2010 SAAB 9-5 Sedan and SportCombi: Official Illustrations?

A pair of allegedly official computer generated renderings showing the 2010 Saab 9-5 in both sedan and SportCombi (station-wagon) forms have found their way into the net through a dedicated Saab site. The author of the article on Saabsunited, Swade, supports that both CGIs are "original Saab stock" and that the Swedish automaker requested their removal, which he did, but uploaded them again since they had been copied on other sites.

There's no way of confirming their authenticity, they may or may not be official, heck maybe even Saab let the photos slip out for all we know. If you're up to it, you can compare these illustrations with our spy shots of camouflaged and partially unmasked 2010 Saab 9-5 prototypes by clicking here.

Via: Saabsunited

GM Announces Deal with Koenigsegg on SAAB Sale

General Motors officially announced today that it reached a preliminary agreement to sell its Saab division to a consortium led by Swedish sports car maker Koenigsegg. The deal that is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of this year includes an expected $600 million funding commitment from the European Investment Bank (EIB) guaranteed by the Swedish government, while GM said that it plans to support Saab's new owner. General Motors did not provide any specific finance details on the sale.

As part of the agreement, the American automaker will continue to provide Saab with architecture and powertrain technology during a defined time period while GM said that the next generation 9-5 Sedan and Station Wagon models will be produced in the Saab production facility in Trollhattan, Sweden.

"This is yet another significant step in the reinvention of GM and its European operations," said GM Europe President, Carl-Peter Forster. "Saab is a highly respected automotive brand with great potential. Closing this deal represents the best chance for Saab to emerge a stronger company. Koenigsegg Group's unique combination of innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and financial strength, combined with Koenigsegg's proven ability to create world-class Swedish performance cars in a highly efficient manner, made it the right choice for Saab as well as for General Motors."

Koenigsegg Reported to Have Agreed to Buy SAAB, Officials Says No Comment

Citing anonymous sources, Sveriges Television AB, or SVT for short, reported on its website that Swedish sports car maker Koenigsegg has agreed to buy GM's loss-making premium brand, Saab. "The buyers have signed a letter of intent to buy Saab. Final negotiations on the details of the deal will continue over the next few months," SVT said on its website. However, Saab spokeswoman Gunilla Gustavs told CNN that the report by the Swedish television station is "speculation from other channels, and I can't comment on speculation." We'll keep a close on the story and inform you for any new developments.

Sources: SVT and CNN - Hat tip to David N.!

VIDEO: 2010 SAAB 9-5 Sedan Scooped on Film

It won't be long before we see official shots of the all-new Saab 9-5 Sedan that is scheduled to make its global debut at this autumn's Frankfurt Motor Show. But until then, we'll have to be content with whatever spy material we get our hands on. In addition to the uncloaked photos of the new 9-5's rear-end and the first shots of the car's interior, our man also took this video of a bunch of 9-5 prototype models parked next to each other. Enjoy the video after the jump and if you're hungry for more info and photos on the new Saab 9-5 hit the respective link.

Koenigsegg Among the Remaining Bidders for GM's SAAB Division

According to a report from the Swedish financial daily newspaper, Dagens Industri, Sweden's own supercar builder Koenigsegg, is one of the three remaining parties interested in buying General Motors' SAAB brand. The newspaper said that the other two suitors for GM's Swedish arm are Fiat S.p.A that has also made a bid for Opel and Vauxhall, and the Renco Group, a New York City-based holding company controlled by U.S. billionaire Ira Rennert. Citing unnamed sources close to GM, the paper said that the "toughest battle is expected between the Renco Group and Koenigsegg."

Dagens Industri noted that the Swedish automaker's chief executive, Christian von Koenigsegg, declined to confirm or deny the newspaper report.

In April, Saab officials told a Swedish court, which granted the company an extension of its reconstruction period, that they expect to have completed the sale by the end of June.

Via: Reuters

Cadillac, Hummer and Saab Chief Mark McNabb Resigns from General Motors

After being at the helm of GM's premium Cadillac, Hummer and Saab brands for just over a year during which time the automaker took the decision to sell two of the three brands, Mark McNabb decided to jump ship resign from his position. The 48-year-old Vice President will be replaced on June 1st on a temporary basis by Stephen J. Hill, general sales manager of the autmoaker's premium channel since 2008. "He elected to pursue other career opportunities," said Cadillac spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin. "A big part had to do with he wanted to be closer to his family in New Jersey," he added.

