A collection of posts from the Inside Saab website I operated for Saab Automobile from April-Dec 2011
Following is the Saab press conference from the New York International Auto Show.
It’s 10 minutes in length and features Matthias Seidl (VP Global Sales and Aftersales), Victor Muller (Chairman) and Jason Castriota (Executive Director, Design).
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Sorry it took a little long to get up here. Who knew HD video would take so long to process?
My thanks to Jason Castriota for taking some time to be our first interviewee here on Inside Saab.
I was curious to ask Jason how his thoughts have settled now that we’re a month or so along from the launch of the Saab PhoeniX Concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2011.
PhoeniX was a concept that got a lot of attention, the majority of it positive, but it wasn’t without controversy. The car has received an overwhelming response here in New York and I was keen to see how Jason felt about PhoeniX visiting his home town.
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Today was press day #1 at the NYIAS and even though Saab’s press conference isn’t scheduled until tomorrow, there was a flurry of activity at the Saab stand with a steady stream of visitors all day (and whilst I don’t want to sound smug, I think there are a few manufacturers who wish that was the case at their stand).
Following are some images and commentary on some of today’s events and some of the vehicles on show at the Saab stand.
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Being a senior executive at an Auto Show is all about two things – interviews and business. If they’re not engaged in one, it’s the other. Victor Muller arrived this morning with a phone virtually plastered to his ear and when he wasn’t speaking to the media, the phones were busy once again (often two at a time).
For Jason Castriota, it was all interviews. He was walking journalists around the Saab PhoeniX Concept for most of the day……
…..although he also got to sit down occasionally. This is Jason speaking with Alrik Söderlind from Auto Motor and Sport in Sweden.
These are not models from the Saab stand today. Saab has a regular crew that does all their major motor shows. These two young ladies saw PhoeniX’s doors were open and couldn’t wait to jump right in…..
Former Saab ad writer, Curvin O’Reilly, was also in attendance today. He offered both his credit card and checkbook, but still wasn’t allowed to take PhoeniX home.
Concept cars can be temperamental things. Some of you may remember the Aero-X almost swallowing a man at an auto show around 5 years ago. The poor guy had to climb out through the hatch at the back of the car as the power to the canopy top failed.
The PhoeniX has been exceptionally well behaved in comparison, but it’s not without its moments. Today, whilst Curvin was sitting in the car, the driver door decided that it was time to close. A few frantic minutes were spent looking for the remote control, before Curvin was safely extracted from the car. He seemed pretty content in there, though….
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Let’s take a closer look at some of the cars on the Saab stand. As noted earlier this morning, Saab have what is virtually an all-new lineup on the stand comprising the PhoeniX Concept, the Saab 9-5 SportCombi (due for release later in 2011), the Saab 9-4x (due for release in a month or so) and the Independence Edition Saab 9-3 Convertible (a limited edition of just 366 vehicles worldwide, available for order right now).
The Saab 9-4x has been seen occasionally on the streets of Trollhattan in recent weeks (Saab’s home town). I saw it twice in a few days before heading to New York for this show. I’m going to go out on a limb here – ‘crossover’ vehicles are not normally my taste – and say that the Saab 9-4x is taking very large strides in the race to become my favourite looking Saab. It really does look exceptionally good on the road and it doesn’t look too shabby under lights at the NYIAS either…..
The interior of the car features a dash panel with a silver/grey fleck finish as well as a patterned trim down the side of the center stack. It’s subtle, but very welcoming indeed.
I can’t wait to drive this car.
There will be a drive event early in May for members of the US automotive press corps (Some “long lead” publications have already driven the vehicle). Look out for coverage on the web shortly thereafter.
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The Saab 9-5 SportCombi was also on the Saab stand today and will be joined by a Saab 9-5 Sedan on Friday, the first public day of the show.
The interior of the 9-5SC Aero was finished in Parchment, with a patterned trim featuring on the dashboard and elsewhere.
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As I said at the top, the Saab stand was very well attended today, despite there being no actual press event scheduled for the day. That all happens tomorrow and I’m sure it’s going to be even busier then.
