Saab to replace 9-7X with 9-4X

Maybe a little to late. Saad reported sales down 41.2 percent. The 9-7x actually doesn't look that bad, but the interior isn't very good, and it is based on a dissapointing GM truck.

who cares..SAAB's are worthless pieces of junk. They add no value to the motoring world, Nothing!! They underperform, are uglier than most other cars and marketing sucks. Founded by AIrcraft engineers. Who cares!! Does the car fly? What value does that add? The company should be shut down!!!

GM really has screwed this company up now. I mean isn't the 9-7x just a copy of their Trailblazer. The engines are the same. What happened I thought Saab's were born from Jets.

TheGenius,

Such intelligence and maturity I have never seen.

Let me just fill your obviously knowledge-filled head with some SAAB facts that might surprise you:

-In 1971, SAAB invented energy-absorbing bumpers.

-The same year, they invented heated seats.

-1972, they invented side-impact protection in the way of cross-members in doors.

-1976, SAAB started turbo-charging their vehicles. This may have not been a world first, but SAAB pioneered the technology, their advancements a precursor to the efficient, reliable turbo-charged engines we have today.

-1978, SAAB invented the cabin-air filter. A few years later, they installed the first CFC-free air-conditioning.

-1996, SAAB invented anti-whiplash head rests.

-1997, SAAB invented EBD, or Electronic Brake Distribution. Standard fitment on most new cars today.

These innovations were the result of SAAB aircraft engineers applying their skills to road cars. (ie. Turbo-charging)

The iconic SAAB 99 and 900 Turbo models have cult-status the world over.

I would like to call TheGenius's comments moronic and deeply ignorant, but I shall refrain.

Instead, I will say this: Change your name, otherwise I will have no choice but to call you a liar.

Matthew

Is that a Saab in your profile pic? Saabs have changed with GM, and not for the better. I don't agree with "TheGenius" but Saabs aren't that great now.

Well spotted. It's a 305 BHP SAAB-Hirsch 9-5. It can overtake quicker than a 911 Turbo.

Useless facts aside, don't be quick to judge me as a biased SAAB fan.

I agree that GM has diluted SAAB's character, but the 9-3 Aero is still a supremely comfortable and fairly rapid sports saloon.

I believe GM was a necessary evil. Give SAAB a bit more creative control, and expect to see, once again, innovative and unique cars that appeal to people not interested in the status quo 3-Series or A4.

"No value to the motoring world".......Well Matthew I was going to comment on the moron's comments that bashed Saab but you really just too most of the words out of my mouth.

That all comes from someone that doesn't care about automotive history and just about his current flashy yugo (or whatever he drives). While I may not have the Aero, my 9-3 is fully loaded and a real kick to drive.

GM is responsible retaining too much control over them and maybe someone up in Detroit will get smart and let Saab have some free range.

Ignorance is flying these days on AS.

I think GM is trying to rebuild the SAAB brand character. It's tough b/c they must also continue to sell vehicles and appeal to a younger market with new designs and fresh updates.

It's taking more time than expected to "fix" SAAB, but it's clear that GM knows that a slower pace in doing so will ensure they are doing it right. Hardcore SAAB fans must get over that fact that SAABs will share GM platforms and have a lot of GM technology. But, it is possible that GM Corporate has too much control over the division.

Lets wait and see what Saab has in store. I hear the new 9-5 is supposed to be a real looker, kinda quirky, in the sense of old Saabs. And Saab is coming out with the Sonnett (one "t" or two??) again. I think the Aero X had a really interesting look and if some of this design language carries over to production models, I think there will be some hot Saabs about. I am in full agreeance that GM has definately diluted the brand, kind of ignoring them along the way. Maybe now GM will take it a little more seriously and give us some real Saabs again.

I love it when they say in their commercial:

"When we build jets we don't build just another SUV."

Then why don't they build an original SUV instead of a GMC Envoy ripoff.

