Yes, Saab Still Has a Future

When GM revealed its (disappointing) sales figures for 2008 earlier this week, the press release contained an easy-to-gloss-over statement confirming that next-gen Saabs are on the way.

After describing European sales, the statement says that “…launches for GM this year in the region include the Opel Insignia Sports Tourer and Astra; Chevrolet Cruze; and the new Saab 9-3X and 9-5.”

This seemingly confirms a 2010 Saab 9-5, as well as the debut of an all-new 9-3 variant, even if only for Europe. Saab was calling the 2002 Saab 9-3X concept a “cross-over coupe”, a “sporty interpretation of the cross-over theme.” The concept was designed to have respectable off-road abilities without becoming a large, clunky SUV or crossover. The production 9-3X will likely hold true to that niche.

In addition to the 9-3X and 9-5, the 2010 Saab 9-4X is also probably still alive, though it was not mentioned in GM’s press release. Americans’ aversion to wagons, along with an utter shunning of large SUVs in recent months, makes the 9-4X a viable option for Saab in the U.S. market. Regardless, the 9-4X has also been spotted running around in camouflage for months now.

Speculation about the future of Saab’s product line has exploded since GM indicated that it wants to sell the Swedish brand, which it has completely owned since 2000. The General moved about 21,400 Saab units in the U.S., down almost 35 percent from 2007 and accounting for less than 1 percent of GM’s total 2008 sales here in the states. Unable to find a seller, GM now plans to give the division its own budget for vehicle development. It hopes that continued support of Saab will be interpreted as confidence in the brand’s future, which in turn could attract more buyers.