gavriil

Posted by: kak on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 01:14 AM CET

Continuing with its biggest ever product offensive, Saab Automobile AB expands its product line further with the introduction of the new Saab 9-2. The 9-2 will be Saab’s entry offer and will help attract new, younger customers to the brand. It is targeted at customers looking for a distinctive, fun-to-drive car with the versatility to support an active lifestyle. As customers would expect from Saab, the 9-2 will feature excellent driving dynamics with its sophisticated all-wheel drive system and turbo performance as well as great versatility with its hatchback body style.

Leveraging the global resources of the GM Group, Saab Automobile AB is collaborating with Fuji of Japan to create the new Saab 9-2 model in cooperation with Subaru, Fuji’s automotive division.

“We see an emerging segment in the United States for a premium, small car below the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan,” says Peter Augustsson, President and CEO of Saab Automobile AB. "The Saab 9-2 is a result of collaboration between two like-minded brands. We both have a special aircraft heritage and a successful history in rallying, and our cars are known as dynamic, safe and fun-to-drive. It makes a lot of sense for us to combine our strengths in creating the next Saab and bring it to the market quickly," says Augustsson.

Saab will offer two versions of the new 9-2, both five-door, all-wheel drive cars. The base Saab 9-2 will be equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, while the Aero version will feature a high performance, 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Initially, the vehicle will only be offered in the United States and Canadian markets.

“Both brands have this special flair,” said Bob Lutz, GM’s Vice Chairman for Product Development. "It is such a natural fit for them to combine their talents and expertise to bring the first all-wheel-drive performance car into the Saab family - a car with great dynamic qualities and exhilarating performance."

The new Saab 9-2 will be produced in Fuji’s facilities in Japan, beginning in the spring of 2004.
Saab Automobile AB, based in Trollhättan, Sweden, is fully owned by GM, which has a 20 percent stake in Fuji.

charliemike

So this is the Impreza-based car ... Very interesting. I see now where the 2.5 comes from =)

All that aside, the big question is, "Where is the ignition switch going to be?"

Zoot

i know u were kidding, but imagine how much shit Saab and GM would get if the ignition was moved to the steering column. Saab fans would go nuts...and move to volvo.

Silver™

Saab + WRX = a nice combo. I wonder if it will be much softer than the WRX.

gavriil

2003 Tokyo: Saab's Subaru WRX-based 9-2X sporthatch gets the photo treatment

By AUTOWEEK

Saab didn’t reveal its Subaru WRX wagon-based 9-2X sporthatch at the Tokyo motor show, but General Motors’ Swedish subsidiary did release a photo of its first production all-wheel-drive five-door model at a press event earlier this week in Tokyo.


The development of the 9-2X is being hailed by GM as a prime example of the fruits of its alliance between the company its Japanese partners. GM owns stakes in Subaru's parent company Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., as well as Suzuki Motor Corp. and Isuzu Motors Ltd.


TOKYO MOTOR SHOW MAIN PAGE

At the a press event, Kyoji Takenaka, CEO of Fuji, said the Saab-Subaru relationship was a good fit for the two automakers, which he called smaller, niche players in the global market. Subaru has also announced it will sell Saabs in Japan through its dealer network.

The decision to link up with Subaru came after earlier plans to base the 9-2 on GM’s new front-wheel drive Delta platform proved too costly and time consuming. “We are simply too small to grow on our own. If we’d done the 9-2, it could have taken 25 years – if we’d got around to it at all,” Saab boss Peter Augustsson told AutoWeek. “We have to accelerate our growth and to do this we have relied on GM’s resources.”

Two versions of the 9-2X, which Takenaka said will be sufficiently 'Saabish', will be available, the entry Linear with a 2.5-liter four, and the high-performance Aero offering the WRX’s 227-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four.

The 9-2X will be built in Japan and exported to the U.S. and Canada. There has been no firm decision on whether it will be offered outside the North American market just yet. The vehicle is set to make its debut at the upcoming Los Angeles auto show and go on sale next summer.

AutoWeek correspondent Greg Kable contributed to this report

Black CL-S 4-Life

Sweet and it looks better than the WRX.

gavriil

I like.

zamo

a more trusty pseudo swedish hot rod

Sarlacc

Will it be as fast as a WRX?
Or heavier there-by slower?

SpeedyV6

2.5 -litre WRX STi smokes it.

DISRUPTV

an awd turbo saab, should address all the wrx issues i.e interior quality etc....damm this car should be very moddable

chef chris

H O T ...just what I need being a homeowner.

AQUI NO!

New pictures of the saab 9-2

http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showt...56#post1436256

charliemike

*blink*

That is the same photo as the one in this thread. Did you paste the wrong link?

gavriil

He opened a separate thread and I merged his to this one.

gavriil

chef chris

It basically solves everyone's biggest problem with the WRX...

The bug-eyes...

Now, it ain't half-bad looking...Even has the nice Saab wheels...

Gavriil...any word on pricing?

heyitsme

the bug eyes are already gone on the 04 wrx, but this thing is pretty sweet looking. everything flows together, even the hood scoop. just need some int pics.