Interest in the company is really high and the great thing about that is that it was all interest in the product. PhoeniX was the star attraction, of course, but there were plenty of people going through the Saab 9-5 SportCombi and especially the Saab 9-4x.
The New York Auto Show has been a good one for Saab so far. The press will be even more engaged with the company tomorrow and I can’t wait to talk to a few of them and see what they think of PhoeniX and Saab’s upcoming vehicle range
(…..and speaking of which – aside from Geneva, last month – when was the last time Saab had such a totally fresh and new range to show people? It’s very exciting to see things evolving like this, like watching a newborn growing up)
Greetings all, from an early morning start at the New York International Auto Show. The press corps is still filing in and it won’t get really hectic at the Saab stand until tomorrow.
That’s not to say there isn’t already plenty of interest, however. Plans seem to change pretty quickly around here and contrary to the plan I shared here yesterday, PhoeniX is on display today and the cameras are already clicking.
It’s an all-new product lineup on the Saab stand today. As well as PhoeniX, we have the Independence Edition 9-3 Convertible, the Saab 9-5 SportCombi and a Saab 9-4x in white. When the public days begin on Friday, a Saab 9-5 sedan will be added to the lineup.
The Saab stand is well placed inside “Level 3” of the Javits Center (curiously, Level 3 is on the same physical level as Level 1 but separated by a wall). Saab are quite central within the hall and surrounded by Porsche, Jaguar, Volvo, Lotus, Spyker, Acura and Audi. That’s a good neighborhood to be in.
We’ll have more from New York as the day progresses.
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UPDATE
I had a request in comments to add a photo of the tailgate of the 9-5 SportCombi. Here it is….
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Today was day 2 in New York City, leading up to Saab’s PhoeniX Concept getting it’s official US unveiling at the New York International Auto Show. Today was all about PhoeniX.
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Whenever a new Saab is unveiled, I’ve always taken great effort in telling people not to judge it from photos. People are very passionate about Saab design and that passion tends to lead to strong reactions when something new comes along. I tell people again and again……. You have to go to an event and see the car for yourself, for real.
I’m going to have to add a new element to this mantra of mine – it’s also highly recommended, wherever possible, to go and see a new car in an outdoor setting.
Last night, the bystanders who saw PhoeniX at the night time photo shoot absolutely loved the car. Go read their quotes for yourself, if you like.
Today, I met up with a few friends who were covering the PhoeniX press event. Jeff P is one of the writers for Saabs United. Steve C is a big Saab fan and is attending the auto show press events due to his work with the National Motorists Association. Today was the first time seeing PhoeniX for both of them and I think it’s fair to say that both of them were quite smitten by the end of the encounter.
So…. see it for yourself, and if the rare opportunity presents, see it outdoors, where it can mingle with buildings and other cars like it would in a more real world scenario.
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Jeff and Steve were just a part of the automotive press contingent who came down to Chelsea Piers today to view PhoeniX and have a chat with Jason Castriota.
The weather didn’t play into our hands, but there were still a good number who came out and took a guided tour around the car with the man responsible for its design. Here are a few photos showing how the morning unfolded.
Spare a thought for these guys. Today’s press viewing was the final part of a photo shoot that began at 10pm and continued all through the night, finishing at 1pm today. They’d been awake the whole time, looking after PhoeniX.
I couldn’t resist. This is me taking a photo of a man (SCNA photographer, Len) who’s taking a photo of a man (Top Gear photographer, Joe) taking a photo of a man (Jason Castriota). If anyone was taking a photo of me at the time, please pass it on.
Jason Castriota giving one of many guided tours of the car today. A brave effort, given the conditions.
Anders holds the remote keys that everyone would love to get their hands on – the keys to PhoeniX.
Mother Nature didn’t serve us well today, but PhoeniX still managed to shine on the grounds of Chelsea Piers in New York. Chelsea Piers is a very busy sports complex on the banks of the river and PhoeniX put a smile on the faces of many people passing by, too.
Loading up, in waiting for the big unveiling at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday morning. The car will be hidden away until then.
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I shot the following video towards the end of today’s press event. Unfortunately there was just a little too much ambient noise for the camera to catch the engine and exhaust note properly. I’m sure you’ll enjoy seeing PhoeniX in motion, nonetheless.
