The more serious stuff is below, including a very good look at the Saab 9-5 SportCombi.
I’ve only just had a chance to settle in front of the computer after another travel day, coming from Geneva to Gothenburg via London. You wouldn’t think it would take that long, but it did.
Anyway, I’m knackered. But I did received the following question via email from Rikard tonight.
[Let’s imagine] You need to fit 4 kids and 2 adults into a car along with luggage. Will we ever see a SAAB that can manage this equation… legally…?
The serious answer to this question, according to everything I know, is “No”. There are no plans for a 7-seat Saab as far as I’m aware.
However, given that I’m rather tired, my mind has entered that creative space where you come up with unusual solutions.
My proposal is that Saab allow customers to register their children with their local dealers. When the number of progeny reaches three, the dealer can then send out Saab-branded birth control solutions, for either the male or female, depending on customer preference.
This would save the customer from the embarrassment of having to get a minivan and it would keep customers in the Saab family.
I’ve even come up with a slogan for the campaign:
Regular ‘servicing’ is important. Just make sure you do it safely with your Saab dealer
How am I doing?
——
Like I said. Serious Saaby stuff is below.
My 2 cents on the PhoeniX and a visit to the Saab museum coming up tomorrow 🙂
Have a good one.
Birthcontrol ? Very unusual indeed.
Maybe a appropriate warning sign somewhere while testing the compartment-lenght of the 9-5SC with the back seats down is needed.
Well anyway, putting the children in the trunk isn’t sensible either. Saab did it in the sixties and I wouldn’t call it the safe way. Thankfully saab stopped doing it long ago.
And all those actual mpvs & suvs with a third row, well they still let you put your children in the very back …
You are doing fine Swade. Have fun in your creative space. 😉
I saw last week that the MB E-class wagon will now be available with rear-facing seats in the luggage area.
They always were. Available, I mean. Had them in my ’87 W124 300TE.
Ivo
I would have thought that it would be better for the kids to be in a rear facing car seat in the trunk of a 9-5 SC. Many of those 7-seater vehicles do not look very safe to me. Difficult to drive and hardly as sturdy as a Saab.
Just put the ugly kids in the trunk. That’s my advice.
Swade… time to hit the sack buddy…
Just make sure you ask for “synthetic” when you register with your Saab service department. 😉
Swade, you are sometimes such a philosopher. I thought you would answer that big families could get a UPS subscription from Saab for free, so they could sent their children per UPS, wherever they wanted to go during holidays. 😛
Or just a 2-for-1 deal on Saabs for larger families. Buy a 9-5combi, get a bonus sedan. Real brains-trust here at SU.
Any news on Saab actively building their brand story by supporting their most famous blogger? Come on Saab, offer him a job to continue this superb blog. I’m pretty sure Swade easily hits break even…
+10 x 10 to the 90th power.
In all seriousness, how cool would it be to have some rear jumper seats? In the next iteration of Phoenix, my ultimate dream is for the 9-4x to become the 9-3x on roids with unique chunky styling (Q5 sized) and a 9-6x (XC90 sized) based on the lengthened Phoenix platform offering seats for 7. Worth thinking about….
We have the inverse question of 4 adults and 2 children but the real answer to that is don’t allow in-laws in your Saab.
Get some sleep Swade, you deserve it.
ha ha ha !
You have done so much for us and our beloved brand even found THE solution for Saab families (that Saab could not find any in the future)!