Before joining the ranks of General Motors, McNabb served as senior vice president of sales and marketing at Nissan North America Inc.

Via: Detnews

Saab Elektrisk: An Artist's Take on the Swedish Volt

Even if Saab remained under the umbrella of General Motors, we seriously doubt that there would ever be a rebadged, remasked -call it whatever suits your fancy- Saab version of the Chevy Volt. Maybe in a perfect world Saab could have built a Volt spin-off with an entirely different body but with the Opel Ampera covering the European market, a remasked Saab wouldn't make much sense. Still, it's interesting to see an artist's take on a fictional proposal for a Saab Volt. Created by photoshop wiz Theophilus Chin, the rendered Swedish Volt has been baptized for apparent reasons 'Elektrisk'.

Via: Theophiluschin

Bookies Bet on who will Own Saab! Chinese Consortium the Hot Favorite

Brits love to bet on anything and everything - even on Saab's future owner. Ladbrokes, the world's largest gamble company that is based in London but operates in more than 200 countries from Asia to Europe, has opened up a special betting on will buy Saab from General Motors. The bookmakers have selected a Chinese consortium as the hot favorite to be the next owner of Saab at 6/4. Other contenders included by the bookmakers are a Swedish consortium, a German consortium, Fiat and Volvo while the bets on Renault and a U.S. consortium are closed.

Link: Ladbrokes

2010 Saab 9-5: First Undisguised Photos of Cockpit and Rear End!

Our spy photographers outdid themselves this time snapping the first undisguised shots of the all-new Saab 9-5 as it was being transferred on a trailer. The photos reveal the premium sedan's swoopy, almost coupe-like roofline as well as its curvaliscious rear end with the distinctive LED tail light assembly. A closer look at the images indicates that Saab's designers have opted for a traditional boot instead of fastback rear gate. Exterior photos aside, we also have by far the best spy shots yet of the 9-5's interior providing us with our first uncluttered view of the premium sedan's newly designed dashboard.

The Swedish automaker has kept the usual 'Saab' driver-focused cockpit with three deep-set instrument gauges and flush-mounted starter button and infotainment controls, that sweeps up from the central console to the main display screen.

Saab aficionados with a strong memory will recall that the same exact dashboard design -minus a few minor details- was previewed on last year's 9-4X prototype. Same goes for the newly designed three-spoke steering wheel which Saab refers to "aircraft-shaped trimmed".

Underneath the sheetmetal, the new 9-5 uses the same Epsilon II chassis as the Opel Insignia. Saab of course has not released any details, but it's no secret that the engine range will be common between the two models. This means that the 9-5 will be offered with 2.0-liter turbocharged four pots and 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 gasoline units as well as with an updated line-up of 4-cylinder direct-injection diesels.

Saab's new executive sports sedan is expected to make its global debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with sales following in early 2010.

My Two Dents on the Forthcoming 2010 Saab 9-5

The people at Saab are a bit kooky. I don't mean in the old-fashioned "we're building a quirky, turbo hatchback" kind of way. I mean "we're selling restyled GM rubbish for BMW prices and expect you to buy it." They think they can realistically charge over fifty-two thousand dollars for a front-wheel-drive convertible with 17-inch wheels. Following this drug-induced fantasy comes the latest, and most likely last, attempt by Saab to woo the buying public: the next-generation 9-5 executive sedan.

Before we talk about the camouflaged mule, we need to understand the car it's replacing. The current 9-5 is, put plainly, a rip-off. It's outdated, poorly designed, and pathetically marketed.The "sport sedan" that was born from jets comes with a 2.3 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder and front-wheel-drive and costs over forty thousand dollars. That's enough to get a turbocharged 3-Series or a second-hand 5-er, which should be most peoples' choice.

With an interior that features a Kia-inspired automatic shifter - or a circa-1988 manual gearshift - this car screams "don't buy me". I know nitpicking about shifters is a tad much (although I've done it before), but for that money you shouldn't feel like you're buying a time machine.

