I was just looking up some Saab 9-3 TiD information for a friend when I came across this price list for the Saab 9-3 in Australia, circa 2008.
Some will say it allows customers the freedom to choose the exact model that suits their taste as well as their budget. Others will say that’s bollocks.
Either way, it’s just a little bit hilarious.
Price Range
Linear 2.0t Sport sedan – $43,400
Linear 2.0t B’Power sedan – $44,400
Linear 1.9Tid S’sedan – $45,900
Linear 2.0t Sport sedan a – $45,900
Linear 2.0t SportCombi – $45,900
Linear Sport 2.0t sedan – $46,400
Linear 2.0t BP SportCombi – $46,900
Linear 2.0t BP S’sedan a – $46,900
Linear Sport 2.0t B’P sdn – $47,400
Linear 1.9TiD SportCombi – $48,400
Linear 1.9Tid S’sedan a – $48,400
Linear 2.0t SportCombi a – $48,400
Linear Sport 1.9Tid sedan – $48,900
Linear Sport 2.0t sedan a – $48,900
Linear Sport 2.0t S’Combi – $48,900
Black Turbo sedan – $48,900
Linear 2.0t BP S’Combi a – $49,400
Vector 2.0t Sport Sedan – $49,900
Linear Sport 2.0t BP S’Co – $49,990
Linear Sport 2.0t BP sdn – $49,990
Vector Lux 2.0t Sedan – $49,990
Linear 1.9TiD S’Combi a – $50,900
Vector 2.0t BP S’sedan – $50,900
Vector Lux 2.0t BP sedan – $50,900
Linear Sport 1.9TiD S’C – $51,400
Linear Sport 1.9Tid sdn a – $51,400
Linear Sport 2.0t S’C a – $51,400
Linear Sport 2.0t BP SC a – $52,400
Vector 1.9TiD Sport sedan – $52,400
Vector Lux 1.9TiD sedan – $52,400
Vector Lux 2.0t S’Combi – $52,400
Vector 2.0t SportCombi – $52,400
Vector 2.0t S’prt sedan a – $52,400
Vector Lux 2.0t Sedan a – $52,490
Vector 2.0t BP SportCombi – $53,400
Vector Lux 2.0t BP S’Comb – $53,400
Vector 2.0t BP S’sedan a – $53,400
Vector Lux 2.0t BP sdn a – $53,400
Vector 2.0T Sport sedan – $53,400
Linear Sport 1.9TiD S’C a – $53,900
Vector Lux 1.9TiD S’Combi – $54,900
Vector 1.9TiD SportCombi – $54,900
Vector 1.9TiD S’sedan a – $54,900
Vector Lux 1.9TiD sedan a – $54,900
Vector 2.0t SportCombi a – $54,990
Vector Lux 2.0t S’Comb a – $54,900
Vector 2.0t BP S’Combi a – $55,900
Vector Lux 2.0t BP S’C a – $55,900
Vector 2.0T SportCombi – $55,900
Vector 2.0T S’prt sedan a – $55,900
Vector Lux 2.0T sedan – $56,400
Vector 1.9TiD S’Combi a – $57,400
Vector Lux 1.9TiD S’C a – $57,400
Vector 2.0T SportCombi a – $58,400
Vector Lux 2.0T SportComb – $58,900
Vector Lux 2.0T sedan a – $58,900
Vector Lux 2.0T S’Combi a – $61,400
Aero 1.9TTid sedan – $62,600
Aero 1.9TTid sedan a – $65,100
Aero 1.9TTid S’Combi – $65,100
Linear 2.0t c’vertible – $65,500
Linear 2.0t BP c’vertible – $66,500
Lin Sport 2.0t c’vertible – $67,500
Aero 1.9TTid S’Combi a – $67,600
Linear 1.9TiD c’vertible – $68,000
Linear 2.0t c’vertible a – $68,000
Linear Sport 2.0t BP conv – $68,500
Linear 2.0t BP c’vble a – $69,000
Vector 2.0t c’vertible – $69,600
Linear Sport 1.9TiD c’ver – $70,000
Lin Sport 2.0t c’vtble a – $70,000
Linear 1.9TiD c’vtble a – $70,500
Aero 2.8TS Sport sedan – $70,600
Vector 2.0t BP c’vertible – $70,600
Lin Sport 2.0t BP c’vb a – $71,000
Vector 1.9Tid c’vtble – $72,100
Vector 2.0t c’vertible a – $72,100
Lin Sport 1.9TiD c’vtb a – $72,500
Aero 2.8TS Sport sedan a – $73,100
Aero 2.8TS SportCombi – $73,100
Vector 2.0t BP c’vtble a – $73,100
Vector 2.0T c’vertible – $73,100
