Saab future gets bleaker
No matter how much GM declares their support for Saab, the future looks bleak for purists. We thought the announcement that the new Cadillac BLS was to be built at Saab's Trollhattan plant was a good thing. But the plant is underutilized by 120,000 units and the Caddy won't fill that gap. Most of the industry buzz says the next generation of midsize Epsilon2 cars will be built at the Russelsheim, Germany plant home of the Opel Vectra. If that happens, the next 9-3 and BLS will move away from Sweden and into Germany. Bob Lutz says the brand will survive even if it no longer has ties to Sweden with the use of a Saab design team to add the "Swedishness" to the platforms. Mind you these are the same guys responsible for the 9-2x and 9-7x. Keep your finger's crossed for the 9-6x next month.
- Business Week unloads on GM I've found it enlightening to read the analysis from Business Week on the automotive industry. They obviously focus more on the bottom line than the product line but it is still an interesting read. T ...
- Saturn suspends Ion production The Columbia Daily Herald, in Columbia, Tennessee reports that the Saturn Ion plant began a two-week shutdown on Monday. This will allow for a reduction in inventory as far too many Ions sit on dealer ...
- Companies come together for Convergence 2004 The Challenge Bibendum is like, so last week. We're now amidst another auto industry gathering held in Detroit, called Convergence, in which people gather round to talk about how computers are ruining ...
- TCC drops knowledge on this year's Challenge Bibendum Ok, so you read about it on Autoblog when we trotted out our feelings on GM's hybrid bus, VW's diesel-electric Golf, and Volvo's 3CC, and you probably just nodded and pretended to understand. Well, no ...
- Ford gets more Sirius Really, I'm ashamed I use the same puns for any Sirius story but what can you do? It's easy and I'm lazy. As for the story itself, Ford is planning to beef up its commitment to Sirius satellite radio ...
- Hummer H3s take on Rubicon Trail; hell gets slightly chillier Car and Driver tidily sums up the Hummer H2 as selling "more on its affectations than it abilities." As such, GM will have to do something to validate the upcoming H-Thrizzle Hummerette. They've decid ...
- Volvo reveals small concept car in China This week's Michelin Challenge Bibendum, besides putting GM's hybrid bus into action, will also host Volvo's introduction of its new small car concept, developed from the earlier Tandem prototype. Whi ...
- GM's Product Development honcho dishes on his personal collection Bob Lutz, the guy who insures that GM actually makes stuff, oversees another not insignificant trove of autos— his own. The Car Connection toured Lutz's lush grounds recently and took stock of t ...
- GM to produce hybrid bus for study in Shanghai The diesel-electric people-movin' hybrid will be a joint venture featuring the efforts of the Chinese bus maker Sunwin, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), and the General himself. The one bus ...
- Last Cavalier rolls off the line, celebration is in order In a bizarre local news story the workers at GM's Lordstown, Ohio's assembly line are actually sad to see the aging Chevy Cavalier go. Huh? How can you be sad to see one of the oldest production ...
0 Responses to » Saab future gets bleaker
Leave your response!