Saab 9-5 Gets Tweaks For 2012 Model Year
Estate finally arrives,while underpinnings get UK-developed tweaks
There are also numerous other tweaks to Saab's newest offering. Most notable of these are chassis tweaks developed specifically on UK roads.
In order to be both more fun and more refined, the standard 9-5's suspension now has revised front spring rates, damper setting s and bushings. Meanwhile the Aero chassis now features the adaptive DriveSense function (which includes real-time damping control and variable effort hydraulic power steering) as standard. The clever HiPer strut front suspension and multi-link H-arm rear suspension also becomes standard for all Aero variants.
At the very top of the range, all-wheel-drive Aero XWD models now include an electronic limited-slip differential as standard.
All of which comes in the face of more financial turmoil for the Dutch-Swedish car maker as a consortium of 48 businesses has joined up and is knocking at Trollhattan's metaphorical front door asking for £2.2m of debt to be repaid. And that's just a fraction of Saab's overall debt...
Even if Saab survives the next few weeks, it'll just go the way of MGRover and become a technology IP buying exercise for the Chinese.
There isn't the dealer network or goodwill in the marketplace for the brand now to sustain it in Europe. There's absolutely nothing about Saab that makes me think it would ever have the capital to develop standalone product to successfully compete with the Germans and the Japanese, either. The sales numbers have fallen too much to ever give a realistic RoI over the lifespan. Who in their right mind would put £billions into Saab to make the developments happen?
It's a shame.
me tooCan't think of a single interesting GM based variant over the past 10-15 years, except possibly the US only 9-7x Aero SUV which had a very dirty little secret.....a 6ltr Corvette V8 hiding under the bonnet.
Can't think of a single interesting GM based variant over the past 10-15 years, except possibly the US only 9-7x Aero SUV which had a very dirty little secret.....a 6ltr Corvette V8 hiding under the bonnet.
shows the gm historical sales figures when owner of SAAB - inlcuding pre acqusition figures - they are not the villain in this - as is often portayed by the press and fans - ok they diluted the uniqueness of the product and brand, but sales figures reached an apparent near all time high under the GM tenure.
I am not defending GM, but they are not entirely to blame.
I like the 900 convertible - but i am 43, and never even considered it until 12 months ago - but I still didnt buy one - and wouldnt touch a 9-3 with a barge pole - what with bulkhead cracks etc etc.
I hope SAAB survive, but as was the case with Rover, I would buy one of their products when they were back and profitable, but I am not prepared to part with my hard earnt on the basis they might be still in business to honour the warranty next week/month/quarter/year. And there in lies the reason why they will probably wither on the vine, because there are many equally as good, perhaps better cars on offer for similar money with less risk associated with ownership during the next 5 years.
But I do wish them good luck!
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