AQUI NO!

sorry gav, I should've done a better search.

chef chris

The bug eyes are *better...not gone...IMHO.

That's the only thing that stopped me from buying a few years back. Plus, it looks as if the whole car flows better...and I like the Saab grills anyhow. Now, if they'd only make a 9-2 convertible...

DISRUPTV

wait this is a hatch?


damn i want a 4dr sedan

gavriil

no worries

heyitsme

the more i see this pic the less i like it, may just be the angle, starting to look more and more like an econobox-in the same way the new volvo s40 does. doubt the interior will be able to save it considering the 9-3int is nothing to get excited over.

nandowong

me likey

Red Nj-s

sweeeeet! GO GM!

CLpower

i'm liking this, I was waiting to see what they did w/ it.

nyc2rtp

Kinda Sweet!!!

heyitsme

Saab will offer a first look at the production version of its 9-2X at the Los Angeles auto show late this month. There will be two versions: the turbocharged, 227-hp 9-2X Aero, shown here, with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine and a naturally aspirated 165-hp, 2.5-liter Linear model. Both models will have all-wheel drive and go on sale in July. Prices will begin under $25,000. General Motors' affiliate Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. will produce the 9-2X for Saab.

can't get the picture out of my email but its a wrx wagon from the front end back, no changes.

gavriil

Saab 9-2X


Thanks Zoot!

Python2121

just over 6.0 sec sprint to 60

chef chris

Yeah...thanks!!!

I've been a fan of the Suub since it arrived, but not a fan of the overall look...but now, the Suub has a facelift & a Saab warranty...Now that I like.

DISRUPTV

i dunno, i dont like the interior...doesnt look as good as recent saab interiors...maybe its not upscale looking enough

Zoot

the rear looks too much like an impreza. Saab considers this to be a 5 door hatch. The old 9-3 was a 5-door, this is a wagon. The interior is very un-saab. Look where the ignition is!

Chaptorial

Looks a little like a Pontiac. Six seconds to 60 mph is damn nice however.

SJ Silver Type-S

Im a little dissappointed. The first pic I saw got me excited thinking it was going to be a 4-door, but why only offer a 5-door? Secondly it is a little too much Subaru, every inside is subaru all they did was change some of the interior plastic from black to silver. I think a little more engineering effort could have been place here. I wonder if they will offer a sport-shift tranny, I doubt it thought I think the article said only a 4-spd. Again, why? Its seems to be in a class and price range similar to the TSX so why not give it an interior and tranny options that are comparable.

heyitsme

it would be a nice alternative to a wrx but i think the price will ruin that. autonews said its starting under 25, but that will most likely be for the 165hp version, with the turbo going over 25k.

Weck

Is this the car of your dreams or it is just another feeble attempt by GM to jump start weak Saab sales? Is it the WRX you've always wanted but with a nicer interior, front face(cia) and shoes, or a good idea gone bad? Me? Merde, merde, merde ...

Notice they did nothing to hide the fact that it's a scooby in the rear end...

Junkster

Off topic: I took six years of French... can't remember what 'merde' is... stupid US educational system...

As for the car, this always is kinda confusing for me. Is there a market for a smaller saab? (marketing probably says yes, but the 9-3 is pretty similar in interior space to WRX). GM just seems desparate to jumpstart the brand and is trying everything except the right thing... which would be pretty interesting to discuss in here. But, I guess that could be another thread.

But back to the question... non, c'est si horrible! Saab used to be such a cool hip brand, and now GM just watered it down to look mundane at best.

Junkster, who thinks the 9-3 should have been a hatch.

jwaters943

Trying everything except the right thing? Well, whatever you think of GM's influence on Saab they have to be doing something right. The 9-3 is breaking sales records and the 9-2 (even though it is just a rebadged Subaru) will bring more money into the Saab fold which could potentially help the brand in the long run.

Junkster

Really? Not to sound too Gilbo/others (yea, you know who you are), what source are you using in say that the 9-3 is "breaking sales records"? I've heard that they've had a 16 percent jump in sales from last year, but this is comparing the last model year vs. first model year of a vehicle.
I have to say that having GM's muscle is helping Saab out of it's money funk, but the designs of their new cars seem uninspired at best. The quirky, off-shot Saab 900 image is totally gone and now the cars look plain, at least to me. The company tries to inject new sales with performance models, but who goes for performance Saabs? (especially when you have Audi and BMW to choose from) The sales of Saabs have also been helped by heavy incentives of 0% financing, which means GM is making slim, if zero, profit from the division. They did project over 6 new models from Saab in the next 6 years, with most components based on GM parts bin. It's a gamble, I guess, and some people actually liked the hatch-to-trunk change, but to me Saabs were about quirkiness, different from others, and the hatch. Oh, and safety.
I really lost all respect for the Saab division when they based the new 9-3 on the 'epsilon'(?) platform... the same platform as the Malibu! Yea, I want the same basic driving dynamics as the Malibu in a Saab (insert sarcastic laugh).

Junkster, who really, really liked the 900.