Biohybrid Saab 9-X concept put on hold, likely to stray further from concept
08/01/2008, 2:39 PM
By paulee
Development work on the Saab 9-X Biohybrid concept revealed at the Geneva Auto Show has been put on hold, company sources cited in Friday’s reports have revealed. The in-house staff at GM Europe and Saab are debating what platform the car, which is to become the Saab 9-1, will use.
According to Jan-Ake Jonsson, the Managing Director of Saab, the 9-X concept has to be “redefined.” Thus far, the 9-1 was to be built on the same platform that underpins the next-generation 9-3 as well as Chevy’s Cruze, though Saab recently decided to downsize its future line-up, making the concept no longer suitable for such a small platform.
Now, the executives are faced with building the 9-1 on a smaller platform, which would change it to a premium supermini and make it lose its unique features, including the active aerodynamics that increased economy by reducing its drag at speeds higher than 43mph.
Power for the concept car was expected to come from a 200-horsepower, 1.4-liter BioPower turbo engine coupled to an electric motor with lithium ion battery.
08/01, 2:47 PM
posted by:
Mr. Piston
If only every production car looked exactly like they’re concept.
08/01, 2:49 PM
posted by:
fuk-u-asshole
typical. it was to be expected
08/01, 2:52 PM
posted by:
xyunya
Few more quarters like this, and there will be no worries about size of the platform
08/01, 3:05 PM
posted by:
TOZO
That’s for sure, xyunya!
That 9-X/Volt roof looks so stupid. Why can’t GM just make it look not stupid?!
08/01, 3:22 PM
posted by:
global_lightning
GM has mismanaged Saab into the ground. It’s a shame because in the right hands this could be a great brand. Instead it’s saddle with old designs and rebadges. Please sell it to someone with a clue.
08/01, 3:28 PM
posted by:
shaver
Saab was a mess before GM, they will be a mess after GM sells them. Its hard to compete globally when you manufacture in one of the most high income countries on the planet.
They should bring back the rear engine 2V, with the 2-cycle motor.
08/01, 3:39 PM
posted by:
xyunya
shaver, Sweden and Finland (manufacturing countries for Saab) are less expensive then Germany or UK. I don’t know what the cost of automotive product is in relationship to marketing/sales, but in software manufacturing is at most 12% of the entire cost, the rest is cost of marketing and sales. I imagine it is similar, if not identical in automotive industry. Those numbers make country of origin irrelevant.
08/01, 3:43 PM
posted by:
inline6
Uh, shaver, no Saab was rear-engined. Not even mid-engined, actually.
Yeah, this is a bit of bad news, but not detrimental. They’re not canceling the program, or even reevaluating whether they’re going to do it or not. They’re delaying it a bit to reevaluate which platform it’ll be on. The delay is disappointing, but it’s not a bad omen or anything.
I don’t know how the Saab would lose its aerodynamic properties by migrating down to the Gamma platform. It’ll probably be more successful and less expensive, competing with the MiTo, Mini, and upcoming A-Class, rather than the slower-selling C30 and A3.
08/02, 11:15 AM
posted by:
jayjc08
inline6- I think if I was Saab at the current moment, I’d rather not try to compete with already successful Mini and A-Class. The Mi-To looks pretty competitive too. I would rather try to bring something fresh to a market that could be doing a lot better that the C30 and A3 compete in. Both vehicles aren’t really competition material.
08/02, 1:02 PM
posted by:
zoomzoomer
I’m guessing that after all of this soul-searching and platform reorganizing, GM will eventually just follow Volvo’s lead and downsize the 9-3 sedan and wagon to compete with the S40/V50, and the 9-1 will become a hatchback on the same platform to compete with the C30. I seriously doubt there will ever be a SAAB on a platform smaller than Delta 2, at least not in the US.
08/02, 1:03 PM
posted by:
zoomzoomer
^ and the next 9-3 convertible will be a hardtop sized like the C70 convertible hardtop.