And the trim? Well, when plastic trim (even if is the smoothly-named piano black) is standard on your $40,000+ range-topper, there's a problem. As far as interiors go, there's quirky and then there's "we just didn't care enough to try something new". In 1999, I'm sure it could have been considered the former. In 2009, it's the latter. This is the car the new 9-5 needs to improve on.

The Epsilon II-based replacement is obviously bigger, its lines indicating that Saab is the latest company to test the waters of the 4-door-coupe-sedan market. It's too early to tell, but the raked roofline could very well be hiding a very Saab-ish hatch. This is a good thing; remember, hatches were what made Saabs special. The rear and rear three-quarter view is impressive considering the designers at Saab have mostly been creating unrealistic concepts for the past decade.

I'm not too sure about that kink in the A-pillar leading into the roofline, but I'll hold my judgment until a final product is revealed. What I won't hold back on, though, is that front end. The front three-quarter view is likely to be the worst aspect of this car (spiffy LED lights or no). Hopefully it's just clever camo made to trick us into thinking the front end is ugly, and at the unveiling we will be pleasantly surprised.

Inside, well, that's purely hypothesis. One thing is for damn sure, though: it had better be pretty good. None of this asymmetrical driver-centric rubbish meant to convince out-of-the-loop buyers that they are driving something sporty. It's no Teutonic sedan, after all.

Lastly is the power plants. The rumors are saying the next-gen Saab 9-5 will be sporting (I feel almost dirty using that word and Saab in the same sentence these days) the 210-horse 2.0T four-banger and the 280-horse V6. The sad part is Saab thinks this can compete head on with the 5-series. Yeah, right. For that to happen, we're going to need, oh, something along the lines of a refined V8 powerhouse and standard all-wheel-drive. If they want to top out with the V6, they'll have to lower the price, target the VW Passat and its CC brother, and then maybe - MAYBE - they'll sell. Try to go after the big boys and this will get burned faster than you can say "Rest in Peace, Saab".

Even if by some miracle everything works out, Saab still deserves to be benched. This is a company that has fumbled the ball way to many times to be left out on the field. Its 9-5 is a model that was left out to dry, a car that needed a new look about seven years ago. Now, all of a sudden, people are scrambling to look like they give a damn. I believe the phrase is: "Too little, too late."

By Phil Alex

Phil Alex was born in Rhode Island in 1985, yet for reasons unbeknownst to him moved to South Carolina. He graduated with degrees in Finance and German from Wofford College in 2007 and has had a strange obsession with cars and travel. When not back in Sparkle City, he resides near Japan's international airport in Narita. He makes no apologies for his articles and welcomes all feedback, as long as it is adamantly worded. Oh, and if for any reason you are inclined to vent some more, check out more of his posts on the Examiner here.

Saab Aero-X Promotional Video

I'm sure that most of you remember Saab's sensual Aero-X Concept that was presented a few months ago in the Geneva Motor Show. But even if your memory has gotten a bit rusty from the sea & sun this promotional video of the 400 Hp Swedish prototype will surely ring a bell to you. Via: Motorpasion

Technorati Tags: Saab+Aero-X, Video, clip, promo, commercial, prototype, Geneva+Motor+Show, concept, auto+news, automobile, autos, vehicles, automotive, cars,

Saab Aero X Concept Press Release

Press Release: Saab Aero X Concept Showcases Future Design Themes

Inspired by aviation and Scandinavian brand heritage. Innovative opening canopy eliminates doors and windshield pillars. 'Green Power' from 400 bhp BioPower engine using 100% bioethanol fuel

The Saab Aero X concept harnesses the power of Saab's aviation and Scandinavian roots to make a unique statement in performance car design. Conceived as a study to explore future design directions, its innovative features preview the development of an enhanced design language that will inspire future Saab products.

As you would expect from Saab, this dynamic two-seater sports coupé breaks with automotive design convention both outside and inside.

First, there are no doors…or windshield pillars. That's because the Saab Aero X adopts a cockpit canopy, just as you would see on a jet aircraft. It offers the Aero X pilot full 180 degree vision, and also facilitates entry and exit from its low-slung cabin.

