A blog fueled by enthusiasm about Saab, the greatest car company between the North and the South Pole. And their cars, which probably is the only cars that would start on a cold and crispy South Pole morning.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Latest Saab news?
You may be wondering what the latest Saab news is. Well, there isn't any news to report. Except that the wages have still not been paid and there is no confirmed info on money coming to Saab. So I guess we'll just have to wait some more.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Curt's review of the Saab 9-5
This weekend I give you a review of the Saab 9-5 written by Curt. Curt is one of my regular readers and you have probably seen his name in the comment section. Now he has written a review of his own Saab 9-5 on a trip he did from Denver to San Francisco and he has been kind enough to share it with us all. And it seems like he did the trip in much more comfort than Jack Kerouac did On the Road!
So without further ado, here is Curt's review.
Curt's review: Trip to San Francisco
In July, I had the pleasure to drive my NG 9-5 Aero from Denver, Colorado to San Francisco, California - a round trip of nearly 3000 miles/4800 kilometers. The car was a joy to drive and was my favorite part of the entire trip. Like any car, the 9-5 does some things very well and others not so well. Here are a few impressions of the car:
Highlights
Handling – the NG 9-5 Aero handles very well at high speed (80MPH/128KPH) driving through mountains, deserts and high plains. This car really hugs the roads and throws itself around sharp corners. I had no problems keeping my speed up at night when the roads got particularly twisty in the mountains of Wyoming. The car simply drives smaller than what it really is which is an excellent attribute. Even city driving in busy downtown San Francisco was no problems for the car and I was able to find parking for it without problem.
Visibility – the adaptive Xenon lighting system works great. The system is so effective in low beam that it was difficult to tell when the high beams were on. The lighting system changes with input from the steering wheel. So, when I would turn the steering wheel either right or left, the headlights would also move to the left or right making it easier to see around corners. The Xenon bulbs are very bright which can be blinding to oncoming traffic. There were a few occasions when another driver would flash their head lights at to as if I were driving with high beams on.
Performance – the 9-5 accelerates much better than reported in the press. The 9-5 easily passed cars and trucks that were travelling at highway speeds. The car is so smooth and so quiet that it doesn’t feel as if it is accelerating quickly. But when I looked at the speedometer and saw that I was over 100MPH/160KPH in just a few seconds, I realized how fast the car really is. The car accelerated well in the mountains above 10,000 feet/3350meters carrying a trunk full of luggage and one other passenger. I really was amazed by how quick the car is.
Comfort – the seats are my favorite feature of the car. They are simply the best I’ve seen. I was able to drive the entire route with no back pain at all. I drove the entire return trip from San Francisco without sleeping (nearly 20 hours) and without back pain. Normally, I get low back pain within a couple of hours behind the wheel but not in the 9-5. My passenger also loved the seats and was very comfortable for the entire trip.
Trunk space – the car has 18.5 cubic feet of trunk space and I used nearly every inch of it for the trip. I was able to fit multiple suitcases, coolers, various coats and accessories into the trunk which left the back seat open for when my passenger wanted to rest. The trunk is very well laid out with little wheel arch intruding on it.
Issues
My complaints are very minor and the issues did not affect my driving experience. Like any car, the 9-5 is not perfect and I want to highlight what I think are a few issues with the car.
Lack of spare tire – I’m not sure who at Saab decided to leave out a spare tire from the car, but it was a bad decision. A repair kit is included but it’s not guaranteed to fill the tire or that the repair would hold. I decided to purchase a spare tire from Saab USA Parts before the trip and I was able to drive with a peace of mind that I would not have had without a spare.
Fuel economy – I only averaged 25.3MPG/9.30L-100KM while highway driving. I had expected better but I guess the weight of the car does have an impact on fuel economy. I must admit though that I was driving at 80MPH/128KPH and my passenger needed the air conditioning as it was quite hot driving through Utah and Nevada. This could explain some of the poor gas mileage. My lowest highway fuel mileage was 23.73MPG/9.91L-100KM and my highest fuel mileage was 27.17MPG/8.66L-100KM
Trip computer – the trip computer that calculates the car’s overall fuel mileage overestimated the fuel economy by nearly 11% and was off by 14% on one leg of the trip. This was disappointing as the trip computer on my other Saabs have been accurate to 1% - 2%. As an example, on one leg of the trip, the trip computer calculated that I had gotten 27.7MPG/8.49L-100KM when I only had managed to get 23.8MPG/9.88L – 100KM. This was off by over 14% and is fairly normal each time I fill up the tank. I’m not sure why the system is so inaccurate. Someone from Saab needs to investigate this issue as I’m sure my car is not the only one with an inaccurate trip computer.
