GM Review Poses Threat of Closure to Saab

[AmericanRevolution]

GM review poses threat of closure to Saab
Swedish carmaker under fire amid sluggish sales
By James Mackintosh - MSNBC

DETROIT - A General Motors review of its Saab subsidiary could lead to the upmarket car brand being axed, if the heavy investment required to revive it is deemed unjustified.

GM executives and people familiar with the study said there was only an outside chance that the Swedish brand would be killed off by the review, due to be completed within three months.

Read the full article here! (msnbc.com)

[atomicshark]

Oh no. Oldsmobile part II. I hope not, but GM has a history of killing off brands with a rich history. I think Olds was pretty much set to be killed off for 10 years, I suppose SAAB can at least count on one more decade. SAAB needs a good revival of it's core attributes which loyal SAAB owners say the current cars lack.
I guess rebadged Subaru's and Trailblazer's may not be the answer.

[87camaroPA]

I hope they wont kill of Saab i like them but they are to rich for my blood. Hopefully the new Saab can pull the mout of that hole they are in.

[AmericanRevolution]

They've got 2 strange, and some would say cool, concepts on their site... I like the interior... but still not sure about the exterior...

[ARCANGEL]

Sorry for what its worth SAAB isn't good enough to command the prices or respect that it asks. Doesn't have VOLVO's safety or BMW's ultimate driving but expects you to pay for that!!!! HELL there build quality isn't even as GOOD!!!! I got rid of my 2003 9-3 for my 04 GP!!!!!

[327]

good, theyre all rebadges anyway
now if they would get rid of isuzu but keep the big trucks

[dav305z]

The core of their trouble is that GM has been diluting their image. Before, they could sell their cars to a small but loyal market inspite of their sometimes obvious drawbacks - such as annoying torque steer. Now, with 2 of their four models being rebadges, and lame ones at that, Saab is no longer "quirky", but plain old "inferior."
I think GM should have left Saab alone a little bit, they tried to grow its market with out any product, and ended up losing its core market as well.
I think in regards to this brand, along with all the other brands, GM needs to think before they build. They need to figure out exactly what Saab is, and likewise what Pontiac and Buick are, and then build products that promote exactly the image the brand seeks.

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by ARCANGEL

Sorry for what its worth SAAB isn't good enough to command the prices or respect that it asks. Doesn't have VOLVO's safety or BMW's ultimate driving but expects you to pay for that!!!! HELL there build quality isn't even as GOOD!!!! I got rid of my 2003 9-3 for my 04 GP!!!!!

That is a load of bull. Every single magazine and crash test result place the 9-3 and 9-5 as one of the highest in crash safety.. and in the case of the 9-3... THE highest rating... ever. Also, European studies and Swedish studies (ie - tougher standards than US) rate the 9-5 and 9-3 as the safest on the road.... even above Volvo.

Build quality? Check out teh quality ratings for the 9-5. Highest in its class. Half the problems of an A6. Performance is equal if not better than its German counterparts.

The problem with Saab is that they have let the 9-5 linger for too long. The quailty of materials... though higher than most GM's... still isn't high enough compared to most of its European counterparts. So while Saab *IS* offering a comparable care for less cost than German competition... its value proposition is NOT sufficient enough.
In addition... it does not have a large lineup. I mean.. what happened to the 9-3X? It was supposed to be out in 2005. No hide nor hair of it. 9-2X was a bust. Hmm... I figured it would have made a bigger splash. Oh well. The key is 9-5... and it's dead in teh water. oh well.

[ARCANGEL]

I'm not talkin reality talking perception !!!!! It was never changed or stressed for that matter and the public did not choose to pick SAAB over the others!!!!!!

[tom3]

DETROIT - A General Motors review of its Saab subsidiary could lead to the upmarket car brand being axed, if the heavy investment required to revive it is deemed unjustified.

That should do wonders for Saab sales. Have to figure leaking this rumor is probably a first step.

[tgagneguam]

Despite some misgivings that I had about GM purchasing Saab, I do think that one of GM's strengths lies in its varied divisions. If the company were better able to manage each division, including Saab, GM would be quite formidable. Thus far, it seems that GM executives have struggled greatly with that task, their prophetic assurances notwithstanding.

The 2006 Passat demonstrates that mid-sized cars can be done differently. Not everyone places a premium on quality to the exception of passion like, say, Toyota Camry buyers do. In other words, I do think that there is room in the market for similarly-priced Buick Lucernes, Cadillac CTS's, and Saab 9-3's, all with pretty much overlapping prices. If executed appropriately, all three models could thrive. Again, GM has not been able to manage that [yet?].

[AmericanRevolution]

Anyone WANT to see Saab go? I've heard in other threads people ranting about why GM doesn't just sell it or kill it off... Seems like everyone here is more pro-Saab, not wanting it killed off... just curious...

I personally think GM needs to hang onto Saab and let Saab designs and engineers do what they want...

[SUPERBADD75]

Originally Posted by AmericanRevolution

GM review poses threat of closure to Saab
Swedish carmaker under fire amid sluggish sales
By James Mackintosh - MSNBC

DETROIT - A General Motors review of its Saab subsidiary could lead to the upmarket car brand being axed, if the heavy investment required to revive it is deemed unjustified.

GM executives and people familiar with the study said there was only an outside chance that the Swedish brand would be killed off by the review, due to be completed within three months.

Read the full article here! (msnbc.com)

TOO BAD I'VE HAD THIS POSTED ON HERE FOR DAYS NOW....... jeez... no respect.

[AdmiralViscen]

Take it easy.

[327]

i wanna see sob go, its a worthless rebadge