Would reviving the Viggen help or hurt Saab?
Viggen is loosely translated from Swedish to mean "torque steer that will bust your elbows." Actually, Saab borrowed the Viggen moniker from a fighter jet for a top-dog version of the 9-3 that bowed in 1999. The Saabophiles at Turbonines have been dreaming as of late about a new Viggen, and they've even got Photochops to illustrate their points. The basic premise is that the "Hirsch Edition" Saabs being created for the German market carry plenty of even higher-end dressing up than the TurboX range topper we get here in the States, and it'd merely be a matter of diverting some of those vehicles this way with some new badging. We've tried the TurboX and mostly liked it, and Turbonines goes on to advocate for installing some of these goodies in ports, which would further reduce federalization costs. Of course, no matter how you slice it, the only-600-in-the-US TurboX can still be had, so adding another vehicle to Saab's lineup that would occupy the mid-$40,000 price point and get its teeth bashed in by Audis and BMWs might not be a smart move for GM's tiniest of sellers.
[Source: Turbonines, Photo: Turbonines]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kiiks 9:10AM (12/10/2008)
After all when you sit down and cross-shop with a G37x, you get more for a few thousand less than the Saab. Horses, gadgets, etc. If only the G looked as good as the TurboX.
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CBR 9:25AM (12/10/2008)
I would never cross-shop any current Saab to a G37X.
Apples and oranges
BoxerFanatic 11:30AM (12/10/2008)
Or you could cross shop the Turbo X with the Legacy GT Spec.B.
The Legacy does everything a car is supposed to do better than the Saab, and is less expensive. I can give up 'toys' for a better driving car. My 05 model is probably on par or better with Turbo X's performance, and cost me half the Turbo X's MSRP of over $40k
and the Subaru is more responsive to even slight tuning than the Saab, as well, and tuning parts are more prevalent.
I would SO buy a '09 Spec.B over a Saab Turbo X.
The only problem with the G37X, is that you can't get it with the same equipment as the G37S, like brembos and a stick shift. That is like Fusion 3.5 Sport and most other Fords, GMs, and everyone else... Some are actually decent ideas, but they fall flat because they don't go all the way with a manual transmission, and real sport equipment. A badge does not generate real performance capability, and only going 5/8ths of the way, isn't all the way.
CBR 11:42AM (12/10/2008)
I would love a G37X M6 as well, but unfortunately the other 99.9% of G buyers don't see it like we do. Just too small of a market to make it worth while, on the sedan at least.
And the Subi, much better comparo and better choice!
Shiftright 12:45PM (12/10/2008)
I looked at Legacy Spec B's, but could not find any for less than $30k. Hardly "half" of the X' admittedly steep $40k. Great car the Subie, no doubt, but just not that cheap. Unfortunately, somewhat generic looking. The Saab has much more character.
Anand 1:31PM (12/10/2008)
The cheapest Legacy GT in 2005 stickered at around $26.5k, so it's no where close to "1/2 the price".
Also, you can get a wagon version of the 9-3, even the TurboX variant. If you want a new Legacy wagon, you have to get an Outback and that means giving up much of the Legacy's handling.
I"m a Subaru owner and think the LGT is a great car, but it's not quite the slam dunk versus the 9-3 you make it out to be.
f1tifoso 1:17PM (12/16/2008)
And therin lies your answer.
That oversimplification shows a lack of knowledge about the crash structure, and the overall feel of the vehicle, not just the aesthetics...
No wonder US automakers fail, it's the buyers that feed them the bad ideas...
Kiiks 5:55PM (12/10/2008)
CBR - Why not? Similar price range, semi-luxury, four drive wheels... back it up.
Alex 9:18AM (12/10/2008)
Saab needs a seroius performance overhaul. Their styling (bar the 9-5) is great. Their engines are lacking. The price-point is just too high when compared to other cars in their price range. I love Saab 9-3s but i wouldn't buy one. Too much for too little.
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BLS 9:27AM (12/10/2008)
Have you seen the sale prices right now. Around $36K for 2008 Turbo X around 6K off for all 2008 9-3s. Only about $3K off for 2009s though.