IPOD connection – the IPOD connection works normally for 2 – 3 hours and then the connection between the IPOD and the car stereo gets interrupted and an error message is flashed on the stereo display. The stereo then no longer recognizes that the IPOD is connected. The stereo will not recognize the IPOD until the car is turned off and then back on again. This happened on both legs of my journey and was a minor nuisance as there were very few radio stations in the Western US.
Summary
In my mind, the car is quite stunning. From beautiful lines to sharp handling to excellent performance, the NG 9-5 is a winner. I enjoyed nearly every mile of my trip across country and I’d like to take another one very soon. Yes, the car has a few niggles but none that affect performance. The issues were quite minor and hopefully, Saab can work them out in future versions. Overall, I’d recommend the 9-5 to anyone interested in a great touring car. It looks much better than the MB and BMW and is also less expensive. The 9-5 is a great value and worth every penny.
So without further ado, here is Curt's review.
Curt's review: Trip to San Francisco
In July, I had the pleasure to drive my NG 9-5 Aero from Denver, Colorado to San Francisco, California - a round trip of nearly 3000 miles/4800 kilometers. The car was a joy to drive and was my favorite part of the entire trip. Like any car, the 9-5 does some things very well and others not so well. Here are a few impressions of the car:
Illustration photos "loaned" from Motortrend
Highlights
Handling – the NG 9-5 Aero handles very well at high speed (80MPH/128KPH) driving through mountains, deserts and high plains. This car really hugs the roads and throws itself around sharp corners. I had no problems keeping my speed up at night when the roads got particularly twisty in the mountains of Wyoming. The car simply drives smaller than what it really is which is an excellent attribute. Even city driving in busy downtown San Francisco was no problems for the car and I was able to find parking for it without problem.
Visibility – the adaptive Xenon lighting system works great. The system is so effective in low beam that it was difficult to tell when the high beams were on. The lighting system changes with input from the steering wheel. So, when I would turn the steering wheel either right or left, the headlights would also move to the left or right making it easier to see around corners. The Xenon bulbs are very bright which can be blinding to oncoming traffic. There were a few occasions when another driver would flash their head lights at to as if I were driving with high beams on.
Performance – the 9-5 accelerates much better than reported in the press. The 9-5 easily passed cars and trucks that were travelling at highway speeds. The car is so smooth and so quiet that it doesn’t feel as if it is accelerating quickly. But when I looked at the speedometer and saw that I was over 100MPH/160KPH in just a few seconds, I realized how fast the car really is. The car accelerated well in the mountains above 10,000 feet/3350meters carrying a trunk full of luggage and one other passenger. I really was amazed by how quick the car is.
Comfort – the seats are my favorite feature of the car. They are simply the best I’ve seen. I was able to drive the entire route with no back pain at all. I drove the entire return trip from San Francisco without sleeping (nearly 20 hours) and without back pain. Normally, I get low back pain within a couple of hours behind the wheel but not in the 9-5. My passenger also loved the seats and was very comfortable for the entire trip.Trunk space – the car has 18.5 cubic feet of trunk space and I used nearly every inch of it for the trip. I was able to fit multiple suitcases, coolers, various coats and accessories into the trunk which left the back seat open for when my passenger wanted to rest. The trunk is very well laid out with little wheel arch intruding on it.
Issues
My complaints are very minor and the issues did not affect my driving experience. Like any car, the 9-5 is not perfect and I want to highlight what I think are a few issues with the car.
Lack of spare tire – I’m not sure who at Saab decided to leave out a spare tire from the car, but it was a bad decision. A repair kit is included but it’s not guaranteed to fill the tire or that the repair would hold. I decided to purchase a spare tire from Saab USA Parts before the trip and I was able to drive with a peace of mind that I would not have had without a spare.
Fuel economy – I only averaged 25.3MPG/9.30L-100KM while highway driving. I had expected better but I guess the weight of the car does have an impact on fuel economy. I must admit though that I was driving at 80MPH/128KPH and my passenger needed the air conditioning as it was quite hot driving through Utah and Nevada. This could explain some of the poor gas mileage. My lowest highway fuel mileage was 23.73MPG/9.91L-100KM and my highest fuel mileage was 27.17MPG/8.66L-100KM
Trip computer – the trip computer that calculates the car’s overall fuel mileage overestimated the fuel economy by nearly 11% and was off by 14% on one leg of the trip. This was disappointing as the trip computer on my other Saabs have been accurate to 1% - 2%. As an example, on one leg of the trip, the trip computer calculated that I had gotten 27.7MPG/8.49L-100KM when I only had managed to get 23.8MPG/9.88L – 100KM. This was off by over 14% and is fairly normal each time I fill up the tank. I’m not sure why the system is so inaccurate. Someone from Saab needs to investigate this issue as I’m sure my car is not the only one with an inaccurate trip computer.
