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Enter, The Saab-odore
Saab is preparing a new flagship based on the 2006 Holden Commodore.
The Age (Melbourne)
By Hilton Holloway Joshua Dowling
April 1, 2004
After clawing itself out of the doldrums and facing bankruptcy in the early 1980s, Holden could play a pivotal role in saving General Motors' struggling Swedish brand, Saab.
According to a highly placed source, Saab's design team has completed a big
all-wheel-drive Saab sedan based on 2006 Commodore underpinnings. The vehicle is being called the 9-6, indicating that it is larger than the 9-5 and could be a new flagship model.
It is widely accepted within General Motors that Saab can no longer build big, powerful executive cars based on front-wheel-drive underpinnings.
Saab's ageing 9-5 relies on a front-drive layout that has been pushed to its limit. Ever-increasing power outputs have necessitated a move to rear- or all-wheel-drive, as seen in Europe and the US, where the executive-car markets are dominated by the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes E-Class, both of which are rear-wheel-drive. The Audi A6, also strong in Europe, has a permanent all-wheel-drive system.
Saab could easily adopt Holden's new all-wheel-drive system, thanks to the flexibility of the 2006 Commodore underpinnings.
Insiders say the future of the Saab 9-6 depends on Opel's Insignia concept being given the green light. The Insignia is also based on the Commodore platform, and GM bosses need the combined volumes of the Insignia and the 9-6 - estimated at a minimum 120,000 units a year - to make economic sense of installing the Commodore production line at Saab's Trollhattan factory.
However, such a move would make Trollhattan GM's large-car centre for Europe, where the bigger margins could accommodate Saab's higher costs.
Holden's 2006 Commodore underpinnings could also form the basis of a range of off-road wagons sold under Saab and Opel badges. General Motors' European subsidiaries want a vehicle that can compete against Volvo's XC90 and the VW Touareg.
What does this say about the second-generation Holden Adventra? Drive understands it will have a unique body and not be based on the Commodore wagon, as is the case with the current car. To ensure it was economically viable, the current Adventra was designed knowing the Commodore it's based on is nearing the end of its life.
The Saab 9-6 is just one example of a comprehensive shift in thinking by General Motors, which wants to duplicate the tooling for vehicles such as the Commodore and build them in factories around the world.
Along with improving economies of scale (Holden is now responsible for the architecture for many of the big rear-drive sedans in the GM empire), it enables the company to make cars closer to areas where demand is strong.
Drive has previously reported that GM is considering building a big new rear-drive Cadillac for Europe at Saab's Trollhattan factory.
Meanwhile, the collapse of plans to build the Subaru Impreza-based Saab 9-2 in right-hand drive is not the end of the line for the baby Saab, company insiders say.
One of the main reasons the right-hand-drive 9-2 was cancelled was the car's short shelf life. Work on the next-generation Impreza and 9-2 is already under way. Both cars are supposed to appear in showrooms in three years.
The Saab-aru twins are based on an updated Impreza platform and the Saab version will have a much more distinctive look, including a made-to-order interior
posted by 198.208....
, Thu, 1 Apr 2004 12:57:58
, Thu, 1 Apr 2004 17:43:16, Thu, 1 Apr 2004 13:05:29
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