Saab Reveals 9-5, 9-3X Changing Perspective Campaign
A couple of hours before the official unveiling of their new 9-5, the ailing Swedish brand has released pictures and a press release for the new car. (Nice to have Saabsunited for English versions :-D) It’s the Aero-version that’s being presented, and . . . well . . . I don’t know how this car is going to make any impact on car buyers not already into Saab. At the same time, Saab has released a new world-wide commercial campaign on their 9-3X, called Changing Perspective. Saab is a relatively small car manufacturer in the global market, which over the years has driven many innovations, from turbo technology and seat heating to effective use of alternative fuels. “Now we’ll bring back an even larger share of the production and initiatives to Sweden, and then we also want to take a starting point based on what actually makes us unique,” says Annika Priou, Marketing Communications Manager. Good lycka with that.
More by Thor Johnsen
Comments
Join the conversation
I have a black Aero convertible. Here in Texas Saabs are way rare. I get many compliments on my car. It makes up for the long trips to the dealer (only 1 left in these parts), but the car has been quite reliable. Count me as satisfied.
My brother just bought an 07 9-3 with 15k. Good thing it's still under warranty. More niggling problems than you could shake a stick at. I seriously considered an 07 9-5. Love the body style, but the reliability and warranty fulfilment (or lack thereof) scared me off. Personally, if Saab gets their poop in a group, I'd definitely consider a new one. Love the body style and fortunately, Saabs are still pretty much a hoot to drive when turboed. Here's hoping that Saab makes a comback and survives. God knows we need an alternative to all the Malibus, Accords and 33Xs on the road.
To sell a brand that needs to be aligned with other upscale manufacturers like BMW, Volvo, Lexus and Infiniti, Saab is going to have to offer a value proposition that lets them leapfrog the others. The answer? Go the Hyundai and Kia route and offer a 6yr/60,000 bumper to bumper and and 10yr/120,000 drivetrain warranty. And don't forget to price competitively.
OK, first off, that 9-5 is butt ugly. Secondly, Saab's are fantastic underrated vehicles, and I am glad they are since it allows me to purchase them used for a song and a dance. I have owned several and the engineering and technology are generally superb and usually far ahead of the competition. As an example, the often and unjustly berated, NG900 was way ahead of its time. It took Mazda(mazda speed 3, basically a cloned ng900) 13 years after the premiere of NG900 to come out with a comparable vehicle. My NG900 gets 30+ mpg and with some very cheap mods produces over 215hp (stock 185hp). The comfort is top notch and the roomy hatchback allowed me to transport a 500cc motorcycle in the trunk. I was going to get a new car but could not find any vehicles that compare in terms of comfort, power and cargo capacity to my 13 year old 173,000 mile NG900. Having said that, the 2002-2009 Saabs are a joke. They're run of the mill sedans-totally lame and unsaab like. Saab needs to get back to its roots. Turbo charged hatchbacks that are safe and look different. A turbo diesel, AWD hatchback with an understated design would bring me into the dealer showroom. Are you listening Mr. Saab man????