Saab US Sales August 2011

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How Saab continues to sell this many cars under these circumstances is beyond me. Well done,  US dealers. Sales are up over 25% over August 2010. Perhaps RedJ’s prediction was low? I certainly hope so.

Notice that 9-4X sales are picking up well, but I expect with the right promotion this to be Saab’s #1 seller in the US.

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37 thoughts on “Saab US Sales August 2011”

  1. Sorry for coming across as a ba$tard for being so blunt, but they sell because the unsold inventory is on lots.

    It is quite interesting that sales haven’t gone to close to zero, showing there’s a small but vibrant SAAB enthusiasts community in the US. The stock to sales info is also interesting to see. I’d be very interested at finding average transdaction prices compared to MSRP; that would be valuable information to add to the stock and unit sales statistics, so the analysis could be more complete. 😉

  4. That new Saab CEO is doing a great job if you ask me.

    Those 9-5s are selling quite well considering the cloud of trouble that continues to hang over the brand!

    Good job Saab USA

  5. Tim Colbeck is a great new COO for Saab North America and will do many great things for the Saab in the US in the future. He is definitely the right executive for the job. However the US sales success in August relative to the storm of negative news is 100% on the backs of a hard fighting dealer network and their sales force. We deserve all the credit on this one: the dealers made this happen virtually unassisted. The very loyal and optimistic customer base deserves a very special thanks. These are the ones who are fully aware of all the news and speculation and remain positive about a successful outcome. Supporting this brand starts with supporting the dealer network.

  6. I’m happy now! Saab sells a good thing for the different markets. And even though the factory has stood still for a long time. So with those numbers now what should it not be when saab will start again and bring new products .. It will of course be suckse Saab course to take market share. It’s something I’m sure:) My idea falls a little on the concept car Phoenix ….. I think you all understand ….

  7. Some advertising pushing the 9-4x couldn’t hurt. I took a close look at one at the dealer the other day and will be taking a closer look tomorrow – it looks like a really nice vehicle.

    There are some problems:

    on saabusa, the “Build Your Saab” page doesn’t offer the 9-4x as an option. You can get to it via the vehicle menu, but it needs to be absolutely in-your-face obvious if you want to reach the widest possible audience, which is something Saab needs to do right now.

    Also, $48010 MSRP? Really? The BMW X3 (xDrive35i) is $41,050, and the xDrive28i is $36750, base MRSP. I just priced out the xDrive35i with the options I would want (which is far better equipped than a 9-4x Aero – which admittedly offers only two options, and BONUS! – the X3 sound system doesn’t have “no highs, no lows, must be BOSE” speakers) and it came to about the same as the 9-4x Aero with only the options available (moonroof and rear seat package) – $50,980 not quite fully loaded. Plus, at $48K base price, you shouldn’t get a “sea of plastic” dashboard.

    Again, I know I post this endlessly on SC, but am going to here on SU as well; Saab needs to bump up the quality of materials and also offer more value for the MSRP, or they need to drop the MSRP. Either method will get more car buyers into Saab showrooms. MSRP for MSRP, Saab isn’t going to win against their claimed competition.

    • Show me the full options list you selected for the X3 you priced out. I’m curious to see it. I’m at $56K when I equip an X3 xDrive35i like a 9-4X Aero.

      There’s a 9-4X premium at my dealer which they want $43K for ($46K sticker). It has all options including the rear entertainment system. Show me what SUV I can get for $43K with pano roof, nav, ventilated/heated seats, cornering HID lights with LED detail, cooled glovebox, XWD with eLSD (or a system as capable that doesn’t rely on braking for 4WD), I could keep going. The only one I can find that comes close on price is the Volvo XC60 when equipped with the premier package. Seriously, I’m interested to see what you dig up, it’ll help me in a future post here.

      The wood trim actually looks better in the 9-4X than the Brushed metal look too, it looks real in the 9-4X, it doesn’t in the 9-5. Not sure if it’s an American supplier of the fake wood vs. a Euro one issue, but whoever they’re using for the wood in the 9-4X they should see if they can get them to supply the 9-5 too. I agree Saab has an issue with interior plastics and not enough brightwork, their chrome effect details are either poorly placed or there’s not enough, the soft touch padding isn’t soft enough, and the matte plastic needs to have a better grain to it (much softer, less hard…it’s an easy etching process, they should to switch suppliers or figure out a solution for the new 9-3). So yes, I agree details are important, they should be addressed.

      All thet said, none of these things are deal breakers for me. The driver wrapped cockpit and sloping dash in the new 9-4X and 9-5 are truly special to behold and blows the competition away from a design standpoint. Sitting behind the wheel of a Saab vs. an Audi, BMW, Volvo, or Mercedes is a very, very different experience.

