Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Saab plant reopens, production to resume by year's end?

Saab is gearing up to start production of the 9-3 again in September, two years after the last exampled rolled off the assembly line at the company's Trollhättan factory, Aftonbladet reports. Saab's new owner, National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS), a Chinese-Japanese consortium created solely to buy Saab, says that the model's parts supply is the bottleneck in the production process, understandable since many of Saab's suppliers closed after it stopped production two years ago. The automaker also needs to establish a new dealership network. It is not entirely clear where Saab will market their new models, but North America is not expected to figure into their plans, at least initially.

Almost 400 factory employees are reportedly back working at Trollhättan, and Saab is looking to recruit 180 workers to help with production, presuming the factory can overcome its supply issues and go back online in the fall.

The new 9-3 is understood to be something short of an all-new car, a revision of the old 9-3 that started production in 2002. It will reportedly be offered initially as a four-door sedan and two-door convertible, and it will have a turbocharged engine, according to NEVS, which we expect will be a four cylinder. An electric 9-3 could come as early as next year. Turbocharged engines are part of Saab's DNA, NEVS Vice President Mattias Bergman has stated, and future Saab models will have them – despite the automaker's planned progression toward electric vehicles. The 9-3 will get small facelifts over time, says Mikael Östlund, a press officer at NEVS.

A new model based on the Phoenix platform also is expected, but that car is still at least a few years away, Östlund says.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/08/19/s...-by-years-end/

mmarshall

GM, IMO, never should have bought out the Saab nameplate years ago.....they essentially ruined the brand. It's hard to remember the last REAL (i.e., Swedish-designed) Saab. Most of the company's more recent offerings were either redone/rebadged Subarus, Chevy/GMC, Opels, or GM world-platforms.

I8ABMR

Saab products over the last 20 years have been weak at best. The cars were never reliable and they were full of odd and quirky features. I hope they can bring this brand back from the grave but Im not holding my breath on this. Saab doesnt really have a reputation for anything anymore. Its been sooooo long since they produced anything on enthusiasts radar

mmarshall

The Saab PR people tried to justify those silly floor/console-mounted ignition switches (which were not done, BTW, on the Subaru Impreza-rebadged Saab 9-2X) on a potential safety-issue......keeping one's body from striking the exposed key and causing injury in a crash.

2BENVD

iTrader: (1)

Long live the Saab

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

eh forget about the forgettable 9-3. Just produce the new 9-5 and 9-4X till a new 9-3 can come to market

I8ABMR

I remember a friends had the battery under the front passenger seat. Just seemed random as hell. I forgot about the ignition switch. Just funky, but not in a good way. When I think of the Porsche left sided ignition that came from the Le Mans racer cars where the driver would jump in the car start the car with their left hand and put the car in gear with their right hand, it makes sense. In the Saabs of 20-25 years ago there just seemed like there were many random and odd design features. I guess the ignition placement to protect the knee during a collision makes sense but why not higher up on the dash or the steering column like every other manufacturer ??

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

just another 'saab' story...