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Long Counter (?) Rant
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Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email] (#32) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Tue, 14 Jan 2003 12:24:01 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: Food for thought... Saab, GM, & Ford (long rant), Allen K, Tue, 14 Jan 2003 00:22:32
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My take on it, for whatever it's worth:

The problem with the Saab/GM arrangement is not one of component sharing. Personally, I'm reasonably happy the old motors and platforms are dead. They were good for the day, but cast-iron blocks and solid-beam suspension are hardly modern and there *is* better stuff out there. Fact is, a good engine and a good platform are TOUGH to engineer and these days take lots of time and lots of dollars. I don't mind that my Saab is built on the same platform as a Fiat 128 so long as it does a good job. The new 9-3 really seems to be a great car and has all the right numbers in all the right places.

The problem that I see is one of brand-identity. I fear that Saab will fall into the same sea of faceless cars as every other GM vehicle built in the last two plus decades. As major car components do become increasingly shared and increasingly global in impact, the thing that will ultimately differentiate brands is character - some combination of featureset and styling that becomes "character" and the thing a buyer becomes attached to. That's the key to developing a successful car much less a brand, and GM doesn't have much of a clue about that. GM's approach to "revitalizing" Saab *seems* to be 1) lower costs and 2) discount MSRP. That's stoopid. Just plain stoopid. If people aren't interested, it doesn't make a spit of difference how efficient your manufacturing is or how cheap your car is - people will buy something else, something that appeals to them.

GM always falls into this trap, it seems, and that's because they are in the business of making money and not making cars. I read an interview with some GM muckity muck a few years back and he was adamant that branding was the key to car sales. "The more brands the merrier, a flavor for everyone!" Whatever. That's ridiculous. BMW sells all sorts of cars and trucks to all sorts of people and soccer moms and they do a damn fine job branding everything BMW. They're PROUD to, because BMWs are built to be moderately overweight and overpriced, but damn good cars nonetheless. Point is, every car needs a niche - something it excels at, something it offers that no one else does.

For a long time, Saab offered all sorts of things - great winter preparedness, stout & safe bodies, good power, hatchbacks... All sorts of things. Things that made sense - things that were so compelling that even if you didn't like the package you at least couldn't argue the point. What happened to that? Saab doesn't compete here anymore. And that's FINE - if Saab wants to start selling mid-engines sports cars I'd be totally fine with that - I'd buy something else but at least they'd have chosen a target and gone after it. Whatever the case, they need to find somewhere to compete. Selling another ~200hp FWD 4-door does not scream LOOK AT ME! It barely even whispers. Honestly, I can't even hear it.

I looked at and drove the new 9-3. I *really* liked it. Couple minor niggles with it, but on the whole a really nice ride and I'd say a very good buy at the price. I went because I've owned Saabs, and I like Saabs, and I'm looking for a new car. But why would someone else come to look at it? People have the perception that Saabs are somehow substandard (weird-looking, unreliable, expensive to fix, whatever) so what is compelling and unique about the 9-3SS that would make Joe Buyer even think to *find* a Saab dealership?

I hope that the new 9-3X will fix this. I think it's fugly, but then again so are the Element and Aztek, and I'd actually consider owning either of them. We don't know what the future brings for Saab and personally I don't think GM spells instant death. If the 9-3SS is an example of what Saab can do with this partnership I think the future looks quite alright. If the release of the 9-3X is indicative of the leeway Saab has been given then I think it looks pretty damned good. I don't know anything about Saab's current management, but I at least have some faith in Bob Lutz and his ability to direct the General, so maybe things will be alright.

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