Club SAAB España

GM ha anunciado que vendera su participacion en Fuji Heavy Industries(Subaru), para concentrar sus proyectos con los otros socios en Asia.

Como no, esto afecta de lleno a Saab, que desde el año pasado tenia un pacto de colaboracion con Subaru y con el que ha desarrollado el 9-2x y el 9-6x que ha de salir el año que viene. La gran question ahora es como afectara esto a la marca, con los proyetos futuros que se estaban preparando, como el del un posible Crossover para 2008, y el posible sustituto del 9-2x, que en este caso refuerza la posibilidad de que sea un proyecto conjunto con Opel.

Lo que esta claro, es que la situacion de Saab, su falta de proyectos, cancelacion de los mismos, no ha sido un factor solo de la lucha interna que se ha ido sucediendo de forma muy intensa en los ultimos 6 años y que provoco la cancelacion de varios proyectos. GM despues de coger definitivamente el liderazgo en Saab, inicio los proyectos de lanzamiento de modelos en nuevos segmentos de la mano de Subaru, haciendo el famoso Badge Engineering, ahora la estrategia parece desestimada y ello supone mas dinero lanzado a la basura....primero despues de reconocerse que el 9-2x no se vende si no es a base de los GM employee Discount, y que incluso, siendo un Badge Engineering, su bajo coste de desarrollo, mayores economias de escala y un precio bastante mayor que el Subaru, por sus leves cambios, el coche no aporta beneficios ni rentabilidad.

tanto quejars de que el 9-3ss tenia mas cambios de los estipulados y eso ha evitado que Pontiac por ej. utilizara el 9-3 para hacer su G6 cabrio-coupe, que esta teniendo muchos problemas con la capota metalica.....jaaaaa!!!!! si luego van tirando el dinero de esta forma, que no se quejen......

Aun asi la colaboracion futura no tiene porque romperse, pero esta claro que no va a ser tan intensa.....Un detalle, en USA los concesionarios de NY de Subaru acaban de perder una demanda contra GM por vender/realizar el 9-2x, ya que consideraban que era competencia desleal, como si fuera una copia China del Imprezza o algo por el estilo.

GM esta buscando una mayor concentración y control de su estructura, menor complejidad y tamaño, para reducir costes fijos, aumentar la estandarizacion de procesos y con ello incrementar la agilidad y capacidad de adaptacion de sus marcas en los distintos mercados.

Toyota to buy 8.7% of Fuji Heavy from GM

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. will buy an 8.7 percent stake in fellow Japanese automaker Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. from General Motors, which will dissolve its ties with Fuji, the companies said on Wednesday.

GM, which owns 20.09 percent of Fuji Heavy, has been struggling to repair a balance sheet dogged by huge pension and health care liabilities and address sliding U.S. sales amid cut-throat competition in the auto industry.

The U.S. automaker could use the cash as financing becomes more expensive following the downgrade of its debt to junk status this year by three top ratings agencies.

GM will sell its remaining 11.4 percent stake in Fuji Heavy, which makes Subaru cars and has an edge in all-wheel-drive technology, in the market.

Toyota will buy 68 million shares in Fuji Heavy and the two companies will study opportunities for tie-ups in research and development as well as production, Fuji Heavy said.

Fuji Heavy said it would end a joint-development project with GM's Saab brand and would book a 5 billion yen ($43.73 million) special loss in the current business year.

It revised its earnings outlook on Wednesday to reflect the one-off loss, saying it now expected a group net profit of 12 billion yen ($105 million) in the year to March, down 20 percent from its May projection of 15 billion yen.

Analysts have lately questioned the value of the Fuji Heavy-GM alliance as Subaru battles its own drop in sales.

Fuji Heavy recently began building a Saab model for GM, but their cooperation beyond that is limited to some joint parts procurement and collaboration on research and development.

GM also owns one fifth of Japanese minivehicle maker Suzuki Motor Corp. and about 8 percent of truck maker Isuzu Motors Ltd.

Toyota has capital alliances with Japanese minivehicle maker Daihatsu Motor Co. and truck maker Hino Motors Ltd., which are both majority-owned.

Before the announcement, Fuji Heavy shares ended the day up 2.27 percent at 540 yen, while Toyota stock closed down 0.94 percent at 5,250 yen. The Nikkei average was down 0.36 percent

Me alegro por Subaru.
¿No teneis la impresion de que, más que fabricar coches, GM es una empresa unicamente dedicada a hacer planes de pensiones y cobertura médica a sus empleados?

Pues sí, CON LAS POSIBILIDADES QUE TIENE SAAB DE MANO DE UNA EMPRESA FUERTE Y SERIA.

Estos de Saab parece que como en mas de una ocasion tienen un AS bajo la manga, la cuestion es que puedan sacarlo.....

Saab will get a Crossover. The Swedish design department have worked for some time at this model, in which they have tried to make a car with Saab values from the beginning, so says an employee of the fabric to AutoTelegraaf.nl. The car, a cross between a hatchback, combi and an SUV, has been developed the last months, parallel with the Crossover based on the Subaru crossover (Tribeca). Saab will start sales late 2007, at the earliest.
“We will never join a running project again when developing a new Saab,” says the employee. The sevenperson Crossover based on the Subaru B9 Tribeca seemed to become a Subaru with a Saab badge. According to reports, it was very difficult to turn the car into a real Saab. “We mustn't forget that we cannot fool our customers. The are highly educated and have high demands. They won't accept a Saab that doesn't reflect Saab values for the full 100%. For the new Crossover, we started with an empty piece of paper. That's the only way we can make a real Saab, with the hockeystick shape of the rear windows and the ignition lock between the front seats. This Cross-over will be a real Saab.” It isn't based on another model, however Saab will use components of her sister-companies. Furthermore will the by Saab developed techniques under the skin, be used by other makes in the GM-concern.

Limitations

Saab has got high expectations of this creation. “The Crossover based on the Subaru had it's limitations. For example, in the original design, they hadn't considered a diesel engine. In Europe the success of a car is set by the availability of diesel engines. The new type will be available with potent diesel engines from the start." The car will be offered for sale all over the world. Where the production will be isn't known. It is too early in the developement process to know that.
fuente; autotelegraf.nl
ademas, decir segun fuentes internas de Saab que el 9-3ss tenia mas versiones preparadas, como un Coupe y un Crossover, este ultimo con sistema haldex, hay que tener en cuenta que Saab anuncio en el 2000 que Haldez habia ganado el concurso para suministrar sistemas AWD para los futuros modelos de Saab, y justamente en esa epoca se esta desarrollando la Epsilon, amen de que el 9-3x concept lleva la Epsilon y Haldex y el 9x lleva Haldex....

Hopefully Saab will now be allowed to put into production the already finished 9-3sc based SUV that has been put on ice by GM a few years back......It's a "wellknown secret" here in Trollhattan that there is a SUV based on the 9-3 sportcombi that was iced a some years back on the order from GM. It would have had Haldex 4wd. From what I've heard it was slightly more raised than an Audi Allroad but not as high as a Volvo X90 or BMW X5. From the beginning it was apparently planned for five cars in the 9-3 range, the sedan, the cab, the sportcombi, the suv and a coupé.
saludos