SAAB News. New Saab 9-3?
Update 12 / 07 / 13
Drawings have appeared on the website of a Swedish design bureau that could be a new Saab 9-3 or a facelift. The photo of the drawings hanging there on an office door is said to have been made in April this year. Yovinn, the name of the company, also employs former Saab employees.
Is it a targeted indiscretion, or is it just the finger exercise of a designer? Both are possible. Car companies like to put drawings and photos into the net, by chance, so that they can be found. Mostly with a friendly mail to well-known journalists. At the same time, Saab has always been a playground for Swedish designers in the past. The brand has a magical appeal.
The pictures show something like a big facelift on the well-known Saab 9-3. While the middle section has a familiar lines and appears unchanged, the front and rear sections have been revised. The sedan appears more dynamic than before, and especially the rear has won. Two design shows a coupe picking up a familiar Saab theme with blue taillights. It would be nice if these designs were included in the series. At least with the two-door is certainly the desire father of the thought. It is unrealistic for NEVS-SAAB to make such extensive changes for a short product runtime.
So dream or reality? Assuming that the designs may come from April 2013, then speaks alone the schedule against a draft for a major facelift. And for a completely new vehicle, there are too many familiar design elements.
Addendum: In the meantime, Markus Hallberg, CEO of Yovinn, has told TTELA that one does not work for NEVS. The sketches were created by two former Saab designers and only served "for your own inspiration". One would never publish customer projects in this way, says Hallberg. Too bad. From the dream.
Text: tom@saabblog.net
Picture: yovinn
Unfortunately false positive, there is no collaboration with NEVS, two former chief designers at Saab are now working for Yovinns and were used for their own inspiration. Of course, customer concepts would never be published in this way ...
That's the way it is…
A pity. I would like what is hanging on the door.
Well, that's the first reliable sign that NEVS really wants to build cars for me. The 4-Türer is very successful and shows that the original model was already timeless at that time, otherwise it would not be possible today, more than 11 years after the market launch, to conjure up a contemporary appearance with just a few changes. Should this design be real planning, the future clearly points towards Castriota-Phoenix (the front is a clear indication to me).
The very critical discussions, the Castriota design too many borrowings at Porsche would take (C-pillar / rear), I never really understand. On the one hand, today's Porsche designer used to work in Trollhättan, on the other hand there are worse designs to compare with. Just think about what BAIC considers current design.
If this publication was actually controlled by NEVS in this way, they seem to have (finally !!!) found the right people for the marketing area….
Also think that the lower one is an 4 door. As it seems to make in the rear window still small triangle windows and I've seen in no coupe. So also tap on the variant with hidden door handles. I already liked the Alfa.
Wow! These designs are really future-proof according to my taste! 🙂 The upper variant would make a cool aero and can probably even be implemented without major changes to the sheet metal parts (only bumpers & lights etc. affected). In the case of the lower variant, I can't get rid of the feeling that this is a sporty 4-door model with the rear door “hidden” (door handle e.g. integrated in the window area and side sills modified accordingly - the front door opening otherwise it would be too short as the sole entrance to allow easy entry to the rear ...). I really like the blue lights!
Please also in SC! The rear looks like a mixture of Alfa 155 and Subaru, but doesn't mean to say that I don't like it! From the front it is, in my opinion, a very successful further development of the last version. (Even more overtaking prestige). As I said in SC, I would buy it.
I read in the comments to the largest share only complains and whining. Look forward to the fact that there is someone who wants to build Saabs again. There are quite different car brands disappeared. There is still a future here. Even if nobody knows what she looks like. So think something optimistic.
I think that's similar. I'm happy about any news that has something to do with (possibly) new Saab vehicles. The designs are quite good, at least what you can see and even if it (unfortunately) should be just a finger over, Tom gave me his article once again a nice lunch break.
Thanks Tom.
Maybe the drawing artist is sitting there and also designing the 9-3 SC. Mine is still in top shape, but if there was a new car, I don't know if I would be weak ...
As a precaution, I will also look at my cash reserves
Greetings from Lusatia. Marco
Triggers the “want-to-have reflex” in me. Tom, should I cancel my fixed deposit as a precaution?
Looks like a finger exercise by a designer, what you could do. Especially at the top one can see that only the bumpers front / rear and the lights have changed. Both applicable to the current position. But I also believe that NEVS builds a car when I actually stand in front of it
Please no 2-door. Except as a convertible of course!
All right, as a real hatchback, which quotes the old 900 Turbo Coupe.
But then just right and no (Swedish) Opel Calibra - to which the drawing reminds me namely.
And even that had longer doors. An extremely strange and unimportant coupé that Yovinn drew there ...
The only thing I like about it is that it looks a lot more like commissioned work than fantasy or finger practice. There was clearly something in the exercise book ...
Namely, to check the feasibility of a coupe under tough specifications (aspect manufacturing costs).
Otherwise, the identical roofline and the short doors are difficult to explain. NEVS just wanted to see what came out of it. And that's good news - rather speculation, but at least!
It is quite possible that at least the 4 door will be similar or similar to the drawing.
Just NO 2-DOOR - remember: FormFollowsFunction!
Actually, it can be assumed that we will see the Griffin elements again in the front area. Otherwise it would have made little sense for NEVS to buy back these parts from the free market. The only other part will probably be the grill. At least for now. And the hood that “comes up” in the event of a pedestrian impact, but the design will probably remain known!
I just wish the design will become reality 😉
Looks good. Do!
Except for the two-door there are no huge changes.
Is Yovinn a “comrade-in-arms” who has also submitted drafts or does this really look like the transitional model?
Depends on it and is difficult to judge only on the basis of the drawings. If the changes to the rear also require further changes to the Swedish steel, then it will be expensive.
Tom,
If you look at both drawings more closely, you can see that only one sheet metal part has been touched, namely the tailgate. The rest are lamps and the front and rear apron, so to speak, the standard parts in a facelift.
This might be two possible topics for the NEVS 9-3, but for some months now, Saab has been working with a couple of designers, including Matias Cindric, who according to Linked-in Profile has been Chief Designer - Advanced Design by Saab Automobile AB and that could be old sketches from his time at Saab.
Chic.
In addition a less wooden chassis.
I would buy immediately.
Best regards!