Well Swade, maybe just like many people here I am extremely curious to get soon your real 1st true opinion about this controversial concept… Out there at the Saab Sport Club or on Saab actu, many criticisms about this PhoeniX even if one should agry with the good communication start for Saab alive. Some name has been back as good memories such as Simon Padian… I do not know what to say to people : defending the PhoeniX as a part of Saab history? Excluding it and focus on existing beautiful Saab cars and the future? Me too I can say “I want the Saab”, but to what extension?…
Simplicity, stability are the remain and constant values of Saab design from the very Urssaab til the 9-3 III. Precisely the Sonett was NOT that relevant from this point of view. As a mater of fact this inspiring Sonett for JC has desappointed. If they – at the Design and production Trollhättan team – tried to deny it, we all should be very sceptical about 2012. Fortunately they keep saying that the future 9-? will not be PhoeniX like in most details but the nose
(sorry for the wrong letters or missing words here and there in m’y comments : Iphone…)
I think I just heard Swade plane flying over Benelux.
Getting two saab phoenixes will solve the problem fine.
I’ll make some creative space for both cars under my carport.
I can’t “brain” today either. Glad to know that I wasn’t alone. 🙂
Is this the new satiric, sarcastic and cynical Swade? If so im all for it!
Actually, the 9-4X should be able to take a third row of seats.
Just a thought.
🙂 !
@Rickard may wish to consider this recent solution from a British company with crash testing carried out in Sweden. It conforms to several European safety/legal legislations including Swedens’ road transport research organisation, VTI.
It is a rear seat ‘adapter’ that can carry four children between the ages of 0-12 and up to 36kg:
http://www.multimac.co.uk/safety
With increasingly compact propulsion units and advances elsewhere, there may be a strong chance that Saab introduces a model with seating for 6 (3+3) just as Sason Sixten envisaged back in 1947!
I hate you, Swade ;-). Tell Peter that he’d better start brushing up on those guitar licks if the band’s getting back together.
Knackered but still manages to amuse us. We’d best make the most of it while we still have him but seriosl Swade, you shud rest. 🙂
Birthcontrol? Yes, anything that keeps those damn minivans and SUV’s off the road.
What about this slogan?
‘Snip-snip by Saab’
Thank you Swade – I love this site 🙂
LOL! Swade, you need to turn off the computer and go to bed.
Actually you could go for the SAAB 95 combi up till 1975 they had the option 7 seats .
Maybe some third party could come up with a trunk solution that attaches to the cargo rails?!
There is a 7-seated Saab already! The classic 95 that came already in the late 1950th with two extra seats in the trunk. So birthcontrol should start at 7-children.
Good Morning Swade,
I hope that you took your time at breakfast, it is fairly varied.
It’s too late for the creative birthcontrol tip though.
It would be cool if the engineers at SAAB (the very creative and versitile engineers) could make a better version of a mix of vehicles like the M-B R Class or Citroën Grand Picasso.
BTW, mr Mueller has many kids as well. He cannot be driving around in a Multivan or something like that… It should be a SAAB
G’day
Interestingly, the PhoeniX concept takes design cues from the 7-seater SAAB 95. Remember it had a slot on the roof which channelled air down over the tailgate to resolve turbulence and keep it clean? Similar to the controversial Winglets? (which look like they could take someone’s head off!)
Never liked the idea of putting my children into the rear crumple zone. They liked looking out the back, but imagine the psychological scars from a rear-end shunt even if they were physically OK.
I also didn’t like the new concept at first site, but it’s grown on me. But then, if you want boring, don’t employ Jason Castriota!
p.s. I’m on SAAB #12
Well, you didn’t mention where Rikard lives, but if they haven’t changed the law since last I checked, in Sweden it’s perfectly legal to fit >5 people into any car as long as they are lean-arsed enough to be able to find seat room. The law only requires a seat belt to be worn “if there is one available”, so if you fit 4 people in the back seat, you won’t be fined for not buckling up the 4th one. So, the question is not really a matter of legality, but more a matter of passenger voluminousness and whether or not you’re ok with letting some of the passengers ride without seat belts.
Great stuff this multimac thing,
so lots of fun without birthcontrol are still possible.
And it does fit in both 9-3 & 9-5, which makes it possible to have 8 brothers or sisters for the youngsters and still having holiday trips safely with both cars. 😉
This makes me think that Swade needs his own Wikiquote page! 😉