UPDATED below
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Djup Strupe (that’s Swedish for “Deep Throat”, the name for our secret Saab insider) has been in touch recently and provided me with the following Saab future model news.
I should mention that this comes direct from one of Saab’s major markets. Whilst timing may differ for other markets, seeing this is one of Saab’s top 6 markets, it shouldn’t differ too much for most.
There’s good news and there’s bad news. I’ll give my thoughts on which is which afterwards.
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December 2008: We’ll get to see initial info and photos for the new Saab 9-5 sedan (Jan 09 – no pics came)
February 2009: Motorshow appearance for 9-5 sedan (Jan 09 – not happening)
September 2009: 9-5 Sedan on the road
February 2010: Launch for the Saab 9-4x
September 2010: Saab 9-5 wagon and 9-3x launch (Jan 09 – 9-3x to be shown at Geneva in March 09)
2011: Saab 9-3, written to me as being a facelift
2012: Saab 9-1 launch
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The good news is that there’s news of all four cars in the proposed Saab model range there. The 9-1 right through to the 9-5 with the 9-4x and 9-3x there as well. Whether the 9-1 is actually definite or not at this point is anyone’s guess, but it looks like it’s definitely in the plans and with a date like that being circulated around Djup Strupe it means a decision might be imminent.
The bad news could be a calendar-year 2010 launch for the Saab 9-4x (a little later than expected), or a late 2010 launch for the Saab 9-3x (what could possibly take so long??), or maybe the 2011 Saab 9-3 being described as a facelift.
However you consider the news, it looks like Saab nuts are going to have to exhibit considerable patience for some time to come.
My tip: buy a cheap fun car to throw around in the meantime.
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UPDATE:
I’ve received another Djup Strupe email (different DS) indicating that project 540 was earmarked for 2011, meaning that the 9-3 due that year will be the all-new model rather than the ‘facelift’ noted above.
I used the word facelift as that’s how it was communicated to me, however the meaning may have been lost in translation.
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A recent communication with Saab indicated that they were looking to the XWD 9-3 SportCombi to cross any gap between the 9-7x’s demise and the release of the 9-4x. I’d imagine the correspondent was referring to the 9-3x, which would make sense in that particular market (the US) and this would infer that the 9-3x would be seen some time in 2009.
Regarding the 9-3x info from Djup Strupe, above, it’s fair to draw the conclusion that the info doesn’t come from the US market and therefore, that the 9-3x might be released there first and in other markets at a later time depending on the demand they anticipate.
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