Autoesque

In 2012, Chinese-owned National Electric Vehicle Sweden acquired the assets of bankrupt Saab Automobile. Eighteen months later, as an interim measure, the new proprietors built a few more examples of the already aged petrol-fuelled Saab 9-3 .

Saab owner National Electric Vehicle Sweden has entered into a 'strategic collaboration agreement' with Chinese leasing company Panda New Energy.

So the latest twist in Saab's ongoing saga is going to see the 9-3 emigrating to Turkey. Not many people would have predicted such a turn of events.

Last week National Electric Vehicle Sweden, the current owner of Saab, released a statement denying that the company is insolvent. The move was obviously a response to an earlier bankruptcy petition against NEVS by a supplier, which has since been withdrawn.

Two years since Saab filed for bankruptcy, new owner National Electric Vehicle Sweden has recommenced production of the 9-3 Aero Sedan in Trollhättan.

As a footnote to the sad demise of Saab, the last right-hand drive Saab 9-3 Convertibles have now arrived in the UK. Imported by Saab Parts UK for sale through its network of eighty-seven Authorised Repairers, the assembly of the cars was completed by Saab employees working out of a dealership in Trollhättan, Sweden. Just twenty-six examples are available nationwide, and all have been built to 2012 model year specifications. Of those, seven are Independence Edition versions which come finished in an exclusive Amber Orange paint finish. Powered by a 1.9 litre twin-turbo diesel engine, they also feature a six-speed automatic transmission, five-spoke 18” alloy wheels, leather upholstery, special floor mats and a unique serial number etched into the rear-side glass. The remainder are either SE or Aero models, and for these there’s a choice of petrol or diesel engines. On the road prices start from £22,750. Related posts: Saab returns to motorsport Saab 9-3 Aero Carlsson 119 g/...

This year’s inaugural TTA - Racing Elite League will see a quartet of Saab 9-3 race cars on the grid. Developed by Flash Engineering and Team Tidö, and running under the ‘Tribute2Saab’ banner, the team will battle against BMW, Citroën and Swedish rival Volvo in the eight-event series. Of course, Saab’s recent fall into receivership and an uncertain future mean it’s not a works entry, although there is support from the newly-created Saab Parts enterprise and the Swedish Saab Dealer Network. Not that factory backing is necessarily a prerequisite for competing in the TTA, because all of the cars use a common rear-wheel drive space-frame chassis, V6 engine, kinetic energy recovery system and aerodynamic kit. Only the carbon fibre bodywork is unique. Jan “Flash” Nilsson, Managing Director of Flash Engineering and one of the Saab 9-3 TTA drivers, said: “I have longed for 40 years to see the fight between Saab and Volvo on the race tracks. It becomes reality this summer and my b...

Against a background of nervous suppliers, production stoppages and Chinese investment, Saab has announced a series of improvements to its 9-5 Saloon for 2012. As expected, it has also confirmed the introduction of the 9-5 SportWagon. A series of changes are being introduced to make the 9-5 more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. All engines have been tweaked, and devices such as automatic stop-start and a gearshift indicator are now fitted. The headline result is that the Saloon equipped with the 157 bhp (118 kW / 160 PS) 2.0 litre TiD diesel engine and manual transmission now emits 125 g/km of CO2. Before, the figure was 139 g/km. Significantly, that means the Saab just betters the 129 g/km of the fleet managers’ favourite, the BMW 520d. However, it should be remembered that the 9-5 still has 23 bhp (17 kW / 24 PS) less than its German rival. Another important area which has received attention is the chassis, something that was criticised when the 9-5 was first launc...

Cadillac is discontinuing the turbo versions of its SRX crossover, due to low demand. Dropping the 300 bhp (223 kW / 304 PS) 2.8 litre V6 turbo motor means that the only engine now available for the SRX is a normally aspirated 3.0 litre V6, which produces 265 bhp (197 kW / 268 PS). The reason for dropping the more powerful option can’t be because buyers are put off by its fuel consumption. Indeed, the EPA Highway rating of 22 mpg US (26.4 mpg UK / 10.6 l/100km) for the SRX turbo is barely any worse than the 23 mpg US (27.6 mpg UK / 10.2 l/100km) recorded by the 3.0 litre V6 with all-wheel drive. Rather, it seems that Cadillac got the pricing wrong. Whereas the base non-turbo version with front-wheel drive has a price tag of $34,705 (including destination charges), the cheapest turbo SRX costs $50,790 - almost 50% more. It’s unclear how this move will affect the forthcoming Saab 9-4X . Due to be launched in North America during May 2011, the 9-4X is based on the SRX and was go...

