The 9-3X and 9-4X and 9-5 are too little, too late. They LOOK like SAABs at last, but they are really more of the same pointless GM-engineering.

Maybe Rick Wagoner should try writing really bad copies of excellent German opera. It's about all he's fit for.

 

A real shame.

I once many moons ago (early 80s) bought a beige-coloured (inside and out) 99 with 120K miles up, and I can still clearly remember NOW how AMAZINGLY tight, smooth and refined that car was compared to everything else around at that time REGARDLESS of miles up.

I gotta say I really do NOT like the horribly gimmicky plastic-sunglasses-look of the front ends of the latest Saabs - it seems like the whole ethos and understated quality of the car has just drained away. It would be great to see Saab survive somehow (hopefully back to their old values, rather than being bu$$ered up by GM DNA), but I just don't know enough about all of this to know whether that's in some way likely/possible or not..... GM really have seriously fecked Saab up: bummer.

RON

 

That's a difficult one, Ron.

The likelihood is they'll be bought by Chery or someone.

The chances of them being able to develop standalone platforms and powertrains are slim, though. Even if they re-developed the GM Epsilon platform from something half-decent to something very decent, it would probably be enough for a decent car, but not for real SAAB DNA.

And the collapse and GM-isation HAS damaged the brand and turning it around now will be virtually impossible.