Tag: Q&A

Earlier this week, we invited readers and Facebook fans to submit questions to Saab for responses. We now have responses for most of those questions, provided below.

NOTES:

• A big proportion of Saab’s future is contingent upon an approval process currently underway in China. Our Chinese partners, Pang Da and Youngman, are seeking approval for their proposed investments into Saab Automobile. The process is going very well and we remain very confident of a positive outcome, however the decision is not final until it is made by the NDRC and other agencies involved. This Q&A has been prepared with a positive outcome in mind – i.e. a return to (relatively) normal business conditions.
• There are some aspects of our business, e.g. forward product planning, that we cannot comment on in detail. I’ve tried to provide general responses where possible, but details cannot be made available. That’s just the nature of the business.
• Time has been my enemy. I wanted to answer all questions by today, but there are some people that I just haven’t been able to get to in order to get responses. I will do that, and compose answers for the remainder of those questions. They will be posted in approximately two weeks from now (I will be away from the office for a week between now and then, hence the delay)

——

What will Saab do to protect against the possibility of another bankruptcy down the line?

I’m pretty sure this was asked by a US-based customer, hence the bankruptcy reference. It’s important to note here that Saab has not been through a bankruptcy procedure at all in its history. The process we are undertaking right now, reorganisation, is a process under Swedish law that is quite separate from a bankruptcy under Swedish law. This is not just me being pedantic here. It’s a very important distinction for reasons that will become clearer below.

The basic similarities between a Swedish reorganisation and a Ch11 bankruptcy in the US do not mean that the words are interchangeable. Saab is in reorganisation under Swedish law. Remember that as you read on and please be mindful of the distinction, especially if you are accustomed to using the US terminology.

To the center of the question, then. What are we going to do in order to ensure this doesn’t happen again?

Continue reading Inside Saab Q&A – The Answers (part 1)

My thanks to everyone for sending in your questions for our Q&A offering. It’s been great to see what’s weighing on people’s minds right now and we want to do what we feasibly can to provide answers for you.

I’ve gone through the questions submitted through various channels – here at IS, on Facebook and through one of our enthusiast websites, Saab Actu – and have summarised the questions into the list below. Please understand that in order to get responses in a timely manner, I can’t comment on opinions expressed, nor on questions that were very specific (e.g. questions on individual parts will be answered in the context of all parts) or overly market specific (e.g. when will a particular model begin selling in XXXXXX).

The questions I’ll be seeking answers for in the next 24 hours are:

• What will Saab do to protect against the possibility of another bankruptcy down the line?
• When will production re-start, both in Trollhattan and in Mexico (Saab 9-4x)?
• What happens to my warranty/service contract if Saab goes bankrupt?
• What happens to parts availability if Saab goes bankrupt?
• Why are some spare parts so difficult to obtain at the moment?
• Is Vladimir Antonov still interested in Saab?
• Will Saab seek to pay back the EIB loan?
• What projects has the lack of EIB finance had an impact on?
• Will Saab offer a diesel in the US?
• Will Saab offer a diesel of BioPower version of the Saab 9-4x?
• Will there be more exotic options offered on the Saab 9-4x?
• Why is Saab offering just the 4-cyl version of the Saab 9-5 SportCombi in the US market? Will it get better tuning options, or a V6 version?
• Will Saab offer an entry level car?
• Will Saab develop a higher performance car or an Aero-X type halo car?
• Will Saab seek to authorise Independent outlets to act as service facilities?
• Do TimTams still open doors at the Saab Museum 🙂 ?
• How will IQon get connected to the internet?
• Are 2011 orders cancelled and is that factored into the business plan?
• When will the Saab 9-5 SportCombi be launched?
• When will the Saab 9-4x be launched in markets outside the USA?
• How is the development of the Saab 9-3 replacement progressing?
• Will the Saab 9-3 replacement vehicle have a coupe version? Will it have the DNA of the original Saab 900?
• Will the Saab 9-3 get a 6-cyl engine again?
• Are more upscale interiors being developed?
• What are the odds of getting a 9-3 coupe?
• Is a joint venture with Volvo possible in the future?
• Will Inside Saab survive Cheetah?
• Why didn’t Saab use the eco TTiD engines from the 9-3 in the Saab 9-5?
• What will Saab do about the dealer network issues it faces, with some dealers closing in various parts of the world?
• What assurance can Saab provide about the quality of vehicles built in China?
• Will Saab offer factory tours again?
• When will Saab begin selling in Mexico?
• Are there plans to use the old propeller logo in the future (a-la PhoeniX)?
• What are Saab going to do in terms of marketing in the future? How will you develop awareness of the brand again, and build trust?
• Will Saab look into customer contributions for ad campaigns?
• Will Saab look at doing big test drive events for potential customers?