Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:46:36 +0100 From: Colin Stamp <col.dustbinnospamp.plus.com> Subject: Re: Have Saab reintroduced hatchback yet?
On 18 Sep 2007 20:03:50 GMT, Adrian <toomany2cvsnospaml.com> wrote: >Ric (fraybentosnospaman.ra) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were >saying : > >> I lost interest in Saabs about five years ago when they stopped making >> hatchbacks. Have they reintroduced them yet? It was their best feature! > >Do I presume you're in the US? > >Here in Europe, much of the "executive car" market - where the 93 sits - >view hatchbacks as being inferior to saloons, and will buy a saloon in >preference. Want the load capacity? Buy the estate version. If it's good >enough for the German marques, it's good enough for mere mortal >manufacturers. > >With that in mind, I doubt very much that there will be a 93 hatch. There >hasn't been a 95 hatch since they launched it a decade ago, killing off the >9000 hatch - which was outsold by the saloon. I don't understand the US thing. I'm in the UK and when Saab deleted all traces of hatchbacks from the range, they deleted all traces of me as a customer. Doesn't all this snobbish marketing bullshit make you want to throw up? The reason why no-one in the UK buys an "executive" hatchback is because it's all but impossible - *not* because they don't want one. I recently looked at replacing my 2001 9-3, which is exactly the right size for my family of four. I have four options:- 1. Get a pointless saloon so others will look at my car and think "Cor! he's really arrived! He has such an impractical car that he must have a butler to take his rubbish to the tip". When I do actually need to ditch a sideboard, I'll be stuffed. 2. Get an estate, which doesn't have much more load carrying capability than my hatchback, yet is bigger, heavier, slower, doesn't handle as well and is more expensive to buy and run. 3. Go "down market" to brands who's marketing men have their heads just far enough out of their arses to realize that people still want hatchbacks. 4. Keep the 9-3 until it falls apart. I'm going with option 4, followed sooner or later by option 3. I'm sure drivers of "executive" cars will look down their noses at my old hatchback, but I'll have the last laugh when they need take a dustbin home from the shop. There, I feel much better now I've got that of my chest. Cheers, Colin.
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