That was fast. Barely has it been announced that China’s Hawtai/Huatai will take an interest in Saab, new Saab 9-5s are already arriving at Chinese Hawtai dealers. CarNewsChina has the picture, while neither Saab nor Hawtai have the necessary permits. Permits-shmermits …
… the Chinese media is already discussing the price of the Swedish import (until a suitable Chinese manufacture has been established.) Some say the Chinese price will start at 350.000 yuan ($53,900) which CarNewsChina calls “a little too low.” Other media have the price at 480.000 yuan ($ 73,000). Oh, well. Import duties are a bitch, and the price of the yuan is going up.
Update: People intimately familiar with Beijing’s parking lots identified the area pictured above as the lot in front of one of Beijing’s many Westin Hotels. Others say its at Hawtai’s Beijing HQ, pointing out that the car is surrounded by Hawtais, such as the a Baolige SUV on the left. Chinese media insists its a dealer, but they have been wrong before.
Seems the Chimese are preoccupied with size, 5008 mm (long?) – echoes of Electra 225, which seems appropriate considering Buick’s standing in the Chinese market?