Some good news from the US, to follow on from the 2011 Top Safety Pick awards previously given to these vehicles…..
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Trollhättan, Sweden: The Saab 9-4X crossover and the Saab 9-5 Sedan have both earned a ‘Top Safety Pick’ for 2012, the highest rating for crashworthiness awarded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States for a second consecutive year.
“Saab Automobile prides itself on its ability to create vehicles which focus on the safety of the driver and its passengers in real-life situations,” said Per Lenhoff, Head of Safety Development at Saab Automobile. “It is rewarding to be recognized by IIHS for a Top Safety Pick award for two of our newest products.”
Saab’s Real-Life Safety philosophy is based on the fact that no two collisions are ever the same. Saab safety engineers continuously study how Saab cars behave in real collisions on public roads. The results of these studies are the basis for continued development of both design and safety solutions in cars as well as Saab’s in-house crash testing methods.
IIHS (www.iihs.org) is a research and communications organization funded by auto insurers in the US. The test procedures include front impact (offset) and side impact crashes. Seat/head restraints are also tested in a simulated rear-end impact to assess the mitigation of whiplash injuries and the roof structure is tested to assess a vehicle rollover crash.
Performance is rated as ’Good’, ’Acceptable’, ’Marginal’ or ’Poor’ in each of the tests and to achieve a ’Top Safety Pick’ award, cars must achieve the highest rating in all four procedures and should also be fitted with ESP®.
Earlier this year, the Saab 9-4X and the Saab 9-5 both earned a Top Safety Pick for 2011.
All you Mad Dutchies (c) might want to check out these links relating to the Saab 9-4x.
The Saab 9-4x was in Holland recently and Luxity magazine enlisted the services of lady racer, Sheila Verschuur, to take it for a spin. The result is a combination text/video review that I know absolutely nothing about as I don’t understand Dutch 🙂
There’s a story in Dagens Industri where they ask whether or not Saab will file for bankruptcy. Victor Muller’s answer to that question could be summarised with a “No”. That is, whilst there is still negotiations to be made and a climate that allows them, our people will continue to do everything they can to save this company rather than file for bankruptcy.
We’d all prefer some definitive good news right now. As a Saab person, I take the fact that people are still working hard to get an outcome that sees us continue business, as being a good thing. If there were no hope for a resolution, there would be no ongoing negotiations.
If you didn’t read Part 1, read it now. Then click the part 2 link. It’s your must-read for today’s Saabosphere.
Wulf casts his critical eye over his Saab 9-4x 3.0 Premium’s interior to see how it passes muster.
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You might remember that two blogs, SaabActu and Saablog-In, were running a photo competition for the Saab Dealer Tour of France.
It looks like the entries are in and there are some fantastic photos amongst them. Head over to either of the blogs to check them out.
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I link from time to time to the Charles River Saab weblog, written and maintained by a good friend of mine, Pierre Belperron.
Pierre has written a wonderful piece today that focuses on one of his favourite retailers, a small audio/electronics store that unfortunately went into liquidation a few years ago.
His story poses more than a few questions for companies like Saab, especially with recent commentary stating that kids prefer smartphones to cars.
As you can tell, there’s not a much to share in terms of the business side of things at this precise moment.
That gives us a perfect opportunity to have a look at something that matters….. cars!
If you’re looking for a 5-minute stress reliever with a wonderful Saaby flavour then you need to get on over to Saabworld and take a look at Wulf’s review of his new Saab 9-4x. This is a must-read for a few reasons.
First, I’ve known Wulf (in the online sort of way) for a few years now and I know him to be a very reasonable and fair guy. He’s not the sort to unduly praise or criticise anything, preferring some well measured and thought-out commentary over anything that could be taken as sensationalism. His is an opinion that you know will have been well thought out, and the fact that this is his own vehicle won’t taint that.
Second, he’s bought the 3.0 Saab 9-4x Premium FWD. Most of the reviews you’ve read thus far would be about the 2.8T Aero XWD model. This is a great opportunity to get an insight into what it’s like to not just drive the 3.0 model, but also to own it.
I drove the 3.0 model earlier this year, just on a short test around Trollhattan, and I was much more impressed than I thought I’d be. The power feels less than you’re used to from a Saab, but it’s adequate and the noise was fantastic.
The Saab Dealer Tour in France continues this week and we’ve got a lot more photos, from Metz, Strasbourg and Mulhouse.
