The 2010 Saab 9-5 promises to be one of the best vehicles to roll out of Trollhättan, but the all-new sedan is putting the squeeze on Saab ’s current lineup. With Saab retooling for the production start of the 9-5, production of Saab’s current models has slowed to a trickle.
Saab dealers across the country now just have a few units in stock, with no relief in sight. “We have about 10 Saabs left, and they won’t last long,” Ivan Goodwin, sales manager at Jim Ellis Saab in Atlanta, told Bloomberg. “It’s going to be a big problem, but there is nothing we can do about it.”
Saab has greatly reduced its output of 2009 models, with production of the 2010 models not slated to kick off until early next year. Part of the delay is linked to the retooling for the all-new 9-5, but the production slowdown can also be attributed to the sale of the Saab brand from General Motors to Koenigsegg . The deal was expected to be finalized last month, with Koenigsegg still awaiting a loan from the European Investment Bank.
In addition to a product shortage, Saab dealers are also dealing with a drastic reduction in sales. Saab’s U.S. sales have plummeted 62 percent this year to just 7,411. Last month the Swedish automaker managed to move only 513 units, averaging just over 2 sales per Saab store.
