Saab Signs Deal to Return to China Market in 2011

Maintaining a presence in China is vital for any automaker these days, even more so for a company like Saab that is struggling to make a comeback after almost going down this year. The Swedish automaker signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China Automobile Trading Co. LTD (CATC), which will allow the firm to re-enter the Chinese market after a three-year hiatus, as Saab's previous owner, General Motors, had pulled the brand out of China in 2008.

Under the agreement, the Beijing-based and government-owned CATC will assume responsibility for the import of Saab vehicles and spare parts for the Chinese market. Saab said that a contract sealing the deal is expected to be signed in the first quarter of 2011, with official sales starting in July 2011. The Swedish firm plans to start with a small network initially

Announcing the agreement, Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson said: “This agreement is vital for Saab, as it will be the foundation to develop a stronger presence in what is now the largest car market in the world. I am confident that CATC will prove to be the perfect partner for us as we revamp our sales activities in the Chinese market."

“Saab sees strong sales potential in China and we are confident that our product offering will be attractive to both existing and new customers in the market. We look forward to re-establishing the Saab brand in China next year with exciting new products like the new 9-5 Sedan and the 9-4X crossover vehicle.”

Two 2011 Saab 9-5 Sedans Reportedly Burst in Flames in Sweden

Östgöta Corren, a Swedish daily newspaper, is reporting that two new 2011MY Saab 9-5 Saloons recently caught on fire in similar circumstances, in the same area and within a short time frame. The incident with the 9-5 pictured here with the burnt engine compartment and the large hole in the hood took place in Sweden last Friday.

According to the posters over at the SaabsUnited fan site, there has been some talk on forums about an aftermarket engine heater that may have been wrongly installed by the same dealer on both cars, but this has not been confirmed. If indeed there is a problem -and we're not saying there is - Saab should definitely send some people to look into the matter and sort things out because you know what they say about rumors spreading like wildfires...

Source: Corren , Via: SaabsUnited

Saab Announces 9-5 Specification Upgrades for the UK Market

Saab UK has announced some specification upgrades for its new 9-5 saloon series and more specifically, the Vector SE models. To sweeten the deal for buyers, the Swedish automaker has equipped the Vector SE with full leather upholstery, instead of a leather and textile mix, and larger 18-inch Carve wheels, which replace the 17-inch Blade alloys, without increasing the price.

The Swedish maker also offers a revised chassis for the 160 hp 2.0-liter diesel variant equipped with a manual transmission. According to Saab, the new setup, combined with the bigger wheels, improves handling compared to the previous sport chassis.

Jonathan Nash, Saab GB Managing Director, commented: “These improvements are the result of feedback from the UK automotive media. The improved driving characteristics address issues related to ride comfort on UK roads. The fact that the engineering team have managed to make the changes without affecting the impressive CO₂ emissions of just 139g/km for the manual 2.0-litre TiD 160PS car show that the small independent Saab engineering team can respond very quickly to market requirements”.

By Csaba Daradics

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