Autoblog

Click image above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Saab 9-3

Tougher emissions and fuel economy regulations in Europe and the United States have forced Saab to put the brakes on development of the next-generation 9-3. The current Saab 9-3 is built on GM's Epsilon platform (shared with the Opel Vectra, Chevrolet Malibu, and Pontiac G6). The next-gen model was set to be based on the longer and wider GM Epsilon II platform (used for the 2009 Saab 9-5). However, Saab and parent company General Motors are considering radically downsizing the model to fit GM's upcoming 'Global premium compact' platform - a size rivaling the Audi A3.

GM design sources told Autocar that a smaller chassis would dictate new technologies to maximize interior room. These would include a slim modular roof assembly and slimmer doors with advanced side-impact technology. General Motors has also hinted that the new 9-3 could be manufactured in the United States. Many European automakers are feeling the impact a weak dollar is having on profits and, like BMW, are moving or increasing production in the States.

[Source: Autocar]

The next-generation Opel Vectra Wagon will be imported and rebadged as a Saturn, according to a published report. It'll join the Astra (the next Saturn Ion) as the second Opel to be sold in North America as a Saturn. Sources from GM Europe have stated that the annual sales goal for the new wagon will be 50,000 units, and that it should appear in Saturn showrooms in '08 or '09.

The car will be built on the next-generation global Epsilon platform and is expected to feature V6 power and all-wheel-drive. Everyone's mum on naming, but it's not outlandish to guess that it'll be called the Aura Wagon or something similar. According to AutoWeek, Saturn marketers are still deciding how to present the car to its new audience. It'll be positioned as either an upscale wagon or a soft-roader a la the Audi Allroad.

If we had things our way, we'd position it as a premium wagon and bolster that image with a hot Red Line variant later on. Let the next Vue (likely another Opel import, the Antara) assume the mantle as Saturn's off-roader.

No matter how GM decides to market it, the new Saturn wagon will give them a stylish, practical hauler that should have some appeal in a marketplace that has seen fuel-cost-fatigued drivers move away from SUVs.

Note: Current Vectra Wagon pictued

[Source: AutoWeek]