Matthew,
Very impressive.. so you've come up with 7 things they've supposedly invented within the past 35 years, and that's supposed to elevate them from junk to cult status? Dude, thanks for the update, but its still a royal piece of junk. Again I repeat, they have "NOTHING" and I repeat "NOTHING" to offer over the competition. When last did you see a SAAB compete with Benz, Audi, BMW, Lexus, Infinity or anyone else and get anywhere? I'm not surprised most mags don't even care to include them in their tests anymore because they know what the outcome would be last in all categories.. They're still fiddling around with quirky styling and same worthless turbos they've used for 30 years.. The company should be shuttered immediately..what a waste of resources!.. They should stick to Aircrafts!!

TheGenius,

So when is it a requirement to compete with BMW, MB, and Audi, Lexus, Infinity, Honda, Toyota, Jeep, Chrysler, Ford, VW, etc...to "get anywhere". So your not impressed with a handful of things that Saab has done in the last three decades that you think they supposedly invented.....do your homework idiot before you mouth off.

Your so stuck on competiton and how everything compares to another. I bet your one of the morons that thinks a BMW that goes 0-60 in 5.1 seconds is better than an Audi that does it in 5.2 seconds.

So a car shouldn't be made or on the road that can't compete with any thing else that's on the road? So someone can't make a nice (my opinion) car that SOME people think is nice to drive and care more about the automobile as a whole and not that the jacka** next to us has a better car. Every car on the road has to be able to compete in some sort of SCCA, GT, etc... series cup?

Your rambling is just a continued example of how some people on this site really have no knowledge and the inability to look at a car as a whole and not a piece of metal and rubber to compare numbers over.

I have a 2003 SAAB 9-3 (The 1st new model after the GM take-over.) It has 78,000 miles, mostly highway. I just picked it up from the service dept today. (I noticed that it was leaking oil on my garage floor.) They jakked me for $350 for an oil change, tire rotation, filter change and topping off the fluids. Next week, I'm bring it in again, (after the parts arrive.), to replace the main seal between the trannie and the enigine. (Which they found was the culprit for my leaking oil problem.) The cost??? An additional $1300... IMHO, SAABs are problematic, and EXTREMELY expensive to maintain; not to mention that thier resale values suck,suck SUCK... I for one, will not be buying a SAAB again.

Thanks, Macrac for opening this up.. I was hoping to avoid going there, but I feel I have to answer efoxs4's question. When I was in undergrad, a good friend of mine bought a used 9000 (don't remember the year)..In 2 years, he changed the transmission twice and that doesn't include the couple of months it was just sitting around. It broke down on our way from NY to Jersey (ignition issues), on his way back from the mechanic after an issue related to the starter (icing on the cake), the radio stopped working at some point and so did the A/C (compressor). I got the priviledge of seeing it towed at least 3 times.. Eventually, he dumped it for nothing at a junkyard.
To be fair, the drive wasn't too bad at least for two lead-footed teenagers, and the pickup was good, but Mark misses the point, I never once mentioned performance, cornering, acceleration etc..Competition encompasses pretty much anything a car can be judged on: styling, interior fit and finish, space, versatility, ergonomics, reliability, and certainly performance and handling. My point is simply this: I don't see a single thing SAAB does better than most of the generally well regarded cars out there how much more to talk about the car as a whole. That's precisely why sales are falling off the cliff. If it has such a cult status, why aren't the cult members voting with their wallets??? I challenge you name one thing..just one! Is the location of the ignition supposed to be something that gives it some kind of edge? I actually found that to be awkward at best.

Mark talks about a nice car to get from point A to point B, and that is precisely my point. It just gets you around (when it doesn't break down) like any other motor with wheels, but nothing more. I enjoy reading the BMW vs. Audi vs. MBenz or even Lexus arguments. At least I can tell you what those other cars have to offer, I can't do the same for SAAB because it has nothing to offer so lets stop deceiving ourselves. SAAB is not even worth discussing! Its a dead brand that's been on life support for years, and I have doubts about whether it can be resuscitated...

i like saab.is better than audi,jaguar. The bad part is that saab is GM

Better in what way? Nobody can say how because its simpley isn't. SAAB is a joke and GM should pull the plug!!!