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Greetings from The Big Apple!
We are here for the New York International Auto Show, which starts this Friday, April 22.
It’s my first time in New York City and all I can say is “Wow! What a place!” I’ve travelled to a few great locations for Saab events and Auto Shows but rarely has one city so completely exceeded my expectations – and I’ve barely scratched the surface here.
There is something new and fascinating to see with even just the slightest shift of your eyeballs. From the glamorous stores to the architecture, from the lights of Broadway to the people walking the manicured dogs owned by the well-to-do on 5th Avenue – there’s always something to see. And the food! This city can cook, believe me!
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It’s been heartwarming to see a decent number of Saabs on the streets here. I’ve seen more than I expected in such a large and busy city. For those of you keeping score the first Saab-spot was a black 9-5 SportCombi on Grand Central Parkway, around 15 minutes after I left JFK a few days ago.
The “wow” factor kicked in last night when I spotted a black classic 900 Convertible parked on the street. Unfortunately I was zooming by in a taxi and didn’t have time to get my camera out, but I might head back to the same district tonight and see what I can see…..
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Events so far in New York……
I had a small dinner meeting on Sunday with some readers from my Saabs United days. A few others tried to make it but were hampered by some unfortunate logistics. We had a great time, regardless.
Yesterday I headed down to the Javits Center to check out the setup of the Saab stand. It was mayhem down there as all the manufacturers had crates of equipment being hauled in, opened up, with staging areas being assembled, etc.
Last night was very special as the Saab PhoeniX Concept vehicle hit the streets of New York. I can’t say anything about where and I certainly can’t show you any photos from the night as it was all for a magazine shoot and we need to wait until the issue hits the streets. What I can tell you is that PhoeniX drew a LOT of attention from passers-by.
I think it’s fair to say that PhoeniX has been a vehicle that has forced people to have opinions. You can’t see the car and remain neutral about it.
Seeing it in a cityscape last night was a new revelation for me and from the quotes I collected from people passing by (everyone stopped to ask about it and you’ll probably see some cellphone photos out there on the web).
WHAT kind of car is THAT? (Nearly everyone)
It looks like a small batmobile! (20-something guy)
It’s a Saab? Get outta here! (Around 10 different people, some stopping their cars to check it out)
Is it a hybrid? (Again, a number of different people, showing how hybrids are gaining attention here)
Do you want me to pose in front of it? (Very nice lady, passing by with her husband – they hung around for about 10 minutes checking it out)
If that came into my workshop, I’d be having dreams about it for months. (Young mechanic in training)
Is that the Aero-X? (The same young mechanic, who obviously pays some attention to his Saab concepts)
Is that really from Saab? But they’re famous for making the ugliest cars in the world. (Something I’d clearly disagree with)
It’s so hot. It’s amazing. (Another 20-something guy).
That’s not a filtered list. It’s everyone that I got to speak to personally and as you can see, the reaction was uniformly positive on the streets last night. It really was great to see PhoeniX in a different environment.
Did I mention I got to hear it running, too? The 1.6 turbo sounded fantastic.
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Today I’ll be back down at the Javits Center, taking a look at the final stages of setup for the Saab stand.
Before that, however, we have a press event featuring Jason Castriota down at Chelsea Piers. There should be plenty of media there.
Greetings from New York, where preparations for the New York International Auto Show are well and truly underway. I’m writing to you from the Saab stand, which is still under construction leading up to the first press day on Wednesday.
Whilst we’re beavering away here at the Jacob Javits center, the Saab PhoeniX Concept is sitting in waiting, ready to make it’s North American debut at the show. How does a one-of-a-kind concept car keep an appointment nearly half way around the world?
Very carefully…..
If you can make it to the Javits Center from April 22 to May 1, you’ll get to see PhoeniX, as well as the new Saab 9-4x, the new Saab 9-5 SportCombi and the rest of the Saab range.
Saab will be conducting a number of press events in New York over the next few days, culminating in their official press conference on Thursday morning. I’ll be attending all events and reporting on them here at Inside Saab.