      • Add another 9-4X to the August sales data … we picked our Moreland Metallic Premium, fully loaded, from Barry at the Memphis dealership today. I drove 356 miles home, without a stop (no rest or fill-up) as the CUV was that fun to drive. The moonroof is amazing; I really enjoyed the sport mode; the detail throughout the vehicle is impressive too. Thanks again Saab for another great vehicle, and thank you Barry for making this a very easy transaction! Have a great weekend, folks. – E

      • Because it sits lower, people like to compare the 9-4X to the X3. But park one next to the other in the supermarket parking lot and you’ll see you’re right, the 9-4X is much more in the X5 field than X3.

      • In most areas the 9-4x splits the difference between the two BMWs. I like that about it. The rear seat is smaller than the X3 in the 9-4x though (in leg room and head room) but it has more shoulder room. It holds more stuff in the back with the seat up, but when the seat is down the X3 holds more. The thing that bugs me most is that it is as long as the X5, but has the wheelbase of the X3. I don’t like long noses or tails.

        Curb weight:
        X3 @ 4,222
        9-4x @ 4,650
        X5 @ 4,960

        Wheelbase:
        9-4X @ 110.5″
        X3 @ 110.6″
        X5 @ 115.5″

        Length:
        X3 @ 183.0″
        9-4X @ 190.1″
        X5 @ 191.2″

        Width:
        X3 @ 74.1″
        9-4x @ 75.0″
        X5 @ 76.1″

        Height:
        X3 @ 65.4″
        9-4X @ 66.1″
        X5 @ 69.9″

        • Quixcube, I stand corrected about the width of the two cars. I got the number for the Saab obviously with side mirrors incl. Saab 2080 mm and 2197 mm for the X5.

          So why the doesn’t Saab USA have the features and specs for the 9-4X up on their pages by now?!

    • Kim, there is a build your own option for the 9-4X. Instead of the “build your own” option tab, go under first tab “Vehicles” and 9-4X is 5th Saab over and “Build your own is there :).

  8. These US figures are encouraging, given the circumstances. One advantage in this case is the fact that many (if not most) US buyers purchase cars off the lot, even new ones, rather than ordering custom built cars. So, there’s plenty of inventory for now–though, I’ve noticed a dearth of new 9-3s at some local dealers in Boston. It is also the case that many Saab dealers have been offering substantial sales, from $4,000 up to $10,000 off. SCNA members can get an additional $500 off on new vehicles. I’d imagine that they are aware of the news, though. It shows that there are plenty of people in the US who really want Saab to thrive. Also to remember is the fact that it would seem unlikely that owners of a 2008-2010 9-3 would be buyers of a 2011, since the vehicles are mostly unchanged. (That was an issue I had with TIMR’s thoughtful post yesterday suggesting that current owners trade in for a new vehicle–why would a 2008 9-3 owner trade up to 2011?) So, the happy owners of new 9-3s were either owners of older models or are new to Saab.

    • Wait, an unsold NEW TurboX? Sounds too good to be true… Are they holding on to it so that it can become a collector item because of its low miles, or is it used?

    • I wondered what happened to that Turbo-X. It has not been on Scoggin-Dickey’s website for almost two years in either their new or pre-owned sections.

      What do they want for it? Has it hit 1000 miles yet?

    • Speaking of the TurboX … if anyone is interested in a used TurboX, I’m likely going to part with mine ONLY because it doesn’t hold a family of 4 comfortably for long distances. With our new 9-4X and our 2010 9-5 Aero, my X is holding the short straw I”m afraid. It is a stick, has navigation, and under 16K miles on the odometer. 4 yr/50K warranty goes through Aug 12. If interested, please PM me. I’ll likely get it up on Autotrader by the end of next week …

        • It’s a sedan, manual, and with nav. We plan to list it on autotrader dot com for $24,449, which is about 3K below KBB. To be honest, I thought clicking my name led to a PM, but I guess the site doesn’t support it. (I clicked your name and saw pictures of your awesome cars though!) If you’re interested, shoot me an e-mail at productions at seascapefilms dot com. We’re in north western Louisiana. Cheers.

  10. I´m curious about where all the 1000 units of my11 of 9-4x ended up? They were dedicated US afaik.
    Ytd 82 + stock 275 = 357
    Thought they´ve started the my12 by now?
    No criticism, only curious. 🙂
    Good work, US!

    • Stefan, not all cars have been delivered to the dealers.
      MY12 Production start was scheduled for September 15th, according to AN.
      And yes, MY11 was a US-only MY.

    • Any MY11 9-4Xs that Saab dealers ordered which were not made before the production line stopped for MY swapover, rolled over to MY12. For example, the Memphis dealership ordered 5 9-4Xs, but only received one. The other 4 are still “on order”, but now listed as MY12 ones. I should also point out that the Memphis dealership then went out and made offers on 9-4Xs from other closing Saab dealers here in the US, and now have quite the selection … including several of the hard-to-find Moreland Bronze. An Aero Pearl Ice one arrives there early next week also … If I had to guess I’d say they have between 6 or 7 total 9-4Xs now.

      • BTW,
        Moreland Bronze is the 9-4x colour.

        I still have to see it IRL, but from the pictures I’ve seen till now, it makes the car look best.

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