Per the 2/1 “update” — Saab didn’t “originally announce” anything about London … it was a blogoshphere rumor that was reported as fact – and debunked repeatedly at trollhattansaab.net. Geneva was apparently always the target.

Per comments on the platforms:
9-3 is on a HEAVILY modified Epsilon platform … so many modifications were made, that GM actually got “upset” with Saab originally, because it meant the Trollhattan factory could only build Saabs … but when GM decided that Europe needed the Caddy BLS, they chose to use the Saab-modified platform because it was far more rigid.
9-1 will be a Delta platform (again, modified by Saab to deal with some of the generic platform’s shortcomings), and will also be built in Trollhattan, as production of the next generation of 9-5 and 9-3 move to Russelheim (sp).
The last comment I have is about the Solstice/Sky platform, and I’m not 100% on this, but I have heard from a couple of sources that this platform is currently strictly a Left-Side Driver only, so Saab could not use it until the next generation, when RHD options are available (several important markets for Saab are RHD.)

torsion beam rear suspension on any car that isn’t straight up just an economy car is LAME.

On the 9-1; I’d like to see the production version. As long as it not a rebadged Cobalt it should be a good product. The new Saab production manager came over from Buick (his projects are now making it to market); he specifically cited the 9-2 and 9-7 as blunders. The 9-1 and 9-6 are the first steps in turning the brand around, along with a new 9-5 which should have been redesigned 5 years a go.

Well, ok, university professors will look.

The 9-3 may be BASED on the Vectra, but it shares ZERO body panels and – at least in the US – ZERO powertrain components. The two cars also have completely different styling, interiors, wheelbases, etc. Can anyone tell me what DOES interchange between the two?

In fact, the car is so different from the Vectra that Cadillac decided to base their BLS on the 9-3 version of the platform, NOT the Vectra version.

The 9-1 can’t come soon enough. I’m chomping at the bit to get the next Saab hatchback. I have an ’89 900 that won’t last me forever.

I also agree that a modern day Sonett would be a great attention magnet for the brand. It might get some customers who have forgotten about Saab or never considered Saab to think about the brand.

johnnycanuck: good post at 107p on the 5th.

Free Saab!

Just like I mentioned towards the bottom of my post two more before this I think Saab also needs to bring a two-door roadster or a bigger 2+2 door coupe. They had something going with their Aero X concept. then after reading the article on the Sonett I thought that maybe Saab coming back with the Sonett based off the Kappa chassis could work. However I think the Kappa is too small and since GM already has the Opel GT roadster and Vauxhall roadster in Europe, and the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice in the U.S another Kappa clone wouldn’t be the best thing for Saab, they already get enough re-badged vehicles enough and that’s not a good thing for them. But if they could come out with something that would either be on a stretched vette platform, or maybe even Zeta like the Camaro and offer a sports coupe to compete in the luxury coupe segment that has Saab quality, matching performance but is priced beneath the competition, I think they’d have a real success on their hands instead of a Saabaru failure.