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Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 18:47:38 -0800
From: "pablo" <pabloATsimplyhombreNOSPAMnet>
Subject: Re: Best built recent Saab?


"Sigurd Kallhovde" <sigurdkREMOVETHISnopsamo.com> wrote in message news:x2dz9.3200$Aq5.342881nopsamread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net... > > ... Why exactly is it that Saab needs a SUV? The MBA syndrome: if you can, follow a road that's been paved and smoothed 20 times before. I think Saab would be far better advised to follow more innovative, fresher product concepts. I do think hatchbacks have a huge potential, and Saab should utterly and totally exploit it. With cross-over cars (SUV w/sports etc) and high-end hatchs (MB C230, BMW in Europe) being growth segments, one must wonder what GMs product strategists are thinking. I was reading somewhere European GM headquarters sit, isolated from everybody, in Switzerland and just get in the way. They are seemingly changing that and giving the companies more autonomy, but nevertheless they may have already caused the type of damage that will take a while to be reversed. And Saab's unimaginative sedan-and-SUV line-up might be a big missed opportunity. Then again, if people love SUVs so much, why should Saab be the only premium brand ignoring the market? Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want one, and I find stuff like the Porsche SUV utterly ridiculous. Then again, this is exactly what market economy is about: you may not like it, but you have to build whatever satisfies the market's fancy. Don't try to be too missionary... > ... the last thing GM needs is another SUV ... Do they have a premium brand SUV? I don't think they do. Thus, it makes sense for them, MBA think hat on. > ... the last > thing Saab buyers are looking for. GM is today a rag-bag of unfocused > brands, even more so than in the past, none of which make any attempts of > differentiating themselves. ... They're changing in Europe. Opel has finally gained independence, and they seem to have some good stuff coming down the pipe. I have a friend who is an engineering manager for Opel, and he is quite excited about what he's doing. > ... Cadillac is one example of > brand-mismanagement: It used to be perfectly marketing positioned for > well-healed, often older, buyers looking for luxury and space in a sedan or > coupe. Then the Cadillac SUV and truck were launched, and all of sudden, > the Cadillac brand strategy ... Not so fast - my understanding is that it's exactly the SUV that has became the main profit engine for Cadillac. You might not like SUVs, but many people do. I actually think what is really odd is that Cadillac is applying those over-angular design cues from teh SUV to all the other cars - the SUV now defines their identity. While different, I think it takes elegance away from the cars, and makes them way too blunt. People buying an SUV like that design statement, I think people entry-luxury to luxury *cars* do *not* like those design cues. They prefer elegance, subtleness and balance as a whole. Cadillac is simply on a search for a design identity, and they have not found it yet - which is very dangerous for a luxury brand, I think. > The idea that Saab needs a SUV is, at best, a US-centric attitude, and at > worst, a marketing and commercial blunder for a brand which needs to stay > focused. I think the Saab brand could be totally exploited based on freshness and being "different". An upscale counter-revolutionary statement. "I have a successful career, but I'd rather live a bohemian life and restore antiques", that kind of thing. Mix that with sportiness and fresh new designs (and stuff like the 9-x shows Saab really has very good designers) and I do think they could start a big trend and hurt some of the other established brands that are becoming more vulnerable... ...pablo

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