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OK, here's how I wasted the last hour of my Friday afternoon:
I had noted a while ago that the Saab models are called by different names in different countries. Makes sense, because some words have different meanings in different languages; we all know why the Chevrolet Nova didn't sell in Mexico, or why the Rolls Royce Silver Mist failed the market in Germany... Words can even have different meanings or connotations in the same language spoken in different countries. I won't need to explain the subtle differences between US and UK english I guess... I'm originally from the Netherlands, and I've lived in the (dutch speaking) Flemish part of Belgium, where my wife is from. Believe me, there are some major 'gotcha's.
With regard to the Saab models, the word 'combi' for instance, is typically associated with a small cargo van in the Netherlands, whereas in the dutch-speaking part of Belgium 'combi' is exclusively used for a police van. Explains why in neither country Saab would call their wagon SportCombi - fair enough. Besides Belgium is bilingual, so the names have to work right in both languages. Further, in the UK and Ireland, a sedan is called 'Saloon', in Germany it's called a 'Limousine' and in France it's a 'Berline'.
Still, if you browse around the different country sites from saab.com, there's a lot of inconsistencies; the naming of the models raises a lot of questions as to why did they bother, or probably how much did they pay the marketing consultants to come up with these variations?
Here's a small summary of sites I looked at, with the questions they raise with me:
Sweden: 9-3 SportSedan, 9-3 SportCombi, 9-5 Sedan, 9-5 SportCombi
The US have almost exactly followed this, apart from putting the space in 'Sport Sedan'
Norway: 9-3 Sport Sedan, 9-3 SportCombi, 9-5 Sedan, 9-5 SportCombi
They've also put the space in 'sport sedan'
Denmark: 9-3 Sport Sedan, 9-3 SportCombi, 9-5 Sport Sedan, 9-5 SportCombi
Same as Norway, but the 9-5 sedan now also gets the 'sport' predicate.
Germany: 9-3 Sport-Limousine, 9-3 SportCombi, 9-5 Limousine, 9-5 SportCombi
Sedan becomes Limousine. Hey, a hyphen! 9-5 sedan is also not sporty
Austria: 9-3 Sport-Limousine, 9-3 SportCombi, 9-5 Limousine, 9-5 Sport-Kombi
What? Sport-Kombi? Why a different name than the 9-3?
Switzerland: 9-3 Sport Limousine, 9-3 SportCombi, 9-5 Limousine, 9-5 SportCombi
No hyphen, and a little more consistency. And they have to satisfy three languages!
Netherlands: 9-3 Sport Sedan, 9-3 Sport Estate, 9-5 Sport Sedan, 9-5 Sport Estate
The Combi has become Estate. And all models are 'sport'
Belgium: 9-3 Sport Sedan, 9-3 Sport-Hatch, 9-5 Sedan, 9-5 Estate
Hey, the 'hatch' is back. Why does it get the hyphen, but not the sedan? Neither of the 9-5s are sporty here.
France: 9-3 Berline de Sport, 9-3 Sport-Hatch, 9-5 Berline, 9-5 Estate
Apart from translating sedan to berline, follows Belgium (or the other way around, probably...)
Spain: 9-3 Sport Sedan, 9-3 Sport Hatch, 9-5 Sedan, 9-5 Wagon
Still don't get why one is a hatch but the other a wagon
Italy: 9-3 Sport Sedan, 9-3 SportHatch, 9-5 Berlina, 9-5 Wagon
This is the only place where the 9-3 is sedan but the 9-5 translated to berlina.
Great Brittain: 9-3 Sport Saloon, 9-3 SportWagon, 9-5 Saloon, 9-5 Estate
Here the 9-3 is wagon but the 9-5 estate.
Ireland: 9-3 Sport Saloon, 9-3 SportsHatch, 9-5 Saloon, 9-5 Estate
Note the 's' in SportsHatch.
AUS/NZ: 9-3 Sport Sedan, 9-5 Sedan, 9-5 SportEstate
Why concatenate 'SportEstate' but not 'Sport Sedan'?
(They don't get the 9-3 SportCombi at all??)
Is this all really the result of a well-orchestrated marketing strategy? If it is, they must have carefully tested out model names om prospective buyers that fit the demographic profile for each of the different models. To me, it looks more like the outcome of some arbitrary process. It's the same car, so why would the 9-5 sedan be 'sport' only in some countries? Why the seemingly arbitrary use of 'hatch', 'combi', 'wagon' and 'estate'?
Is anyone able to shine a different light on this?
posted by 199.197.1...
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