Chinese automaker Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation is reportedly looking at acquiring the tooling and design rights to produce the outgoing Saab 9-5 in one of its Chinese factories. The company recently became a minority shareholder in Koenigsegg , the Swedish supercar manufacturer that is seeking to buy Saab from General Motors.
BAIC would likely reskin the 9-5 in the way that other Chinese firms have taken older European and American designs, like the Jeep Cherokee, Rover 75 and Alfa Romeo 166, to make it look and feel like a more domestic product.
It’s unclear how the BAIC-built 9-5-based car would be powered, however. To raise capital, Koenigsegg could sell the rights to the iconic Saab “H” powertrain that motivated four-cylinder gasoline-engine 9-5s. That engine was designed prior to GM’s involvement in Saab and it ceased production along with the outgoing 9-5, meaning it would theoretically be easy for BAIC to secure the rights to it. Still, the complex turbocharged engine was costly for GM to build, which could dwindle BAIC’s interest in it.
The outgoing 9-5 was first introduced in late 1997 and was based on a GM of Europe platform. Production ceased in July.
Saab recently unveiled its all-new 9-5 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Production is set to begin soon, even though GM has not finalized a deal with Koenigsegg.
