IMPORTANT NEWS: National Electric Vehicle Sweden has agreed to buy the assets of Saab Automobile and the sale is expected to be finalized during the summer.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

50 Saab outlets to open in China this year

According to Reuters, Pangda Automobile Trade Co. aims at opening 50 Saab outlets in China this year. Wang Yin, Pangda's board secretary, said this to Reuters in a phone interview. Wang continued by saying that the annual China sales target for Saab is 10,000 imported units this year, depending on Saab's output level at home.

It was also revealed that Pangda aims to set up a manufacturing venture with Spyker Cars and a partner in China this year and to start local production in two years.

To Auto Sohu Pangda’s CEO and founder Pang Qing Hua said that Pangda will search for a manufacturing partner or China's National Development and Reform Council (NDRC) will recommend one. In the contract with Saab, Pangda has the right to choose and suggest a partner but Saab has the right to refuse a partner, but Saab has no right to choose a partner. So basically if any Chinese company wants to produce Saab’s in China, they have to go through Pangda.

Pangda also seems to be eager to import Saab's to China, a responsibility China Automobile Trading Company (CATC) has at the moment. But the deal CATC has with Saab for import can according to Pangda be cancelled at the end of this year.