Thrust for the all-wheel-drive Saab Aero X also comes from a powerplant with a difference. The 400 bhp, twin-turbo, BioPower V6 engine is fueled entirely by bioethanol, a sustainable energy source that is kinder to the environment by cutting fossil CO2 emissions. The 'green power' of this advanced engine gives new meaning to the phrase 'performance with responsibility'.

Inside, the Saab Aero X's cockpit also adds a new dimension to clean Scandinavian interior design by completely eliminating conventional dials and buttons. Instead, Saab has applied techniques derived from Swedish glass and precision instrument making, displaying data on glass-like acrylic 'clear zones' in graphic 3-D images.

All exterior and interior lighting is by LED (light-emitting diode), which has given the design team new freedoms to exploit the compact packaging benefits of a technology that will be featured increasingly in future Saab products.

With weight-saving carbon fiber bodywork, a lightweight powertrain, electronically-controlled suspension and all-wheel drive, the Saab Aero X is an exciting driver's car that promises a level of performance to match its looks. Computer simulations anticipate zero to 100 kph in just 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 250 kph (limited).

Despite being so tightly driver focused, the Aero X still offers surprising practicality, again, a quality you would expect to find in all Saab designs. That dramatically sculpted tail conceals a useful twin storage facility, with a conventional hatch opening and sliding drawer underneath.

"This study shows how the strength of the Saab brand heritage can inspire bold, innovative design," says Bryan Nesbitt, Executive Director, GM Design Europe. "As we move forward with new Saab product, we will remain focused on carefully cultivating this brand equity in the context of Scandinavian design values."

"This concept shows the exciting possibilities that are open to us as we evolve a more progressive design language for the brand," says Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile's Managing Director. "Our designers, engineers and marketers in Sweden are ideally placed to nurture and communicate the unique DNA of the Saab brand. Their work will ensure that future product proposals express core qualities, such as progressive design, sporty performance and emotional functionality, in a way that is specific to Saab."

Technical Specifications and Performance

Chassis:

Sports Coupé two-seater format, monocoque steel construction

Rear opening cockpit canopy, carbon fiber bodywork

Engine:

Front, longitudinally-mounted behind front axle

Saab BioPower 2.8-litre V6 turbo. 24-valve, four OHC.

All aluminium construction. E100 fuel. 12:1 compression ratio.

VVT, exhaust and inlet. SIDI (Spark Ignited Direct Injection).

Twin VGT (Variable Geometry Turbine) turbochargers. 1.0 bar max. boost

Dry sump lubrication.

Max. power: 400 bhp @ 5,000 rpm (EEC)

Max. torque: 500 Nm @ 2,000 - 5,000 rpm (EEC)

Engine management:

32-bit, ignition timing, fuel injection, turbo boost pressure, air mass measurement, throttle setting. Secondary air injection for quick catalysts warm up

Transmission:

Seven-speed, automated manual transmission with double clutch system.

Sequential gear changes via the steering wheel paddles.

All-wheel-drive through multi-plate clutch, variable front/rear torque split.

Suspension:

Front: Double wishbones, coil springs, elec.adj. dampers, anti-roll bar.

Rear: Multi-link, coil springs, elec. adj. dampers, anti-roll bar.

Saab Active Chassis: continuously adjustable damping control.

Steering:

Rack and pinion, hydraulic power-assisted.
Brakes:

380 mm ventilated discs front/rear

ABS, MBA, EBD, electronic stability control.

Wheels/Tires:

Front: 22 x 9.0 inch, multi-spoke alloy / 265/30 mm

Rear: 23 x 11.5 inch, multi-spoke alloy / 325/25 mm

Kerb weight:

1,500 kilos (projected). F/R distribution: 50/50 %

External dimensions:

Length: 4675 mm

Width: 1918 mm

Height: 1276 mm

Track: 1599 mm (f), 1579 mm (r)

Wheelbase: 2795 mm

Performance (projected):

0 - 100 kph: 4.9 secs

Top Speed: 250 kph (limited)

Technorati Tags: Saab, Aero, X, Concept, Press+Release, autos, auto+news, Geneva+Show