GM planning entry level Saab

Also known as the "Man I hope this works." Should be a hit...right along with the Delorean.

Please, GM, do not rebadge the Chevrolet Cobalt as a SAAB. Remember the Cadillac Cimarron?

Or an Aveo... I hope its late release date suggests a brand new platform.

Actually the Cobalt SS would not be a bad car if it were available with an automatic transmission and LSD. As for Saab, I wish they would not cheapen its currency with a smaller one and simply produce more of the current size and sell it at a lower price. Economies of scale would offset the financial effect of a lower price. I want to see GM's normally aspirated DOHC 3.6 litre V-6 in the Saab instead of the turbo units they now use.

EnnNorak - A non-Turbo SAAB? Please, no.

I'd love to see SAAB play in the Mini Cooper space - as long as it's not another Saabaru.

Subaru has some great vehicles, especially the Tribeca which is on my shopping list. The only 2008 Subaru I am pisssed off at is the Forester because it has uncomfortable seats that are too firm and the rear seats do not fold completely down. The worst thing about the Forestre is lack of window frames on the doors -- this is an invitation to air leaks at highway speeds and difficulty in closing the window is you have to open it at highway speed to let a bee out for example.

Doesn't anyone recall the 9-2X?

As said many times, Saab needs to make a real Saab if they want people to show interest. It seems that they used to be cool, prior to being watered down by GM. The 9-2x was as good as any recent Saab, but it wasn't a real Saab. This is why no one is buying.

gryphon, I agree

I like everything about the Saab 3 except the engine. I simply do not trust turbos as they operate constantly at a high temperature and I don't know what cheap alloys Saab's turbo uses these days in order to control costs. GM has a perfectly good normally aspirated DOHC 3.6 litre V-6 and I cannot find any reason not to use it in the Saab 3. I may end up buying a 2008 Cadillac CTS if I can't get a good deal on the Subaru Tribeca. The big Saab advantage is its very comfortable seats.

The best Saab in recent history was the 9-2X, the "Saabaru" that GM overpriced and underadvertised. The car itself, though, was brilliant. It offered a very competent chassis and AWD system from Subaru with much-improved suspension tuning, styling, and interior upgrades. Then GM sold its stake in FHI/Subaru and killed the 9-2X program.

Let's hope GM learns it lesson and offers a successor to the 9-2X. Something in the spirit of the Saab Sonnet or similar to today's VW GTI would certainly sell very well if built well and priced correctly.

That comment is a stretch. Maybe 'best handling' SAAB, after SAAB had re-tuned the Impreza's suspension, but certainly not 'best' SAAB.

It was bland, the interior reeked of economy-car, it had zero SAAB traits (clam-shell hood, ignition by the handbrake, cock-pit inspired interior etc.) and it also wasn't as safe as a SAAB. Sure it did well in frontal impact tests, however in 'real-world' accidents there were stories of drivers seats buckling and severe passenger intrusion from side-impacts.

The 9-2X was unloved by most of the SAAB community, not for the fact it was a bad car, (it wasn't) but for the inescapable fact that it was a Subaru Impreza with a SAAB badge.

I think it went in and out of this market completely unnoticed. I wasn't even sure that it was gone. It's similar to what happened to the 3 Series hatch and the C-Class "coupe," but Audi seems to be on a roll with the A3. It is unabashedly a hatch- a very swanky one, at that.

S4 - I agree with you on the A3. It's a pretty decent car and has an upscale feel. It definitely beats the C-Class SportCoupe and the old BMW 3 with its rear chopped off.

I cannot agree re the A3 because it is too small and has a cheap AWD system without the Torsen that my leased A6 has. Shame on Audi for using the Quattro brand in promoting the A3 -- its just not the same Quattro and therefore does not deliver on the promise of the Quattro brand. "Quattro" should be reserved for Audi vehicles with Torsen differentials. In contrast, Jeep has been honest by differentiating their varrious 4WD and AWD systems with names like Command Track and QuadraTrack and variations like QaudraTrack 2 and QuadraTrack 3. Jeep brochures have fully disclosed the differences between these variants while Audi contiues to call everything Quattro.

Have people forgotton that Opel is part of GM?

Most likely any new SAAB will be based on an Opel platform, the 9-1 will probably be based on the Corsa platform or something similiar.

It will be an all-new car.

Opel also translates into Saturn in North America for some models. I like the Opel logo better than the Saturn logo and, if I ever buy an Opel-derived Saturn, I'll replace the Saturn Logo with an Opel logo on the vehicle. What do you think of that GM?

Matthew, I don't disagree with you. But Saab designers DID rework as much as they could to evoke their simple, clean Scandinavian style. You'd actually downgrade the 9-2X because it didn't have a clamshell hood? Sure, the team in Trollhattan had limited time to rework budget bin underpinnings and interior pieces, but it actually was a very pleasant compact car. Do not confuse this market with larger touring cars that Saab makes today. The 9-2X was GM/Saab's attempt to re-enter the marketspace formerly occupied by the Sonnet -- which was an economy car.

I guess the follow-on question is: if the 9-2X "Saabaru" was not a very good Saab, then is the 9-3 or 9-5 superior to the Subaru Legacy?