IPOD connection – the IPOD connection works normally for 2 – 3 hours and then the connection between the IPOD and the car stereo gets interrupted and an error message is flashed on the stereo display. The stereo then no longer recognizes that the IPOD is connected. The stereo will not recognize the IPOD until the car is turned off and then back on again. This happened on both legs of my journey and was a minor nuisance as there were very few radio stations in the Western US.
Summary
In my mind, the car is quite stunning. From beautiful lines to sharp handling to excellent performance, the NG 9-5 is a winner. I enjoyed nearly every mile of my trip across country and I’d like to take another one very soon. Yes, the car has a few niggles but none that affect performance. The issues were quite minor and hopefully, Saab can work them out in future versions. Overall, I’d recommend the 9-5 to anyone interested in a great touring car. It looks much better than the MB and BMW and is also less expensive. The 9-5 is a great value and worth every penny.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Just-auto: Saab has received cash injection to cover wages for August
Updated with info from Swedish Radio on bridge loan
Just-auto, which is one of the leading online resource of the automotive industry, reports that their reliable sources in the Far East claim that Saab yesterday received a cash injection sufficient to cover wages for August.
According to Swedish Radio which cites just-auto, a bridge loan of $156 million should be with Saab in a couple of days. A bridge loan coming from China. It is unclear who the lender is and if this is part of the cash injection just-auto reports that Saab received yesterday.
Earlier today we got reports from China that Pang Qinghua, chairman of Pangda, had said that Saab was not in danger of an imminent bankruptcy as Victor Muller was in China yesterday to coordinate rescue efforts. Swedish Radio claims that Muller is still in China.
That's all we know by now. If true, then the immediate threat of bankruptcy should have been taken care of. After the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange closes at 17:30 CET, we might get some official news. ...Looks like nothing will happen before Monday. Stay tuned next week!
Just-auto, which is one of the leading online resource of the automotive industry, reports that their reliable sources in the Far East claim that Saab yesterday received a cash injection sufficient to cover wages for August.
According to Swedish Radio which cites just-auto, a bridge loan of $156 million should be with Saab in a couple of days. A bridge loan coming from China. It is unclear who the lender is and if this is part of the cash injection just-auto reports that Saab received yesterday.
Earlier today we got reports from China that Pang Qinghua, chairman of Pangda, had said that Saab was not in danger of an imminent bankruptcy as Victor Muller was in China yesterday to coordinate rescue efforts. Swedish Radio claims that Muller is still in China.
That's all we know by now. If true, then the immediate threat of bankruptcy should have been taken care of. After the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange closes at 17:30 CET, we might get some official news. ...Looks like nothing will happen before Monday. Stay tuned next week!
60 years selling Saab - so far
Tingsryds Autoverkstad, which must be one of Sweden's oldest Saab dealer, will be very sorry if Saab goes under.
"We do not stand or fall with Saab, but we would be very sad if we drive into the future without Saab," says Sven-Olof Carlsson (picture), CEO of the company to Smålandsposten.
Sven-Olof was only one year old when Tingsryds Autoverkstad started selling Saab cars back in 1951. The first Saab cars were produced only two years earlier in 1949.
"My father Henry and his brother John started Tingsryds Autoverkstad in November 1936. Around 1947 Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget in Trollhättan started designing the first Saab. The production started in 1949 and we started selling Saab cars in 1951," Sven-Olof tells Smålandsposten.
Over the years the company has also started selling both Opel and Chevrolet, but when people in Tingsryd talk about Autoverkstaden they mean Saab, and when they talk about Saab they mean Autoverkstaden.
On Tuesday next week all Swedish dealers have been called to Trollhättan for a meeting, and Sven-Olof is of course going.
"I will go to the meeting. So far it has not been canceled."
Here's hoping you will go there with renewed confidence in Saab's future, Sven-Olof!
"We do not stand or fall with Saab, but we would be very sad if we drive into the future without Saab," says Sven-Olof Carlsson (picture), CEO of the company to Smålandsposten.
