General Motors has announced that it will be ending employee pricing for its Saab 9-3, effective for the 2009 model year. GM decided to end the 7 percent employee pricing discount of the 9-3 due to the weak value of the U.S. dollar.
“Our business is under quite a bit of pressure,” Saab spokesman Jan-Willem Vester told Automotive News. “A big part of that is the euro against the U.S. dollar, and the 9-3 is built in Europe. …This was something to protect the profitability on the vehicles.”
Despite ending employee pricing on the 9-3, GM employees will still be eligible for discounts on the 9-5 sedan as it sells at a lower volume in the U.S.
However, the decision to eliminate employee pricing on the 9-3 could be just the first of many. An inside source revealed to Automotive News that the Detroit-based automaker could eliminate employee pricing for other vehicles built overseas, such as the Saturn Astra, Chevrolet Aveo and Pontiac G8.
07/02, 6:37 PM
posted by:
400horseSS
Who cares, GM should give employee discounts to eveybody.
07/02, 6:47 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
This is the kind of niggly little crap from large corporations that drives you nuts. C’mon GM, how many employees actually took advantage of this… on a Saab… that sells diddly f*cking squat to begin with. If your balance sheet at the end of the year is in any significant way affected by taking or not taking this little perk away you are in even more serious trouble than we all thought to begin with.
07/02, 7:20 PM
posted by:
S1L1SC
But Lutz and cohorts continue to make multi-million paychecks…
figures.
07/02, 7:21 PM
posted by:
Get Real
The only people that buy a Saab get thrown out the door.
07/02, 7:50 PM
posted by:
howsmydriving
I wouldn’t take a Saab even if offered for free. I’d rather be tortured at Guantanamo than be seen driving one.
07/02, 8:07 PM
posted by:
golf4me
Every little bit helps, I guess…
07/02, 8:23 PM
posted by:
Shismo
This is big news. Out of the six or so people who considered buying a Saab this year, I believe two of them are GM workers.
07/02, 9:37 PM
posted by:
corvette
who cares the only people who could benefit from 7% off a 9-3 cannot afford a 9-3 and the employees who could afford a 9-3 don’t need the discount.
07/02, 11:38 PM
posted by:
Jon
The Saab is actually a nice car. The real problem is when you bring it in for service and the techs act like they’ve never seen one before.
07/03, 12:51 AM
posted by:
02WRXPSM
But…but… they are Born From Jets!!â„¢
07/03, 2:07 AM
posted by:
shitalker
hahahahaha… classic example of how gm f*u*c*k*s things up. gm had subaru and isuzu for how long? and what did they ever do with them? and now the best thing they got is saab and people that work at gm can’t even get a discount? hahahahahaha.. born from jets.. and they think that would sell cars, hahahahahaha…
07/03, 5:47 AM
posted by:
VictorRaikkonen
“This is big news. Out of the six or so people who considered buying a Saab this year, I believe two of them are GM workers.”
Correction: “This is big news. Out of the six or so people who considered buying a Saab this year, I believe four of them are GM workers.” Fixed.
07/03, 8:22 AM
posted by:
ihustle
Thats because GM Made to many of there ****ty trucks, and they need to compensate for over production in some way. Or it could be because they realized there Tahoe hybrid only get 21mpg. Orrrrrrrr there just found out there “Flex Fuel” Is a bunch of bull**** and they need to cut cost
07/03, 9:17 AM
posted by:
xyunya
C’mon guys GM is being fair handed: why f*ck only customers extend the pleasure to employees as well!
07/03, 10:19 AM
posted by:
jumpoffit
i like how they will end the employee discount on the Aveo, who the hell buys the Aveo anyway?
07/03, 3:00 PM
posted by:
A4
yeah exactly im guessing 14 GM employees bought a Saab 9-3 last year. What, that saves GM like 40 large?
07/03, 3:38 PM
posted by:
angelo
Doesn’t matter. Walk into your local Saab dealer and you can negotiate a discount bigger than 7%. This IS General Motors..!
07/03, 5:31 PM
posted by:
Get Real
True, the stock value of GM is now less than Mattel.
And Mattel makes toys…in China.
07/04, 1:25 PM
posted by:
beantownslut
They should buy Volvos
07/05, 4:33 PM
posted by:
TOZO
Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?