Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 20:21:45 GMT From: Paul Halliday <pjghnopsamyonder.co.uk> Subject: Re: It's official - Saab on a deroute.....
in article 3f9e9abb$0$29415$edfadb0fnopsamd15.news.tele.dk, Henrik B. at saabnopsamdsl_nospam_.dk wrote on 28/10/2003 16:35: > Hi all. > > It's hereby official - Saab is selling out. > > As if they haven't had enough probs with Opels dieselengines, now they're > introducing (in Europe), a Saab 9-3SS 1.8i, with the 122 Bhp Opel engine. > What the hell are they thinking about? If it's to win costumers in the > low-end segment, they're in for a surprise. People who'll buy this car, will > find out it's underpowered and has all the bads, that Opels engines suffers > from. I think all things considered, it's not as bad as it seems. For the last few years we have had turbo only models and, while the diesel was a seriously bad move, the lack of normally aspirated models was a shame. Follow me through here. The first 9-3s were poor. They were just re-badged 900 GMs. Saab have since managed to build a good car around GM standard parts and I am a serious fan of the new 9-3 and, especially, 9-5 models. We've not seen that kind of quality since the C900. I'm sure we'll see that again with these 1.8 NA engines. There might be teething troubles (like the first 9-3s), but Saab will make a good car of this. I for one welcome the return of a non-turbo model into the Saab family. I do lament the fact that Volvo are producing (under Ford) the kind of car that Saab should be producing under GM (what with Lotus waiting in the wings). They've produced a world-renowned safe car and are making it dangerous again with the kind of horsepower that VAG group's RS engine would be proud of. Taking this issue much wider, Saab are losing ground to Volvo in the marque market and I wonder how long Saab will still be seen as a competitor to the likes on BMW and Mercedes, rather than Toyota or Honda!!! or VW/Skoda :) Just my thoughts ... Paul 1989 900 Turbo S http://saab.go.dyndns.org/
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