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, Mon, 18 Aug 2003 12:48:58
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http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6312
Saab to Show 9-3 Concept
In September, Saab will show a concept car of a new version of the 9-3 at the Frankfurt Auto Show ? the Sport-Hatch Concept, a realistic evolution of the 9-3X crossover coupe that Saab unveiled last year in Detroit. The Sport-Hatch concept is a mix of a hatchback and a station wagon. Saab confirms that this concept car is not just a show car: ?It demonstrates our intent to continue to evolve and expand the 9-3 line,? the company said in a release. In other words we may expect a sporty station wagon of the 9-3 soon. The Sport-Hatch concept car is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo engine with 250 hp. This crossover concept will be the latest development in the program, which is the most comprehensive in Saab?s history. After the unveiling of the 9X concept in Frankfurt and the 9-3X in Detroit, the new 9-3 Sedan went on sale last September. This year the 9-3 Convertible was introduced and next spring the all-wheel-drive 9-2 model will arrive in North American markets.
? Henny Hemmes
Saab Confirms Expansion Plans, Hints Of More To Come
Enjoying its best-ever year in the critical U.S. market, Saab is getting ready to roll out a procession of new products, vehicles company officials admit are crucial to the Swedish brand?s long-term success. But in turn, the brand will have to demonstrate its ability to deliver sales and profits once it adds models like the sporty 9-2 and the 9-7X SUV to its lineup, Saab?s U.S. boss, Debra Kelley-Ennis, told TheCarConnection.com ?We?re entering the most extensive new product offensive in the company?s history,? she noted while attending a media drive of the new 9-3 Convertible. It will be followed next year by the 9-2, a Saab version of Subaru?s WRX model, which will be sold in base and Aero versions, the latter featuring a 227-hp high-pressure turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. In 2005, it will be joined by the 9-7X, based on the GMT360 sport-ute platform. But yet more product seems likely to follow. A crossover is ?a segment we?d very much like to get into,? said Kelly-Ennis, adding that the Sport-Hatch concept vehicle scheduled for debut in Frankfurt next month will be a thinly-disguised version of another Saab production car. A big challenge for Saab will be to maintain the distinctiveness of new products, the executive stressed, rather than simply bringing to market badge-engineered versions of what other GM brands are offering.
? Paul Eisenstein
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, Mon, 18 Aug 2003 12:48:58
, Tue, 19 Aug 2003 17:05:22
, Mon, 18 Aug 2003 19:09:53, Mon, 18 Aug 2003 17:18:17, Mon, 18 Aug 2003 22:27:41
, Mon, 18 Aug 2003 15:02:19, Tue, 19 Aug 2003 17:06:01, Mon, 18 Aug 2003 14:32:22, Mon, 18 Aug 2003 13:10:39
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