Hybrid Saabs by 2010
Jan-Ake Jonsson, Managing Director of Saab, recently told Automotive News that hybrid drivetrains would
find their way under the bonnet of both Saab and Opel vehicles by the end of the decade. The technology is currently
being developed in Sweden and will likely being worked on in conjunction with the Saab 9-5 replacement due in 2007, as
well as the 9-3’s successor set to break cover a year later. Inside Line reports that Jonsson says hybrid technology would “fit into the image of the brand.” Saab certainly has taken an environmentally motivated left turn as of late, showing off the 9-5-based BioPower concept and the Aero X concept that features a twin-turbo V6 running on pure ethanol. Hybrid technology will add another facet to the Swedish brand's green portfolio and will give parent company GM another eco-friendly drivetrain to proliferate in the fold.
[Source: Inside Line]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hank 10:51AM (3/21/2006)
Too bad Saab wasn't ready with this already. Their quirky image and hybrids kinda match well. It would have been good to have something ready when Lexus brought luxury hybrid sedans to market, huh?
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phil 11:36AM (3/21/2006)
And as usual GM is late. Don't get me wrong I'm no GM hater it just seems like they are last to the party.
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Amit Das 11:45AM (3/21/2006)
The article heading should say:
"Saab: Hybrid by 2010, bankruptcy by 2011"
The company is on a downward spiral just like other niche Euro players such as Jaguar and to a lesser extent Volvo.
The traditional strengths of Euro brands were safety and technology.
Times have changed and the Asians players have superseded everyone in both categories.
Proof: My $27K 2005 Honda Odyssey EX has a 3.5 VTEC, side/curtain bags, VSC and gets approx 21mpg
And so far has had solid reliability.
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Ted Y 11:54AM (3/21/2006)
"The traditional strengths of Euro brands were safety and technology.
Times have changed and the Asians players have superseded everyone in both categories."
Excuse me? Maybe you need to check the latest safety ratings, the Asians aren't superseding very many, and NOBODY supersedes Saab...
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx
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UH2L 11:58AM (3/21/2006)
GM is late to the hybrid party, but Saabs are already a great performance/fuel economy balance with some turbo fun built in. And they are the safest cars you can buy for their size. Euro cars are more than niche players. Look at the combined success of BMW, Audi alone. They have some attributes that the Japanese makes lack, personality, a special driving feel, and real styling. Most Japanese brand models look bland. (The new Civic and IS actually look neat though). Their idea of a redesign is to turn the amber turn signals red, shrink the turn signal size or move the reverse lights higher or lower on the taillights. Lexus traditionally copied the old Mercedes for their designs on the LS.
Here are a few recent examples of lame design refreshes that the Japanese makes have done...
Acura TSX
Honda Accord
Toyota Camry
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Amit Das 12:23PM (3/21/2006)
>>Excuse me? Maybe you need to check the latest safety ratings, the Asians aren't superseding very many, and NOBODY supersedes Saab...
What... put down that bottle of Absolut
Here are some ratings for the Odyssey:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/3660.html
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/rating.aspx?id=233
Like I said, there is nothing that persuades me to think that the Saab is any better. In fact a larger vehicle with car like ground clearance is naturally safer in a crash.
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G. Snyder 12:27PM (3/21/2006)
#3 - how is Volvo on ANY downward spiral? You are not making a lick of sense.
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Joel A 12:36PM (3/21/2006)
Smart move. Another way to differentiate the brand from the rest of GM's portfolio.
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Ted Y 1:07PM (3/21/2006)
"Like I said, there is nothing that persuades me to think that the Saab is any better. In fact a larger vehicle with car like ground clearance is naturally safer in a crash."
Unless you get hit from the rear. You overlooked the Odyssey's "Marginal" rear crash test rating;-)
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/head_restraints/head_honda.html
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UH2L 1:20PM (3/21/2006)
Smaller vehicles like Saabs can brake more quickly and are more maneuverable in emergency situations. I'd rather avoid an accident than get in one, (understanding that all accidents are not avoidable). Active Safety prevents accidents. Passive Safety protects you after you get in one.