Sven-Olof was only one year old when Tingsryds Autoverkstad started selling Saab cars back in 1951. The first Saab cars were produced only two years earlier in 1949."My father Henry and his brother John started Tingsryds Autoverkstad in November 1936. Around 1947 Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget in Trollhättan started designing the first Saab. The production started in 1949 and we started selling Saab cars in 1951," Sven-Olof tells Smålandsposten.
Over the years the company has also started selling both Opel and Chevrolet, but when people in Tingsryd talk about Autoverkstaden they mean Saab, and when they talk about Saab they mean Autoverkstaden.
On Tuesday next week all Swedish dealers have been called to Trollhättan for a meeting, and Sven-Olof is of course going.
"I will go to the meeting. So far it has not been canceled."
Here's hoping you will go there with renewed confidence in Saab's future, Sven-Olof!
Youngman and Pangda to seek NDRC's approval this month
According to Bloomberg, Chinese companies Pangda Automobile Trade Co. and Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. will this month seek approval from China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planning body, to make the planned investment in Saab. A binding agreement with Saab was signed in the beginning of July, but an approval from the NDRC and various other government agencies is needed for the agreement to be finalized.
"We're optimistic about the deal getting approval from NDRC as we believe it is in line with government policies," Wang Yin, Pangda's board secretary, told Bloomberg Thursday.
Wang Yin said that the two companies plan to submit the application for approval in the next two weeks.
The investment in Saab must be approved by various government agencies and the companies have yet to set a time to submit an application to the Ministry of Commerce, Wang said.
According to Shanghai Daily, Pang Qinghua, chairman of Pangda, yesterday confirmed that they have not yet submitted the application to the NDRC. But he said Saab was not in danger of an imminent bankruptcy as its chief executive officer was in China yesterday to coordinate rescue efforts.
So what does these reports mean? One might ask why the Chinese didn't submit this application several weeks ago?
Could it be that so far Pangda and Youngman have been in close contact with the NDRC, listening to the wishes of the NDRC and forming the application after the guidelines of the NDRC and thus securing a better chance of success? That is my bet anyway, and if that is the issue, then the NDRC's handling of the case should be more smooth and quicker.
In addition they can have been waiting to assure that Saab is going to survive in the short-term before they submit the application.
It's also interesting to note that Shanghai Daily reports that Saab's chief executive officer, that would be Victor Muller, was in China this week to coordinate efforts to rescue Saab. Could this be linked to the reports that Youngman and Pangda will guarantee a SEK 1 billion loan to Saab from a major European bank?
Today it also became clear that the unions at Saab will at the earliest file for bankruptcy in Saab about one week from today, which means that Saab will get some more time to raise the needed money to pay wages and salaries and thus remove the immediate threat on bankruptcy.
"We're optimistic about the deal getting approval from NDRC as we believe it is in line with government policies," Wang Yin, Pangda's board secretary, told Bloomberg Thursday.
Wang Yin said that the two companies plan to submit the application for approval in the next two weeks.
The investment in Saab must be approved by various government agencies and the companies have yet to set a time to submit an application to the Ministry of Commerce, Wang said.
According to Shanghai Daily, Pang Qinghua, chairman of Pangda, yesterday confirmed that they have not yet submitted the application to the NDRC. But he said Saab was not in danger of an imminent bankruptcy as its chief executive officer was in China yesterday to coordinate rescue efforts.
So what does these reports mean? One might ask why the Chinese didn't submit this application several weeks ago?
Could it be that so far Pangda and Youngman have been in close contact with the NDRC, listening to the wishes of the NDRC and forming the application after the guidelines of the NDRC and thus securing a better chance of success? That is my bet anyway, and if that is the issue, then the NDRC's handling of the case should be more smooth and quicker.
In addition they can have been waiting to assure that Saab is going to survive in the short-term before they submit the application.
It's also interesting to note that Shanghai Daily reports that Saab's chief executive officer, that would be Victor Muller, was in China this week to coordinate efforts to rescue Saab. Could this be linked to the reports that Youngman and Pangda will guarantee a SEK 1 billion loan to Saab from a major European bank?
Today it also became clear that the unions at Saab will at the earliest file for bankruptcy in Saab about one week from today, which means that Saab will get some more time to raise the needed money to pay wages and salaries and thus remove the immediate threat on bankruptcy.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Chinese companies to guarantee Saab loan as decision from China approaches
Updated with info on union not filing for bankruptcy tomorrow
According to Reuters, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter's sources have revealed that the bridge loan Saab is negotiating with a major European bank will be guaranteed by Chinese partners Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. and Pangda Automobile Trade Co Ltd.
