Saab Sale Official; Four New Models Coming

GM has reached a tentative agreement to sell Saab to Swedish sports car company Koenigsegg. The deal will be partially funded by the European Investment Bank and will keep the Saab product line moving with current GM technology.

GM spokesman Tony Macrito confirmed that Saab will release four new models over the next 18 months. The first will be the Saab 9-3X, an all-wheel-drive version of the company's entry-level sedan and wagon. It goes on sale later this summer.

The next-generation 9-5 sedan is in its final stages of testing in Sweden. The 9-5 wagon will also be released at a later date.

Surprisingly, the 9-4X crossover (above), which seemed almost ready for production last year, has no firm release date outside the 18-month timetable. But it is still "moving ahead," Macrito said.

The sale should be completed by the end of the third quarter of this year, GM said. 

Saab Files for Bankruptcy: What it Means to You

Saab filed for bankruptcy protection in Swedish court today. An official statement from GM says operations in the U.S. will continue normally as the brand begins a move toward becoming an independent entity, meaning it will no longer be a subsidiary of General Motors.

Swedish law doesn’t allow for bankruptcy protection unless “there is reasonable cause to assume that the purpose of the reorganization will be achieved.” That means the company should survive the reorganization process and is looking for both private investment and funds from the Swedish government in the new independent company. Saab spokesman Jan-Willem Vester said the move is a positive one.

“We’re excited because there is no longer uncertainty,” Vester said. “This brings clarity [to the company’s future].”

GM stated in documents filed with the U.S. Treasury Department that it expects the spinoff of Saab to be completed by Jan. 1, 2010.

There are 228 Saab dealers in the U.S.; 71 are stand-alone shops while the others share space with other brands, from both GM and other nameplates. Vester stood by the company’s statement that it plans to continue U.S. operations as always, including warranty work. The U.S. is the company’s single-largest car market.

Cars.com Wagon Faceoff: Audi A4, Saab 9-3, Volvo XC70

Wagons have had a tough time in the U.S. While hugely popular in Europe, the wagon has simply failed to catch on here. Despite that, there are interesting models in the segment that are chock full of features and style.

Three such models are the 2009 Audi A4 Avant Quattro 2.0T, the 2008 Saab 9-3 SportCombi TurboX and the 2009 Volvo XC70 T6. Cars.com’s reviewers tested the models and compared all three in our latest Cars.comparison. Find out who took the cake among three perhaps-overlooked models.

Cars.comparison: Wagons’ Last Stand (Cars.com)

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Saab 9-3

There's a lot to like about the Saab 9-3, according to Cars.com reviewer David Thomas. However, "a lot to like" does not necessarily translate into "buy this car." Unfortunately for Saab, the 9-3 faces some stiff competition from similarly priced vehicles in its segment. In order to beat out the likes of Volvo's C70 or V70, the 9-3 will have to impress beyond Saab’s typical quirkiness. Get Thomas' take in his full review below.

2009 Saab 9-3 Expert Review

Saab Adds AWD to More 2009 Models

Saab first offered all-wheel drive on the compact 9-3 sedan and wagon for the 2008 model year. The option was limited to Aero trims and a limited edition Turbo X, however, which only come with six-cylinder engines and sit atop the 9-3 lineup in terms of pricing.

For 2009, Saab makes its AWD — called XWD — available on less-expensive Saab 9-3 models, including the 9-3 Sport Sedan 2.0T and SportCombi 2.0T wagon, which use a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. These new XWD trims are priced at $34,870 and $36,285, respectively.

Cars.com Videos: Hybrids, Convertibles and Hatchbacks, Oh My!

2009 Infiniti FX35: From its menacing grille to its seven-speed transmission, the sporty FX35 is really fun to drive, David Thomas says.

2008 Saab 9-3 convertible: This redesigned convertible, with its distinctive front grille, looks good, David says, but it doesn’t match up to its competition.

2008 MazdaSpeed3: There’s no need to compromise utility for performance with this lively hatchback, Mike Hanley says.

2008 Mercury Sable: The Sable is a sleek-looking, well-proportioned car with lots of passenger and cargo space, Mike says.

