Saab 9-5 packing 1.6-liter turbo in Europe
August 12, 2008 by tsikot · Comments Off
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Wagons/Estates, Saab
Saab’s rumored decision to downsize its engines gets some confirmation today, as reports indicate that the Swedish brand’s next 9-5 will get just 1.6-liters of displacement for its base engine. However, power should still be up to par, as the mill will get a high-pressure turbocharger to boost output. Despite the small-bore engine, the next 9-5 will be built atop the Epsilon II platform which underpins the latest Opel Insignia and which will cause the new 9-5 to grow in size compared to the current car. The 9-3 will move down to the Delta platform, shared with the Chevy Cruze and other mid-size derivatives.
In addition to the little 1.6, the up-level Saab will get at least one diesel engine along with the 2.8-liter V6 from the GM parts bin. Its Swedish heritage will remain intact thanks to the continued usage of Saab’s BioPower engines, which combine high-pressure turbocharging with small, E85-fueled four-cylinder engines and an all-wheel drive system similar to the one just released on the latest 9-3.
[Source: Channel 4]
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Saab 9-3X, 9-3 concept coming to Paris?
August 5, 2008 by tsikot · Comments Off
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Wagons/Estates, Euro, Paris Motor Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Saab
The Saab 9-3X will be a soft-roading version of the Swedish brand’s bread-and-butter sedan and wagon, a.k.a. SportCombi, and word has it that the all-wheel-drive wonders will be making their debut at the Paris Motor Show in October. Unlike the performance-oriented Turbo X, the 9-3X will use its Haldex AWD system for tackling particularly deep potholes, traversing heavily packed snow and otherwise offering its owners the sure footedness that comes with all four wheels turning at once. Based on our previous spy photos, we expect the 9-3X to look the part with fender flares, a lifted suspension and faux skid plates. Seriously though, adding AWD to the 9-3 in a mini-SUV package is a smart move right now and one that’s been paying Subaru dividends for some time.
Also on the docket for a Paris debut is a new 9-3 concept that should preview what the next iteration of the sedan and wagon will look like. Our flights are booked, hotel rooms reserved and appetite for pasta at a fever pitch, so we’ll bring you live coverage of these two reveals as they happen from Italy in early October.
[Source: Channel4]
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GM cuts Saab powertrain warranty down to four years/50,000 miles
July 28, 2008 by tsikot · Comments Off
Filed under: Car Buying, Maintenance, Saab
As if selling a quirky Swedish brand wasn’t hard enough, Saab dealers will now have to do it with a smaller powertrain warranty. Effective immediately for 2009 models, all powertrain warranties on Saab vehicles will be reduced to four-years or 50,000 miles. Most media outlets, including Automotive News, are reporting that Saab’s current warranty is seven-years and 100,000 miles for its powertrains, but that’s inaccurate. Saab’s powertrain warranty has the been the same as the rest of GM’s brands since they were all increased in September, 2006 to five-years or 100,000 miles. So the new Saab powertrain warranty lops one year and 50,000 miles off the old one. The brand will keep its free scheduled maintenance offer for three-years or 36,000 miles, however, to remain somewhat competitive with other entry-level luxury marques. GM noted that no other brands are reducing their warranties, just Saab, so you better hope your brand new 9-3 was built on a Wednesday.
[Source: All Cars, All the Time]
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HUMMER has bidders, next Saab to be built in N.A.
July 25, 2008 by tsikot · Comments Off
Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, GM, HUMMER, Saab
General Motors CEO, Rick Wagoner, mentioned in passing that several parties have expressed interest in purchasing HUMMER and that GM is moving as quickly as possible to seal the deal. “We have some interested buyers,” Wagoner told reports while attending the opening of a new GM engineering and development center.
The sale of HUMMER would help fund GM’s attempt to boost liquidity to the tune of $15 billion by the end of 2009. Other brands could be cut or paired down, but Wagoner insists that Saab will continue to soldier on. “Saab is a critical part of our European portfolio and has the potential to be quite a good moneymaker for us.” He went on to say that the next Saab will be built in North America, although it wasn’t divulged what model would be produced or where.
[Source: Reuters]
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GM Europe decides to downsize future Saabs
July 24, 2008 by tsikot · Comments Off
The midsized sedan has been growing in all directions for decades, but soaring fuel prices have customers begging for something smaller. GM is heeding the call as it is preparing a smaller batch of next generation Saabs. The next 9-3 was originally slated to be underpinned by the Epsilon II, but in March GM decided to instead utilize the lower-medium Delta architecture. The Delta platform will also be used for the next-gen Chevy Cruze, which is slated to eventually replace the Cobalt. The end result will be a smaller, lighter, more efficient Swedish sedan.
With the 9-3 shrinking, Saab will also need to down-size its planned 9-1, which was originally scheduled to be Delta-based. Speculation has Saab reaching into GM’s global architecture bin to use the Gamma platform that currently underpins the Opel Corsa. The idea has legs, too, as the Swedish automaker calls the idea “imaginable.” Both vehicles are said to contain small, efficient turbocharged powertrains, which is in line with what Saab already uses. We’re all for smaller, more agile Saabs, and killer fuel economy wouldn’t hurt either.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
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