Ahead of its debut at next month's Los Angeles Auto Show, Saab has released details of the 9-4X crossover. It’s an important model for the rejuvenated Swedish manufacturer as it should help to broaden the brand’s appeal, particularly in the crucial North American markets. The 9-4X is a legacy of Saab’s past under General Motors ownership, though. Not only does it share a platform with the Cadillac SRX, but it will also be built alongside that vehicle by GM in Mexico. But the 9-4X’s looks don’t betray those connections, and it features typical Saab styling cues including the wraparound effect windscreen, gently tapering roofline, ‘hockey stick’ waistline and deep front grille. Wheels are 18” six-spoke alloys on entry-level versions, while Aero variants get 20” nine-spoke ‘turbine’ items. On the inside there’s a driver-focussed dashboard, which Saab predictably maintains is reminiscent of an aircraft cockpit. The cabin is reckoned to be large enough for five adults, and the dr...

Saab has got experience of producing special editions in honour of rally driver Erik Carlsson, having previously named versions of the 900 and 9000 after him during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Now it has decided to do it again, this time to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Swedish driver’s first win in Britain’s RAC Rally, which was achieved at the wheel of a Saab 96. Thankfully, the company has resisted the urge to just bung some fancy alloys and a few other extra bits onto something like a mid-range diesel model. Instead, it appears to have resurrected the limited edition Turbo X from a couple of years ago, as the new edition similarly features a turbocharged 2.8 litre petrol V6, Saab’s XWD all-wheel drive system and a six-speed automatic gearbox. The result is the 9-3 Aero Carlsson saloon, which turns out to be a very rapid car. With 276 bhp (205 kW / 280 PS) and a healthy 400 Nm of torque, the 0-60 mph (96 km/h) dash takes just 6.9 seconds. But it’s in the mid-range t...

With the new Saab 9-5 getting so much attention of late its smaller sibling, the venerable 9-3, might have rather faded into the background pending its replacement in 2012. But Saab, under new owners Spyker Cars, isn’t ignoring its compact range. Realising that - in Europe at least - both fleet and private customers are demanding ever more economical small diesels, it has improved the 9-3 accordingly for the 2011 model year. There’s now a choice of three diesel engines, available with a power output of 128 bhp (95 kW / 130 PS), 157 bhp (117 kW / 160 PS) or 177 bhp (132 kW / 180 PS). And they have a lot in common with each other: all have a capacity of 1.9 litres, all now feature twin turbochargers and all produce exactly the same amount of CO2 and will go the same distance on a gallon of fuel. In the saloon, that means 62.8 mpg on the combined cycle (4.4 l/100km) and just 119 g/km of carbon dioxide. The figures for the SportWagon estate and convertible versions are slightly wor...

The Saab 9-5 might never have gone on sale, had GM’s disposal of the company to Spyker Cars fallen through. But luckily the transaction was completed because, like the Jaguar XF, the 9-5 offers a refreshing alternative to the usual German suspects in the mid-size luxury saloon segment. Now, two months after its launch, Saab is expanding the range with a couple of new engines for the 9-5. The first of these, and probably the one that’ll be of most interest to European buyers, is the 2.0TTiD diesel. Using sequential twin turbochargers, it produces 187 bhp (139 kW / 190 PS), and joins the existing 157 bhp (117 kW / 160 PS) single turbo version in the line-up. Typically for a diesel, the key to the new engine’s performance is torque. And the 2.0TTiD doesn’t disappoint, with 400 Nm on offer from just 1,750 rpm. A 0-62 mph (100 km/h) of ‘under nine seconds’ suggests it’s no rocket ship, but the real benefit of that 187 bhp is probably going to be felt in the mid-range where, in normal...

Cadillac is planning a return to Europe, after previous Dutch-based importer Kroymans got into financial difficulties following a collapse in demand for new and used cars. GM Europe is doing it in-house this time around, though.  A new organisation, Cadillac Europe, has just been set up to take care of importation, distribution and marketing.  It will operate only in key markets, but those markets have yet to be revealed. The range is to be presented at March’s Geneva International Motor Show.  The striking CTS Sport Sedan, familiar from the Kroymans era, will be the core model. It will be joined by the distinctive CTS Coupe.  This brand new model is due to begin sales in North America this summer, with a European on-sale date scheduled for the autumn.  Both Sedan and Coupe will be available in high performance CTS-V specification, powered by a 556 bhp 6.2 litre V8. The third member of the CTS family is the Sport Wagon, which is expected to c...