I just received this image, from a guy many of you might know as Golfhunter. He runs the French Saab website, Saablog-in as well Saabs United’s new French translation. he caught up with the tour party in Chambéry today. That’s his classic 900 on the right, and the car he’d like to have next is on the left 🙂
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In addition to dealers and customers getting a look at the new Saab 9-4x and 9-5 SportCombi, a few members of the French motoring press have taken the opportunity to come along and check things out, too.
Carissime.com attended one of the sessions and had a chance to take a quick drive in the Saab 9-4x Aero. They posted a short review online and their feedback was very positive indeed.
Googletrans:
[It is] impressive on its 20″ wheels, the Saab 9-4X is designed to affirm a strong identity and we can say that it succeeds. The front is particularly well thought out with a real research work in the interpretation of Saab style suited to a big SUV….
…. Our mini trial was very short but our first impressions are really positive , more (relatively speaking) the price is reasonable in relation to the services offered.
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I mentioned in an earlier article how important these tours are, not only for prospective customers, but also for lifting the spirits of the dealerships and service staff.
I think the following picture really does tell a thousand words in respect of this – dealer staff enjoying a chance to check out one of the new cars….
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Below is a gallery of images from the stops in Strasbourg, Metz and Mulhouse. Thanks to the Saab team in France for sending them along.
Many of our staff get to drive new Saab vehicles as part of their daily routine. A lot of them are testing vehicle components, or they might have a car assigned to their area for use.
There’s a quite a lot, a majority in fact, who don’t. And seeing many of them have some down time at the moment, we thought it would be a good idea to give them an opportunity to drive most of our latest offerings. A staff drive event kicked off last week at Saab and is running for another few weeks, giving Saab employees the opportunity to check out models that they may not have had a chance to drive yet.
There are four vehicles in the fleet made available for this period.
Saab 9-5 TTiD
Saab 9-3 Griffin TTiD (low emissions 180hp)
Saab 9-3 Griffin Convertible
Saab 9-4x
I jumped in with a few guys from our Parts Analysis area today as they took the Saab 9-4x for a spin. The 9-4x is proving to be the most popular model in this test. As it’s not made here in Trollhattan and is only present in very limited numbers here, this presents a prime first opportunity for nearly everyone who gets into the car.
Mats, Johnny and Lars-Erik all took a turn driving the 9-4x and all gave it a resounding thumbs up at the end of the drive.
I sat in the back for the whole trip – a first for me – and was pretty impressed by that panoramic sunroof. Even with the glass section open, the wind is deflected in such a way that you can only feel the faintest feather of a breeze from the back seat.
I also discovered that you can control the radio station from the rear seat control panel – something parents might want to keep in mind if they have curious kiddies in the back (I’m not sure if there’s a way to disable this).
After riding with the guys in the 9-4x, I grabbed the keys for a solo drive in the low emissions Saab 9-3 Griffin TTiD. Once again I came away keenly impressed by the 9-3, which despite some age is carrying itself extremely well.
I was particularly interested in this low emissions model and how it would drive. Saab sell versions of this car with 130, 160 and 180hp and all of them attract tax reductions in appropriate markets. The 180hp version that drove is outstanding. The torque on this car is amazing and it pulls effortlessly from all speeds.
Like many of you, I’m not from a particularly diesel-friendly country so I’ve always owned pertol-driven cars. I’d own this in a heartbeat. It’s so easy to drive and the Griffin enhancements (leather/textile trim, rear spoiler (below), front fogs, etc) accent the vehicle beautifully. This is a great way to send out the 9-3, trust me.
The drive program goes for another few weeks.
I’m sure there are going to be a lot of first-time drives in that time, and a lot of smiling faces as Saab employees get to check out the company’s latest offerings.
If only we could get these into showrooms and on the road!
There’s some great news for the Saab 9-4x this week. The new Saab crossover has not only enjoyed some fantastic reviews since being released earlier this year, it’s now been shortlisted for the 2012 North American Truck of the Year award.
Elegible vehicles are selected based on the fact that are either new, or substantially changed from the previous year’s model and have a reasonable expectation of selling 2,000 units per annum. Vehicles made both in North America and outside are eligible.
Seven vehicles have been shortlisted for the TOTY award and they are as follows:
BMW X3,
Honda CR-V,
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque,
Mercedes-Benz M-Class,
Mini Countryman,
Nissan Quest,
Saab 9-4X
The jury consists of 50 motoring journalists from the US press and the shortlisted vehicles will be pared down further to just three finalists.