2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid: Kelsey Mays takes a closer look at the Aspen Hybrid, which gets 19/20 mpg city/highway and can tow up to 6,000 pounds. Try doing that with a Prius.

2008 Kia Sportage: Even with its bargain-basement price, Kelsey says the Sportage no longer measures up to its competition.

View and share all of Cars.com’s videos via YouTube.

Cadillac, Saab's Employee Pricing Discounts

Cadillac and Saab round out our GM employee pricing updates. The high-end nameplates don’t suffer from any lack of significant deals, particularly Cadillac, which sees larger and larger discounts as the model price stretches higher and higher. Conventional wisdom says if you have $100,000 to afford the XLR-V, you probably don’t need the $15,000 off that the employee discount grants … but who’s going to turn down $15,000, right?

The bread and butter for Cadillac, though, is its new CTS sedan, which we really like here at Cars.com. Discounts of roughly 10% should keep it selling well. Nearly $13,000 off an STS-V is also darn alluring to our muscle-car side.

A short list of available discounts is below. Be sure to check GM’s full list at its website, according to your zip code and the trim level you want.

All-Wheel-Drive Saab 9-3 Coming in 2008

This week, Saab brought its limited edition 2008 Turbo X to the U.S. auto show circuit in Boston. The all-black sedan and wagon are similar to any Saab 9-3, except the Turbo X comes with a higher power engine, performance upgrades and most importantly to car shoppers, Saab’s new all-wheel-drive system, called XWD. 

We didn’t want to report on this limited edition — only 600 of the Turbo X will come to the country, priced at $42,510 and $43,150 for the sedan and SportCombi wagon, respectively — until we had official confirmation on wider availability of AWD 9-3s.

GM has confirmed that folks who just want a regular 9-3 in any color will be able to get AWD this spring, but only on the upper-level Aero trim of either body style. No pricing has been announced for the optional AWD but expect it to be around a $2,000 premium. 2008 9-3 sedans and SportCombis start at $34,670 and $35,770, respectively. 

All-wheel drive will hit the full 9-3 range for the 2009 model year.

2007 Frankfurt Auto Show: Saab Turbo X

• Competes with: Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Infiniti G35, Lexus IS
• Looks like: Suspiciously similar to the Saab 9-3
• Drivetrain: 280-hp, turbocharged 2.8-liter V-6; all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: First half of 2008

We don’t mean to confuse you — though perhaps that’s Saab’s aim — but the Turbo X is none other than a limited edition of the company’s recently updated 9-3 sedan. The big difference is that the Turbo X is the first application of Saab’s new all-wheel-drive system that they’re naming — so originally — XWD. This setup was designed by Saab in Sweden and differs from the all-wheel-drive system used in models like the recently discontinued 9-2X and the current 9-7X.

The Turbo X will be a limited-edition model, all in black, but an all-wheel-drive option will become available on the regular 9-3 at roughly the same time in 2008. The Turbo X also gets a sport-tuned chassis and a rear limited slip differential that drivers can control.

The limited run of the Turbo X will come only in black with unique wheels and more aerodynamic body panels. GM says the Turbo X is available for order, but you can check out more images below right now.

First Drive: 2008 Saab 9-3, Saab 9-7X Aero

Saab surprised us at last week’s event, not with tremendous new offerings, but with slightly altered versions of existing models. Even more surprising was the fact that we were impressed by the cosmetically altered 9-3 sedan and wagon, and not so much by the powerful V-8 engine that was added to the new 9-7X Aero SUV.

2008 Saab 9-3

The 9-3’s svelte exterior and Euro-cockpit dashboard are all business, with plenty of straightforward controls and, improbably, an SUV-sized glove compartment. GM had a couple versions to test out; even with the base turbo four-cylinder and an automatic, the car moves about as quickly as an Acura TSX. The SportCombi wagon with the turbo V-6 and a manual transmission proved entertainingly quick, though the stick shift is a bit clunky for an entry-luxury car. Then again, you can’t have everything when your car starts five grand less than most competitors. — Kelsey Mays, Cars.com reviewer