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New Saab 9-5 sketch is less quirky, more badass
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, GM, Saab 
A Saab owner attending the 2008 Saab Owner's Convention posted a recap of the events at Trollhattan Saab (which we thought was defunct, but if not, we're glad it's back). One of the most noteworthy events was something on which he barely commented: a sketch of the new 9-5. Saab has been threatening for a while to start incorporating Aero X cues into its vehicles, and this could be it.
The text around the car says it will have "aircraft heritage," "fuselage bodysides," a "wraparound winshield," and a "grille inspired by a J21." We find the J21 bit and...
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Deal of the Day: Employee Pricing means $10,000 off on 2008 Corvette Z06
Filed under: Car Buying, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, HUMMER, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn 
Wow, there are some great deals to be had at the moment from General Motors. Not the least of which is on the Corvette, specifically the Z06 model, which we've had nothing but good things to say about, even at its $72K asking price. Now that GM is offering all of its models at employee prices, that cost drops by about ten grand! A Z06 for $62,653? Yes please... if only our meager blogging budgets would allow it. Similarly, a Caddy XLR-V can be...
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GM brings back employee pricing to sell remaining 2008 models
Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, HUMMER, Saab, Saturn  It is no secret that the automotive industry is hurting for sales to close out 2008. Over the past few months incentives have been thrown out left and right to draw in more buyers. The deals have not done enough to bring folks into the showroom, though. With all the media talk of bleeding Detroit, consumers know that the domestic manufacturers have been holding out on their best offers. Perhaps the memory of 2005's employee pricing incentives has kept many waiting on...
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Saab 9-5 packing 1.6-liter turbo in Europe
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Wagons/Estates, Saab 
Saab's rumored decision to downsize its engines gets some confirmation today, as reports indicate that the Swedish brand's next 9-5 will get just 1.6-liters of displacement for its base engine. However, power should still be up to par, as the mill will get a high-pressure turbocharger to boost output. Despite the small-bore engine, the next 9-5 will be built atop the Epsilon II platform which underpins the latest Opel Insignia and which will cause the new 9-5 to grow in size compared to the current car. The 9-3 will move down to the Delta platform, shared with the Chevy Cruze...
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Saab 9-3X, 9-3 concept coming to Paris?
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Wagons/Estates, Euro, Paris Motor Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Saab  The Saab 9-3X will be a soft-roading version of the Swedish brand's bread-and-butter sedan and wagon, a.k.a. SportCombi, and word has it that the all-wheel-drive wonders will be making their debut at the Paris Motor Show in October. Unlike the performance-oriented Turbo X, the 9-3X will use its Haldex AWD system for tackling particularly deep potholes, traversing heavily packed snow and otherwise offering its owners the sure footedness that comes with all four wheels turning at once. Based on our previous spy photos, we expect the 9-3X to look the part...
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GM cuts Saab powertrain warranty down to four years/50,000 miles
Filed under: Car Buying, Maintenance, Saab  As if selling a quirky Swedish brand wasn't hard enough, Saab dealers will now have to do it with a smaller powertrain warranty. Effective immediately for 2009 models, all powertrain warranties on Saab vehicles will be reduced to four-years or 50,000 miles. Most media outlets, including Automotive News, are reporting that Saab's current warranty is seven-years and 100,000 miles for its powertrains, but that's inaccurate. Saab's powertrain warranty has the been the same as the rest of GM's brands since they were all increased in September, 2006 to five-years or 100,000 miles. So the new Saab powertrain warranty lops one year...
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HUMMER has bidders, next Saab to be built in N.A.
Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, GM, HUMMER, Saab 
General Motors CEO, Rick Wagoner, mentioned in passing that several parties have expressed interest in purchasing HUMMER and that GM is moving as quickly as possible to seal the deal. "We have some interested buyers," Wagoner told reports while attending the opening of a new GM engineering and development center.
The sale of HUMMER would help fund GM's attempt to boost liquidity to the tune of $15 billion by the end of 2009. Other brands could be cut or paired down, but Wagoner insists that Saab will continue to soldier on. "Saab is a critical part of our European portfolio...
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GM Europe decides to downsize future Saabs
Filed under: GM, Saab 
The midsized sedan has been growing in all directions for decades, but soaring fuel prices have customers begging for something smaller. GM is heeding the call as it is preparing a smaller batch of next generation Saabs. The next 9-3 was originally slated to be underpinned by the Epsilon II, but in March GM decided to instead utilize the lower-medium Delta architecture. The Delta platform will also be used for the next-gen Chevy Cruze, which is slated to eventually replace the Cobalt. The end result will be a smaller, lighter, more efficient Swedish sedan.
With the 9-3 shrinking, Saab will also need to...
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Leaked slides preview GM's future
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Wagons/Estates, Crossovers/CUVs, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, Saab    
Click any image for a slightly larger shot.
Earlier in the week, a handful of tiny images from General Motor's presentation to employees leaked onto the Web, providing a glimpse into the future of Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and Saab. As the General's spinmeisters try to console both Wall Street investors and tepid consumers after Black Tuesday's depressing announcements, they've finally released these all-too-small pics into the...
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Spy Shots: Saab 9-3x in the works
Filed under: Spy Photos, Wagons/Estates, Saab  Saabs with the latest Haldex bits tucked underneath are a hoot to drive, as we found out the twotimes we sampled the Turbo X. That hardware will also be available on the 9-3 Aero, and Saab's got another trick up its sleeve in the form of the 9-3X. Rather than go the lowered, Vaderized route of the Turbo X, the 9-3X is angling for the table scraps left over by the Audi Allroad, Volvo XC70, and even the luxed-up versions of the Subaru Outback. Raised suspension and skid-platey accents butch it up, along with extra cladding and exhaust tips big enough...
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