The finalists will be announced in December and the winner will be announced at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The Saab 9-4x would be a worthy winner of this award as it’s a superb vehicle with wonderful driving characteristics, and it’s also a significant story in the life of the little-company-that-could. Jurors consider “value for the dollar, innovation, handling, performance, safety and driver satisfaction” and the Saab 9-4x delivers on all counts. I hope the jury get to spend some seat time in it again before they cast their final ballot.
The field is formidable, however, with the X3 significantly refreshed and the Evoque wowing all-comers at the LA Auto Show last year.
All respect to the winner. And he’s hoping we’ll be raising a glass to the Saab 9-4x in January!
As you might guess, there are PLENTY of Saab owners in my address book. I’ve been in email contact with Clay M for a few years now and a few days ago, he sent me a link to an article he wrote outlining his purchase of a new Saab 9-4x Aero.
Actually, ‘outlining’ isn’t the right word for this one. ‘Detailing’ would be much more appropriate because he covers quite a lot of the purchase process, as well as detailed thoughts about the Saab 9-4x itself. As such, there’s something in it for everyone.
….several months ago, I decided to get the ball rolling on our 9-4X purchase and that’s where our dealership experiences begin. I’ll try not to name names, as everyone has a bad day at some point in time…but you can guess who I’m referring to, you know who you are, you can contact me directly for specifics, or you can take my experience as just a small sampling of what else is out there and what Saab Cars North America has to deal with.
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FOR SOME DEALERS OUT THERE:
I contacted approximately 20 Saab dealerships within a 1,000-mile radius from us and so begins my first rant. …. I initially contacted all of the dealerships online. My opinion is that if you’re going to have a way for the public to communicate with you online or by e-mail, make sure that the contact form works, goes to a real person, and a response can be expected in a timely manner. When I filled out the various information request/contact forms, a number of them were returned to me undeliverable due to a faulty e-mail address or other technical issue…unacceptable in my book. I also received a significant number of automated response e-mails, but never heard back from a real live person. I’m not sure how much more I need to wave my money around for people to take notice, but either of the above scenarios probably excluded that particular dealership from my list of potential contacts. If you aren’t going to monitor e-mails or online submissions, simply put your telephone number on your website and I will gladly call. Unfortunately, this is an issue that cost several dealerships my own personal business.
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FOR SOME OTHER DEALERS OUT THERE:
I will say that I made contact with a number of very nice dealers. Most of these individuals were very well-informed, courteous, and gave me a significant feeling of comfort in dealing with them. There were, however, several instances in which misinformation or lack of information adversely affected the potential of a sale.
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FOR ONE PARTICULAR DEALER OUT THERE:
Gebhardt Saab of Boulder in Colorado is probably one of the lesser-known Saab dealerships in Colorado. When I filled out their online contact form, I received a very prompt response from Gregg Sunfield. Gregg was knowledgeable, courteous, and I instantly got the impression that he would go above and beyond to make sure we were happy before, during, and after the sale…and that’s exactly what happened…..
……One thing that I will say about Bob and Gregg is that they were both highly optimistic about the future of Saab, they are clearly dedicated to the brand through thick and thin, and I failed to receive a single ounce of misinformation from them……… the information they provided and the confidence that they offered was not salesperson-speak…it was based on factual information and was very well-founded. Kudos to each of them and to the entire Gebhardt family for getting it right!
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FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN A SAAB 9-4X:
Clay’s starting point for this review……
I’m setting aside all Saab-bias that I may have for this particular review and hope that it may be viewed from a neutral standpoint. Quality of materials and fit-and-finish is extremely important to me, as I absolutely can’t stand something cheap that’s trying to look expensive, nor do I tolerate any misplaced rattle, groan, or squeak. I don’t want gimmicks and bling…there is definitely something to be said for clean functionality. Handling and performance are vital…not only do these attributes influence the overall experience, but they also affect various aspects of safety. I don’t want a vehicle that feels like a brick on wheels, but by the same token, I certainly don’t want to feel like I’m driving around a slinky atop a waterbed. My experience with Saab in the past has proven that a delicate balance of the aforementioned characteristics is a shared ideal.
