SAAB PLANNING BIG SPLASH OF 3 NEW CARS

SAAB says it will start developing brand new models with new names. The 9-1, 9-6 and 9-7 models are said to be in the pipeline, thanks to a new financial investment in the cash-strapped Swedish automaker by its new Chinese partners Pang Da Automobile and Youngman Lotus Automobile.

So far nothing much has been said about the upcoming cars, but from our understanding, a 9-1 would be a baby competing with cars like the MINI, Audi A1, Volvo C30 and Citroen DS3. The 9-6 would possibly rival the likes of Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Audi A6, while the 9-7 would probably take on the BMW 7 Series and its peers.

“The agreement on the New Product Joint Venture brings together the best of both worlds,” Pang Qingnian, CEO of Youngman said. “Merging the industrial and financial strength of Youngman Passenger Car with the state-of-the-art technical expertise of SAAB Automobile. The SAAB '9-6X' and SAAB '9-7' will be key to enhancing the prestige of the Saab brand to an even larger group of customers in China and the US, while the entry level Saab '9-1' will appeal to urban motorists around the globe.”