General Motors plans to add a midsize Saab-badged sport-utility vehicle to its money-losing Swedish car division’s range, Reuters reported, citing GM officials familiar with the plans.
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The news agency said the SUV, a version of GM’s current trio of North American-built midsize models, could arrive as early as next year as GM phases out the Bravada sport-utility as part of its plan to end the Oldsmobile brand. GM also builds the Chevrolet TrailBlazer and the GMC Envoy on the same chassis as the Bravada.
Reuters said Saab has lost money in 10 of the last 12 years and has been desperate to add new products to its range, which currently consists of the 9-3 and the larger 9-5.
The quick addition of the seven-passenger SUV would allow the brand to compete in one of the fastest-growing segments of the luxury market, Reuters said, noting that most other upscale and luxury car makers already sell SUVs.
Reuters said the SUV, expected to be manufactured at GM’s Moraine, Ohio, assembly plant, would be Saab’s first product built in North America and its first vehicle made exclusively for the US market, its largest.
Saab has trademarked the name 9-8, which could possibly be the name of the new vehicle, automotive analysts told Reuters.
Reuters noted that Saab last year cancelled plans for a midsize SUV based on the upcoming Cadillac SRX due to concerns that it would be difficult to make a Saab version that didn’t strongly resemble the SRX. Saabs are sold alongside Cadillacs in many U.S. dealerships, Reuters added.
According to Reuters, one GM official cautioned that the newest Saab SUV is not yet fully approved, and there is the risk it could be cancelled at this late stage, just as the previous plans were.
But another GM official told Reuters the new SUV is sure to arrive.