And his conclusions……
I simply fail to find any compromises on this vehicle and Saab has undoubtedly created a machine that they can and should be proud of in the 9-4X. And for anyone that wants to argue against the value you receive in the 9-4X regarding the purchase price…I argue that your comments will be unfounded. To us, the 9-4X is worth every single penny that we spent on it and we would do it again in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Acura, Infiniti, Audi, Volkswagen…nothing could provide us with a better value and I am absolutely certain of that.
As much as I’ve reproduced here for your information, it really is just an introduction. Clay goes into an enormous amount of detail as to his research, purchase process and his first impressions on all aspects of the car.
If you’re a prospective Saab 9-4x purchaser, or just a person with an eye for detail, this review is going to make for very interesting reading.
From an internal perspective, it’s gratifying that we have people like Clay and Holly as customers and that we’re still making vehicles that satisfy their Saaby needs. If you look at Clay’s vehicle history, you’ll see that he’s owned a bunch of historic Saabs in the past.
It’s also a good reminder for us that we have to better support our distribution network and provide them with the materials and motivation to serve their customers well, every time.
I don’t normally do posts about vehicles a specific dealer has for sale, but I think you’ll understand why I’m covering these two vehicles when you see them.
These photos arrived overnight from the outbox of Just Saab in Ohio.
They show a couple of Saab 9-4x’s the dealership has just acquired for re-sale – and they’re rather special. The cars are 2011 models but feature exclusive paint/trim combinations that aren’t available as standard on the 2011 Saab 9-4x range. They are very early production models and have been used by Saab Cars NA for the last few months before being offered for sale.
Both cars have some miles on them (around 5-6K) but I’m sure you’ll agree they look absolutely stunning. I don’t think they’ll hand around for long.
I know that there is a degree of skepticism about anything I write about the Saab 9-4x. I’m a company guy, right? True. Whilst I’ll never write something here that I don’t believe in, I can understand the filters people will apply when they read it.
Right – Saab 9-4x 3.0 Premium
So even though I might tell you that from my recent test drives (Stockholm and back, Finland and back) that I think the Saab 9-4x is an outstanding new Saab, it would pay for you to check it out for yourself.
Two guys who did that recently were Steve C and Mitch. Steve emailed me directly over the weekend about his test drive. Mitch left his thoughts in comments to this website yesterday after taking a look at the 9-4x at his local dealer. Here’s what they had to say…..
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Steve C:
I chose one of the better summer weather days (Thursday) to take the day off, get an oil change and finally take a drive in a 9-4X. Reinertsen had 4 parked out front. This was a non-Aero XWD model and it lived up to expectations. I have a usual test drive course that offers me a fair comparison of vehicles.
The first thing I talk about when describing my first impression is that the 9-4X feels and drives smaller than you might think. When I set the mirrors to eliminate blind spots, I feel comfortable on multi-lane highways. On the narrow twisty road near my dealer, I was wondering how that would feel and the answer is great! I didn’t feel too conscious that it was too wide to stay in my lane and it felt great cornering.
I was impressed with the ride – even in sport mode it wasn’t bad. Probably better than in the 9-5 given the 9-4X tire size/aspect. That V-6 naturally aspirated engine likes to rev! I didn’t think I was too heavy on the gas but it still liked to rev before shifting, even in comfort mode. I liked that in sport mode, it showed you the gear it was in – even if you were still in auto mode. You don’t see that in comfort mode.
The other new thing for me was that the turbo gauge was replaced by a mpg gauge. And those side mirrors make for interesting visibility when looking out the side windows.
When I first saw the 9-4X prior to the NY auto show when my dealer had it for a week, I did all the things you can do when it is standing still with the engine off. This trip was just for driving and, taking everything together, I can say there is no question that this is a Saab!
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Mitch:
The 9-4x is brilliant. Too bad this piñata phase at Saab is detracting from it and other great products like the new 9-5 sedan and upcoming 9-5 ‘Combi. I spent some time this past Saturday with Chad at Just Saab Dayton OH and their showroom floor 9-4x Aero. Wow. The owner of the 9-4x reported as a sale on July 23 over at SaabsUnited pulled into the lot as we were talking. Wow. Just wow. The 9-4x looks even better in motion.
… I really need to hurry up and pay off my 2009 9-5 Combi …
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As always, don’t take my word for it. Get in and check out the 9-4x for yourself. It really is a cracker of a car and I’m sure you’re going to love it.