The two Chinese companies are planning to take a 29.9 and 24 percent stake respectively in Saab's parent company Swedish Automobile. And both companies have already put several millions at stake by buying cars from Saab and paying in advance. Now it looks like the Chinese companies want to protect their investments by guaranteeing a loan to Saab from a European bank. A loan that is assumed to be around SEK 1 billion and is expected to be used to pay off suppliers, pay delayed salaries and restart production.
The reason the Chinese companies now come to the rescue is also good news for Saab. They have learned that the chance for a quick decision from Chinese authorities on Youngman and Pangda's planned investments in Saab has risen.
Today also Saab got some additional time to raise funds. The blue collar union IF Metall has said that it will not file for a bankruptcy in Saab on Friday. When the members' wages was not paid last Thursday the union last Friday requested that Saab pay the wages with a seven days deadline. And the deadline for Saab to pay the wages is tomorrow Friday afternoon. If the wages have not been paid by then, the union will according to the law have three weeks to file for bankruptcy in order for the state to guarantee the wages. Now the union has decided that it will not file for bankruptcy at first chance tomorrow. The union will meet on Monday to reconsider, though.
According to Reuters, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter's sources have revealed that the bridge loan Saab is negotiating with a major European bank will be guaranteed by Chinese partners Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. and Pangda Automobile Trade Co Ltd.
The two Chinese companies are planning to take a 29.9 and 24 percent stake respectively in Saab's parent company Swedish Automobile. And both companies have already put several millions at stake by buying cars from Saab and paying in advance. Now it looks like the Chinese companies want to protect their investments by guaranteeing a loan to Saab from a European bank. A loan that is assumed to be around SEK 1 billion and is expected to be used to pay off suppliers, pay delayed salaries and restart production.
The reason the Chinese companies now come to the rescue is also good news for Saab. They have learned that the chance for a quick decision from Chinese authorities on Youngman and Pangda's planned investments in Saab has risen.
Today also Saab got some additional time to raise funds. The blue collar union IF Metall has said that it will not file for a bankruptcy in Saab on Friday. When the members' wages was not paid last Thursday the union last Friday requested that Saab pay the wages with a seven days deadline. And the deadline for Saab to pay the wages is tomorrow Friday afternoon. If the wages have not been paid by then, the union will according to the law have three weeks to file for bankruptcy in order for the state to guarantee the wages. Now the union has decided that it will not file for bankruptcy at first chance tomorrow. The union will meet on Monday to reconsider, though.
Saab sales in August 2011
Sweden
According to Bil Sweden, there were 63 new Saab cars registered in Sweden i August, compared to 527 cars in August of last year. So far this year 3,300 new Saabs have been registered in Sweden, compared to 4,544 the first eight months last year.
USA
According to Automotive News, Saab sold 363 new cars in the USA in August. The comparable figure for August 2010 was 290 cars. In other words a increase of 25 percent. Not bad given all the bad press reports about Saab's future lately! So far this year 4,218 Saab cars have been sold in the USA.
UK
SMMT reports that 92 new Saabs were registered in the UK in August. The comparable figure last year was also 92 cars. So far this year 3,774 new Saab cars have been registered.
Norway
According to Opplysningsrådet for veitrafikken AS, there were 10 new Saab's registered in Norway in August, which was actually 3 more than in July! But still 23 less than in August of last year.
Ireland
According to Motorstats, 4 new Saab were registered in Ireland in August, compared to 9 in August of last year.
According to Bil Sweden, there were 63 new Saab cars registered in Sweden i August, compared to 527 cars in August of last year. So far this year 3,300 new Saabs have been registered in Sweden, compared to 4,544 the first eight months last year.
USA
According to Automotive News, Saab sold 363 new cars in the USA in August. The comparable figure for August 2010 was 290 cars. In other words a increase of 25 percent. Not bad given all the bad press reports about Saab's future lately! So far this year 4,218 Saab cars have been sold in the USA.
UK
SMMT reports that 92 new Saabs were registered in the UK in August. The comparable figure last year was also 92 cars. So far this year 3,774 new Saab cars have been registered.
Norway
According to Opplysningsrådet for veitrafikken AS, there were 10 new Saab's registered in Norway in August, which was actually 3 more than in July! But still 23 less than in August of last year.
Ireland
According to Motorstats, 4 new Saab were registered in Ireland in August, compared to 9 in August of last year.
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