LA MALBAIE, Que. — When 16 Swedish aircraft engineers started building Saab cars just after the Second World War, not one of them would have guessed how their fledgling car company would evolve in the next 58 years.
Their first car, the teardrop-shaped Saab 92, went into full-scale production in December, 1949. Between then and the end of 1950, Saab manufactured 1,246 of the 92s, though demand far exceeded supply.
And a love affair between this quirky and innovative car maker and its loyal buyers was born.
But love doesn't matter in today's global marketplace, where a handful of giant auto makers control almost all the world's new vehicle sales. Saab can only hope to survive with the help of a big partner, in this case General Motors.
And with the help of GM, Saab will introduce quite an array of new models during the next three years.
Putting aside the 9-7X SUV, clearly the most important new model coming from Saab in the next year is the 9-3 Sport Combi, a wagon version of the 9-3 sedan slated to hit showrooms before the end of 2005. With its long history of hatchback designs, Saab should have little trouble attracting an audience for the Sport Combi. For 2006, Saab is also planning to freshen the 9-5.
In 2006, the 9-6x, an all-wheel-drive crossover wagon based on the new Subaru B9 Tribeca, is slated to go on sale. After that, a smaller crossover wagon should arrive, a vehicle some are calling the 9-4X. Saab is expected to replace the 9-2X with an updated model, also based on the Subaru Impreza platform, though more clearly differentiated as a Saab.
By the end of the decade, Saab insiders hint they would like the company to be selling 250,000 to 300,000 vehicles worldwide. That would be a huge jump from the 130,000 cars sold last year.
"We absolutely believe Saab can soar," says Jay Spenchian, Saab's North America boss. "It's just a matter of putting legitimate entries in key parts of the market and raising people's awareness of what Saab is outside geographic areas where we are already strong."
Look for the new Saabs to have recognizable design features, such as curved windshields and aircraft-style interiors, say Saab officials. There is also talk that Saab will rely heavily on turbocharged engines to provide both good performance and decent fuel economy.
Of all the new models coming before the end of the decade, the vehicle likely to be called the 9-4X holds perhaps the most promise. It's expected to be based on the next generation of GM's Global Epsilon all-wheel-drive platform -- a platform to be shared with a new Cadillac crossover utility vehicle.
