With Saab having just been saved by Dutch automaker Spyker, the new Saab Spyker Automobiles company has confirmed that it will deliver a new 9-3 model to market in 2012. The current 9-3 has been in production since 2002, meaning that by the time the third-generation of Saabs volume seller arrives, the current model will be 10 years old.
Saab has said the new 9-5 model will arrive in dealerships this Spring, replacing a model that has been on the market for over a decade. The 9-5 will be offered as both a sedan and wagon, and a 9-5X model is also coming. The 9-4X is due out in 2011.
Most surprising is the news that the automaker is looking at delivering a 9-1 model, as past reports have suggested Spyker didnt want to take the Saab brand down-market. But with automakers like BMW and Audi already competing in the premium compact segment, Saab is reconsidering. Saab Spyker has said in an official press release that it intends to be an, independent, performance-orientated niche car company with an industry-leading environmental strategy, that will compete directly with BMW and Audi.
Saab Spyker expects to return to profitability by 2012, an incredibly short time considering it hasnt turned a profit in almost two decades.
[AutoCar]