Stumpy 9:27AM (12/10/2008)
I always liked the Viggen styling and extra power. Though I have never driven one. I have no idea how their quality was.
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Paul 9:29AM (12/10/2008)
They were wonderful, still one of my dream cars... torque steer was easily overcome with a couple simple mods. Unfortunately i never found one at the right time in the right condition.
ehisforadam 9:27AM (12/10/2008)
I have a friend whose family is a big fan of Saabs, he complains a lot about the new ones. Two of the biggest problems being power (the older ones being more powerful then the new ones) and the changing over from hatchbacks to sedans.
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gessvt 10:52AM (12/10/2008)
Have your friend check his facts on power output. The current 9-5 2.3T and 9-3 Aero X make more power than any preceding Saab, including the Viggen.
And you can throw in the LS2 V8 on the current 9-7X Aero if he persists...
SilverAero 6:00PM (12/10/2008)
My 1995 9000 Aero with a 2.3 liter turbo made more torque (250) that the twin turbo v6 in the 9-3 Aero up until the new gen (255) and gets better gas mileage. Mull that over for a while. I think it is lighter too.
carcomptoy 9:30AM (12/10/2008)
Saab had a lot of potential, but like with Saturn, GM just let it slip away. It could have been a really good niche brand, but it's way too expensive for its own good, especially when performance and quality and brand perception aren't on the same level as other European cars at the same price. I would have liked to have seen Saab and Volvo be bigger players like they used to, but now it's like, who buys these cars??
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Chris 9:33AM (12/10/2008)
I grew up in the 80's in Philadelphia which at the time was a huge Saab market. My dad owned two consecutive ones, a four-door 900S and a beautiful black 900 coupe with Ronal wheels (likely purchased a s a result of a mid-life crisis). Their appeal, among other things, was their uniqueness and they garnered a loyal following because of it. I believe Saab has lost that appeal and that core following, a very detrimental occurance when talking about a niche brand. Until the past 5 years or so, I dont believe their designs were at all compelling. I'm now a big fan of the 9-3 and TurboX. I was driving next to one of the latter this past weekend and was struck by how good it looked on the street. Even with these products, the challenge Saab has now in losing their core audience is that the products become undervalued, especially in comparison to other more well-known, higher volume competitors. The Viggen has some potential, but I would agree that with a relative brand clone within a few thousand bucks and ass-kickers like BMW and Audi iwaiting n the wings, the model would be a tough sell. Chris www.nextgenautos.com
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Justin 9:36AM (12/10/2008)
I know this is blasphemy but I think Saab really needs to create something totally new. Everything they have looks to me (average consumer) like it did 20 years ago bar a couple differences.
Maybe that's the appeal to some people, but to most I think it just makes them walk right by.
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martin@talkingfuture 9:45AM (12/10/2008)
I just wish they would get the 9-1 out soon. A small cheap to run car with Saab "values" would be perfect for me. I like the 9-3 but its more car than I need right now.
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Naveed 9:51AM (12/10/2008)
9:30am is right, Saab could be an amazing niche player despite relatively low sales numbers if it had cars that incited enthusiasm in buyers.
My dad had a mid-'90s 9000 Aero that was probably the coolest car ever at that time: four distinctly sculpted seats, manual trans, an enormous hatchback trunk, 3-spoke wheels, two-tone interior, etc. Other people had BMWs and Mercedeses, but the 9000 was on another plane of uniqueness in our small town in Fla.
Later, I test-drove a 9-3 Viggen in '01 or so, and it was an absolute hoot. I loved the torque steer and the car's character was unmatched compared to any modern BMW. Ended up buying a 9-5 Aero because I needed the space. When the car was 3 months old, a woman rear-ended me going at least 35mph. The car crumpled so hard that the rear doors were stuck shut. Zero injuries.
I don't drive Saabs now, though, because they don't make a performance-oriented model that really appeals to me. The 9-2 is a rebadged Subaru, the 9-3 is a plain-jane boring Sedan, and the 9-5 is totally antiquated. That the 9-7 is a rebadged Trailblazer is blasphemous. I'd love to see a return to relatively big hatchbacks with FWD, unique styling, and idiosyncrasies.
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