With the likelihood of Saab finding a buyer dwindling with every passing minute, GM may be looking past the reality of Saab’s inevitable death. A Swedish newspaper is reporting that GM may be seriously considering resurrecting the not-yet-born, and not-yet-dead 2010 Saab 9-5 in the form of a Buick .
To those who have followed Saab over the years it is likely quite clear that Saab’s carry a very distinct design language – with lines of their own. So the news of a possible re-badged Saab may strike some as odd – if not impossible. At first glance, that may very well make sense, but upon further investigation and the realization that the new Saab 9-5 actually shares a great deal with the Opel Insignia (due to parallel development), the idea starts to make a little more sense – and less at the same time. It makes sense because GM has found some great gems in the Opel brand to bring stateside, but the problem here lies in the fact that GM already created a Buick on this platform – meaning there would be substantial overlap in the Buick lineup.
Saab has enjoyed very little in terms of design language reinvention over the last decade, but the new Saab 9-5, although true in general form to Saab legacy, actually boasts a fresh and modern design language of its own.
The speculative reports coming from the Swedish newspaper, Dagens Industri, suggest if no proper suitor can be found for Saab that at least the work done to create the now complete 2010 Saab 9-5 could possibly find life in the form of a Buick. Considering the recent renaissance within the Buick brand already taking place with the new, edgier LaCrosse, Regal and upcoming Excelle sedans – the idea of a “radical” Buick taking shape with lines true to the Saab heritage may not be so far fetched.
It seems as if GM is treating Buick as a type of testing ground for new designs already – so introducing one of the most modern Saab designs ever created with a more popular Buick nameplate just might be exactly what the 9-5 needed to finally achieve volume sales.
