Whilst we reported last week that Top Gear presenter James May is due to get a new Saab 9-5, this time it’s the turn of Richard Hammond or alias ‘The Hamster’.  Reporting for daily tabloid paper ‘The Mirror’.  Unlike other british motoring counterparts, Hammond has commended the new 9-5 for its style, looks and performance.  He even refers to Saab as a pioneer of the turbo charge, he even draws reference to the new 9-5’s aeronautical design cues such as the head up display and the night light. What is interesting is Hammond was surprised how the car feels it has more than the 217bhp.  Hammond was given a 2.0T in an aero variant. The full article can be found here:  http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/cars-motorbikes/2010/07/aviation-inspired-saab-9-5-is.html Well done, you do us proud.

It’s back to business for Saab in the UK.  Business Car has reported that Saab is slowly returning back to form with its recent uptake of interest from leasing companies.  Paul Adler, Saab general manager and corporate sales told Business Car ‘A number of leasing companies have undertaken reviews as they see evidence of Saab coming out of its trauma, with one or two of them asking for greater assurances but expect them to return to us sometime in the future.’ Adler also states, ‘Leasing companies like the forward approach of us contacting them and there is warmth towards Saab for people, so they are happy to talk to us’.  Since Spyker taking over Saab, things have started moving forward fairly rapidly with Victor Muller essentially getting involved in the PR and marketing of the company and its new Saab 9-5, occassionally being joined by Saab CEO Jan Ake Jonsson. From its product and range perspective the new 9-5 will be joined by an estated version next year, followed by a compact size 4×4 called the 9-4x and a brand new 9-3 will be join the range in 2013.  Saab UK Marketing Director David Pugh, has already made it clear that Saab is not trying to take on the might of german premium brands but rather ‘offer an alternative ‘ and the world does not need another BMW or Audi.  Furthermore Saab is not looking into growing its marketing share rapidly but rather achieve sales of around 20,000 units per year and with the new 9-5 Saab is confident it can achieve this.  Also for Saab to operate as an independent company, gives its the ability to forge relationships with other manufactures which was not possible.  Recently it was announced that Saab have been in discussion with BMW to create a small car.

Swedish online news service, The local has reported that Saab has made a profit in 2009, despite the crisis that shrouded the organisation in late 2009 and early 2010.  It was reported that Saab Automobile turned a profit of 3.9 billion Kronor ($531 million) in 2009, but largely due to its agreement with its creditors and sale of equipment to Chinese car maker BAIC.  This was reported in companies annual report submitted on 27 July 2010. The profit is largely due to arrangements which Saab made between its creditors, which emerged as 8.2 billion kronor in revenues on the companies balance sheet.  A further 1.2 billion Kronor was generated after sale of equipment to BAIC.  It has been noted that without these, Saab would have made a loss of 5.5 billion Kronor. In 2009, the number of cars it sold has dropped from 93,000 to just 38,756 globally.  This led to a decline in turnover of 61% to just 6 billion kronor. All this was shadowed by Saab’s most turbalent year ever in its history with the car being sold to Koeingsegg and then forced into liquidation and subsquent sale to Spyker Cars in February 2010.  Eric Geer’s Director of Communication for Saab confirmed ‘2009 was not a normal year. Saab went in and out of a reconstruction phase. 75 percent of the debts were written off and we sold tools to BAIC. The annual report has limited relevance, as it does not show Saab’s global results.’

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At a press conference held in New York to launch the new 9-5, Saab CEO and Chairman outline the future of Saab.  Jan Ake Jonsson confirmed that part of the lending agreement from EIB and Swedish goverment was ‘All vehicles will develop in the future will have capability to utilise E85, and they will be available to any maket in the world.’ He also confirmed the launch plans for the next 18 months, with a facelifted 9-3 being launched in late 2010, followed by the 9-4x in April 2011.  In July 2011, an estate (or station wagon) based on the new 9-5 will be launched followed by a totally new 9-3 in 2012.  Saab is also ultimately aiming to produce between 120,000 – 125,000 vehicles per year globally with emphasis on its largest market being the US accounting for 20-25% of total sales. Victor Muller Chairman of Saab and CEO of Spyker Cars was also present at the press conference and he was excited with the opportunity that Spyker will get a large global network of dealers.  He stated that ‘Saab will give tremendous impetus to the development of Spyker Cars.’  he adds ‘Spyker now taps into 1,100 dealers worldwide. If 5 percent of them would (sell Spyker vehicles), it would triple the Spyker dealer base. We will see 90 dealers based on the back of the cross-fertilization of Saab and Spyker. (But) there will never been a Saab Spyker or a Spyker Saab.  Muller also stated that he was proud to see ‘Saab coming out of the ashes.’ Muller also stated that they have no wild projections and expect to become profitable by 2012.  He also said he was looking into returning back to volume figures pre-crisis and they are trying to regain consumer confidence that Saab is an independent company that can deliver its promises.  Muller also confirmed that a smaller 92 ‘is the missing link in our product portfolio.’  Jonsson also confirmed that a small 9-2 is its top priority after he was asked whether we are likely to see a coupe version of the new 9-5.

Whilst we reported last week that Top Gear presenter James May is due to get a new Saab 9-5, this time it’s the turn of Richard Hammond or alias ‘The Hamster’.  Reporting for daily tabloid paper ‘The Mirror’.  Unlike other british motoring counterparts, Hammond has commended the new 9-5 for its style, looks and performance.  He even refers to Saab as a pioneer of the turbo charge, he even draws reference to the new 9-5’s aeronautical design cues such as the head up display and the night light. What is interesting is Hammond was surprised how the car feels it has more than the 217bhp.  Hammond was given a 2.0T in an aero variant. The full article can be found here:  http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/cars-motorbikes/2010/07/aviation-inspired-saab-9-5-is.html Well done, you do us proud.