Saab New York Press Conference

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Saab gave their press conference today and as expected, no explosive details were revealed, though the EIB loan process was detailed. Victor showed a more humble side, instead of expressing over the top optimism, he toned it down to express a more pragmatic vision for Saab’s current situation. Here’s hoping that next year’s press conference gets back to the excitement and enthusiasm we’re used to, when we’ll get to see the new 9-3 in the metal.

30 thoughts on “Saab New York Press Conference”

    • It’s on youtube now as you can see above Gerrit 🙂 I rushed that one for you. The scene was very positive, press pretty much have discounted the situation, it’s as if everyone just knows and trusts Vladimir Antonov has the means to get the job done. I spoke with reporters from the New York Times, Car and Driver, the Wall Street Journal – all agreed that Saab has a bright future ahead and this was just a blip. The Swedish media really blew this one up, sometimes you just need to have a little faith.

      • Thanks Jeff.
        Vladimir Antonov riding in on a White Horse to save Saab? Although I’m convinced about his good intentions, the White Horse thingy always makes me antsy.

      • I spoke with reporters from the New York Times, Car and Driver, the Wall Street Journal – all agreed that Saab has a bright future ahead and this was just a blip.

        This would be terrific news for Saab. Publicity has become a major hurdle for them, and if automotive journalists agree that their financial headache is indeed a small and temporary setback, it would be hugely beneficial for them to come forward in their reporting and say so.

        Thanks for the great update, Jeff.

  7. Great speaches and presentation.

    Um, mobile phone technology controlling my car?

    It’ll take ages to start (waiting for upgrades) and ages to stop (installing upgrades do not turn off!).

    • I have a video of it in action. It works pretty well actually (shockingly). They’re really stripping out a lot of the fancy features/games/animations that bog down the current crop of phones. At the rate that mobile processors are advancing, don’t be surprised to see a very stable, closed/controlled IQon systems that rarely ever gives u hassles. Saab has a clear vision of where they’re going with this tech.

      • In my car I want the radio to work when I want it to and the CD player to work when I want it to.

        When I’m driving, I don’t want to access the web, read my emails or interact with the outside world by any electronic means other than having music playing in the car.

        In all of my 4 Saab’s I have installed Pure Highway DAB radios because Planet Rock is only available on DAB. They’re great when they work, but they do have a habit of crashing and requiring to be reset. In fact virtually all DAB radios have a reset facility and can be upgraded by broadcast data (which also means they can go wrong with a weak or scrambled signal).

        I think that the idea of having open source software based on the android platform is a bold move. It will look flashy in the showroom, but on the road, when it crashes out, how distracting will that be?

        If it works reliably then sign me up.

        • Although Android is open source the applications available to IQon will be closed. They will be tested and verified by SAAB before they will become available for download. Let’s stay clear of discussions about possible ‘jailbreak’ solutions because this can and would lead to all sorts of problems that the user would bring upon themselves for invalidating the IQon EULA.

  10. I really like the line about “Interesting press presence”. I have to agree, it seemed honest and to the point. As far as not giving warm and fuzzy, I think all anyone can ask for is an honest approach to what is going on, which I think we got.

    • I think Victor did exactly what he needed to, and the dose of humility should hopefully be welcomed by the Swedish press. (crossing my fingers)

      • I don’t know when this man sleeps, right after that he had a conference call with the North American dealers and from what I understand was very upbeat and left everyone on the call feeling the same way. Just like gas, this too will pass.

  11. I just noticed something on the NY auto show’s official page that I found interesting.

    While searching the list of exhibitors to see where Saab is located (Hall 4), I saw that if you scroll over Saab’s listing, a message pops up offering a, “$500 gift certificate towards a new Saab vehicle!” I’ve posted the image here.

    It’s not much, but still a cool way to extend an added incentive to potential buyers visiting the show. And none of the other manufacturers I saw seemed to have a similar promotion. 🙂 Nice job, Saab!

  12. Great reports from New York Auto Show and the press conference. I had also hoped on good news from EIB, but we have to wait a little. I am sure Saab will have a great time in US with the new cars and many old Saab buyers will have a chance to come back to their favorite car. But there is a lot of hard work anyway!

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