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Amit Das 1:27PM (3/21/2006)
>>Unless you get hit from the rear. You overlooked the Odyssey's "Marginal" rear crash test rating;-)
So I take it that you are impressed with all the other test results of the Odyssey since you couldn't find anything better to hightlight than its lack of active-head restraints for all 8 passengers
I am sure they will be added just as they have been for the 2006 Civic ;-)
So why would I buy a Saab 9-3 when I could buy the upcoming Civic 4dr Si which is thousands less and matches the 9-3's safety results?
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/rating.aspx?id=603
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shiznannigan 1:44PM (3/21/2006)
>>So why would I buy a Saab 9-3 when I could buy the upcoming Civic 4dr Si which is thousands less and matches the 9-3's safety results?
Maybe because they're two completely different cars? The 9-3 competes more with the Accord than the Civic.
And for everyone saying that GM is late to the hybrid market (or even "last"), remember that only 3 automakers are selling hybrids in the U.S.. GM is right in line with DCX, VWgroup, BMW, Nissan, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and Subaru.
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Ed 3:30PM (3/21/2006)
Wow, hybrids by 2010. Nice job GM! That's barely a decade after the Japanese companies had them on the road.
Oh, I'm sorry, I know you're hard at work building hydrogen cars for the fantasy world in which you live. But hey, why invest any money in a technology that could help NOW when it's easier to just say "Yeah but by 2020 we'll have fuel cell vehicles on the road!" Or maybe you diverted all your funds to that lame-ass E85 campaign that's going absolutely nowhere. Too bad E85 only reaches the pumps thanks to an obscenely large government subsidy to make its cost reasonable, and too bad it costs more fossil fuels to MAKE than the end result in ethanol fuel.
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UH2L 3:34PM (3/21/2006)
Safety results are relative to their size. A 4,000 lb car with a 5-star rating is safer than a 3,000 lb car with a 5-star rating. Remember that in a crash test your running a vehicle into an immovable barrier and the only weight that matters is the vehicle being tested. In the real world, you might hit other vehicles that are heavier. The safest type of vehicle you can buy is a large, heavy car, not a truck which tends to roll over.
Saabs have great low end torque whereas you have to rev high on a Civic to get any appreciable torque and that's annoying in everyday driving.
Also, if you check real world safety records in Europe and the U.S., Saab has among the lowest injury rates. That's real world safety and the reason why my insurance on my Saab is cheap.
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Chris 4:25PM (3/21/2006)
How about good looking Saabs by 2008?
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Doogs 7:05PM (3/21/2006)
"#3 - how is Volvo on ANY downward spiral?"
Don't know about downward spiral, but they haven't exactly been flying high of late. Sales fell 11% in 2005.
And two of their newer products - the S40 and XC90 - fell versus their performance in 2004.
Actually, the only vehicle to post a gain was the V50...and it isn't exactly a high-volume model.
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shiznannigan 10:33PM (3/21/2006)
>> Too bad E85 only reaches the pumps thanks to an obscenely large government subsidy to make its cost reasonable
Sort of like the $3,000+ subsidy that the gov't hands out for EVERY Toyota Prius sold? (Or the appx $2000 rebates for that awesome 24mpg Lexus hybrid)
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annie 3:26AM (3/22/2006)
I like the idea of a Saab hybrid, but I also think it might be too late, by then, I will already have a toyota hybrid most likely. Sad, because I like Saabs. As far as Opel is concerned, they need to just stop making Opels altogether. Hybrid motors aren't going to help them make any kind of comeback, at least here in France and Germany. I can hear their death rattle, and nobody here in Europe even cares.
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Car-la 6:17AM (3/22/2006)
Annie finally hits the nail on its head. How many cars does Saab sell in the US, and how many in Europe? Hybrids will go nowhere in the olde world, but with a share of over 50% with some manufacturers (especially the luxury ones), the Diesel is what counts in Europe.
I have to agree with Chris (#15) though. How about some handsome Saabs in the future. Especially the new 9-5 looks terrible in comparison to its competition. If Saab wants to take on the Germans and Lexus and Infiniti, they need to come up with more than just a hybrid drivetrain and safety.
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saabdriver 10:48AM (4/25/2006)
Right, because looks are much more important in the grand scheme of things than whether a car is environmentally responsible or safe...
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