PR Manager, Hans-Jörgen Brandt, in their November 30 print issue.

The resulting article has been translated for us by JH:

Q: – Will there be differences between the 9-4X and the SRX in terms of the engine and gearbox? We drove the SRX with the 3-litre direct injection V6 engine with 260 hp and an automatic gearbox.
A: – The engine will be upgraded.

Q: – Will there be differences between the 9-4X and the SRX in terms of suspension, springs, shock absorbers, four-wheel-drive systems etc.?
A: – Yes, it will be customized for the Saab 9-4X.

Q: – What type of four-wheel-drive systems is it in the SRX and the 9-4X?
A: – Haldex.

Q: – Will there be a diesel engine? When? Where does it come from?
A: – Currently the engine lineup consists of the two engines that has antecedently been announced.

Q: – Are the prices for the 9-4X in Sweden finalised yet?
A: – No, they are not finalised yet.

Q: – Which is the target group for the 9-4X in Sweden?
A: – The target group is the customers who wants a different experience in the exciting and growing crossover segment.

Q: – Does Saab have the opportunity to cancel the 9-4X-project if it is not possible to find a diesel engine?
A: Saab has no plans to break signed contracts.

——

Of course, the interesting quote there is that the 3.0V6 will be upgraded in some way from the engine in 9-4x’s ugly sibling, the Cadillac SRX.

Outputs listed in the 9-4x press material indicate that the same power will be produced from this engine, so what form this upgrade will take remains a mystery. Perhaps it will be an emissions difference a-la the work done recently on the Saab 9-3 TTiD. Vi Bilgare called the SRX’s 269 g/km “planet-warming”.

I guess we’ll find out more when the model comes around for European launch.

68 visitors online now
51 guests, 17 members
Max visitors today: 82 at 02:17 pm CET
This month: 336 at 01-03-2012 03:25 pm CET
This year: 336 at 01-03-2012 03:25 pm CET
All time: 509 at 12-06-2011 09:07 pm CET