Vector 1.9TiD c’vtble a – $74,600
Aero 2.8TS SportCombi a – $75,600
Vector 2.0T c’vertible a – $75,600
Turbo X Sport Sedan – $88,800
Aero 2.8TS c’vertible – $90,800
Turbo X Sport Sedan a – $91,300
Turbo X Sport SportCombi – $91,300
Aero 2.8TS c’vertible a – $93,300
Turbo X Sport S’Combi a – $93,800
What’s the exchange rate? 2008 9-3s are priced by dealers from about $10,000 to $18,000 USD in the US.
This was the price list for new cars in 2008.
Still, in 2008 the US 9-3 price range was $29,000 to $43,000 USD.
As of 30 September 2008…the AUD was equal to USD$0.79040.
So that AUD$93,800.00 “Turbo X Sport S’Combi a” works out to USD$74,139.42…STILL very expensive by any measure.
http://www.exchange-rates.org/HistoricalRates/A/AUD/9-30-2008
I think that might be more price points then actual cars sold!
Long-established Saab philosophy #12: ‘How many ways can we slice and dice one or two models to make it look like we have a big range?’
“Hey John, sorry I’m late I was at the flicks watching that new Top Gun movie and then I went to buy some new floppy disks for my computer and … hey wait, is that a new Saab?”
“Yeah. I just picked it up today. I love it. I’ve got Dire Straits on the tape deck and a hook in the back for hanging up my Hawaiian shirt.”
“Hmmm. It looks like the front end of a 99 cut and shut with the back end of a 900. Are you sure it’s legal?”
“How dare you! It’s an entirely new model called the 90. And it has a most comprehensive list of trim levels.”
Ha! And to think the people in Sweden considered the 90 to be an “old man’s car”.
Yes, and Dire Straits have always, always been “gubbrock” :-).
I remember the list well from the back pages of wheels magazine, the whole thing was one big stuff up, heaven knows what were Saab Australia thinking? the whole thing was one big stuff up…
Interesting to see, because the long-time philosophy of Bob Sinclair and Saab USA was to reduce assortment rather than to fluff it out. He always wanted each dealership, no matter how small, to consistently have representative examples of all models in stock. I wonder how this this list came to be.
Swade,
Was this a GM-Australia thing, or a Swedish thing? I would be surprised if all of these variations were actually built.
As eggs said, part of Saab’s appeal in North America was that they didn’t do this. You had a choice of base, Aero, and sometimes a special edition (Viggen, Turbo X). The base model wasn’t lacking in necessities.
It was an Aussie thing. We got a new manager at Saab around this time and I’m guessing it might have been his idea.
Wow, that’s hilarious indeed! 🙂
I’ll have a Saab Vector, Vector, Vector, Vector, Vector and Spam. I love Spam…I mean, Saab! 😉
It reminds of the Apples lineup of desktop computers in the mid 90s…
Of course they were all built. It did cause concern for a novice salesperson once he looked at the full pricelist plus packs that I used to print up for my colleagues.
Got that $75000 v6 jetblack aero wagon for $17k last year with 50k on the clock. They included all extras at the time of the original purchase. Now upgraded with maptun and Hirsch goodies. Who needs to purchase a new car these days. In oz by the way.