The darn 10. year
It was 2008 that Saab was able to sell larger quantities for the last time. Then followed the first bankruptcy with subsequent reconstruction. A low blow from which the brand could never really recover - and which initiated the long road to the final in 2011.
The darn 10th year leaves its mark ...
10 years later, the effects are noticeable. The vehicle stock goes back, the sales of spare parts fall. In the first quarter 2017 reported the Orio AB, the supplier of original Saab parts, a decline in sales of 17%. Particularly affected are the formerly strong sales markets in the US and the UK.
This is neither surprising nor unexpected. The question was not if, but how fast and when it happened. Germany has been the exception so far, from Saab's point of view, better than the rest of the world. But even here it does not look that good anymore. Traders report a disappointing first quarter, and sales expectations for the remainder of the year are being revised downwards.
Bitter - after all, Saab workshop turnover is a constant for many companies. The reasons for the problems are obvious. The diesel scandal breaches the Saab portfolio. Saab, that was also a diesel brand, and most 9-3 IIs have a Euro 4 diesel engine under the hood. The scrapping bonus is having an effect, it sweeps many 9-3s off the road. Particularly tough: It is the checkbook-maintained copies, cared for with kid gloves, which are now disappearing and being exchanged for a new VW, Mercedes or Skoda. They will be missing from the used car market in the future and will accelerate the disappearance even more.
It would not have had to go this far if the Berlin politicians had timely set the course for retrofitting. Many vehicles would have been preserved, and even for older Saab Diesel there would have been a perspective. Instead, there is a total failure of creative will. Courts and municipalities will do the actual cleanup work, first driving bans will be available later this month. This is not sustainable, but sustainability does not seem to be desirable either.
What does not end in the junk press goes to export, to the Balkans, Belarus and the Ukraine. There you are excited about the many well-kept diesel from Germany, with which you will have many years to enjoy.
Answers to a changing customer structure?
Orio and the workshops are facing a big change. The small cult brand Saab mutates in the coming years to the hobby and leisure brand. As a vehicle for daily use, a Saab is used less and less, he is the object for the beautiful days. Many of our readers have a Saab convertible for pleasure and a first car another make. And there are more and more. Even in the blog team, the years have left their mark. Mark, with his gigantic 60.000 kilometers of annual mileage, switched professionally to the other Swedish brand. And I use in the fleet of a car rental company, if it has to go long distances for the job.
Where are the prospects? Youngtimers and classics are becoming increasingly important to the brand. Orio Sweden is having a hard time with it. Sheet metal parts for the Saab 9000 were scrapped, especially at the time when the interest in restorations skyrocketed. Where Orio leaves gaps, other companies see their opportunities. And they use it. There will be fenders for the 9000 again. Just not from Sweden, but from one German provider.
Orio needs to find good answers to the challenges of a shrinking market and a changing consumer stratum. In the past you always had adequate strategies in the drawer, and once again you will find a way. The workshops will also have to adjust their business. Restoration, maintenance and care come first, and some Saab screwdrivers have a convincing service today. But not all.
What we can do!
What can we do? It is important that we develop a certain sensitivity for the situation. It does not matter whether we continue to drive a Saab in everyday life or only in good weather. Regardless of whether we are fascinated by a classic 900 Turbo or an 9-5 NG. There are little things, such as the oil change at the start of the season. Instead of letting him perform at a large workshop chain, we could drive to the nearest Saab-Orio partner. Even if that's a few miles further, and if it costs a few euros more. And instead of buying the cheapest spare part on the internet, we should either order it in our workshop, or at SKANIMPORT, Skandix or Sweden partswho work closely with Orio.
A good Saab service is not self-evident. We are spoiled, at a high level with a high availability of parts. Of course, not everything is perfect and never will be, but the supply situation is good. It is up to us that she stays that way. Let's pay more attention to where we buy our parts and where to screw them.
In everyday life drive the 9-3 II SC as a TiD chipped with 189 horses at 5,2l on average. The best value for money combo I've ever driven. The combo runs almost every day 100 km, just comes from the inspection and has now 230tkm down. No matter what the plaque technology comes from, it will continue in HH and surroundings. Just the exhaust system renewed, then come DPF, clutch, brakes.
Again and again I am asked about the beautiful shape of the SAAB, just today my old boss called to me from his Alfa “beautiful car”. I don't see why I should change that or my workshop.
I drive Saab with LPG for years, several cars meanwhile. In my opinion, there is nothing better: Travel costs on diesel level, on top of that cleaner and completely Saabig.
However, I can agree that there is no market for LPG vehicles, viewed from the other side: I've advertised one from my fleet for months, nobody wants it. Although the purchase price is lower than the installation value of an LPG system ...
Is there a link to?
Oh, I do not know. To bring my 9-5 TiD from 200000 to 300000 km, I needed about 14000 Euro. For 306000 km I have the following problems:
Brakes are through
Warning display wg. Brake fluid, although its condition is in order
Transmission (repaired for 4000 Euro) does not continue to turn clean, sometimes gears do not go in
-schleifende noise during slow driving and loud roar at Gaswegnehmen on the highway at certain speeds, the causes have not been found despite intensive search.
Smoke clouds during acceleration show that the exhaust gas cleaning is not working properly
-Inspection is due
If I were to bring everything to fruition, I suppose, the 10000 would cost Euro, because the gearbox would probably have to be replaced. And if I can drive then 50000 km trouble-free or only 500, nobody can tell me. Injection system would be nice if she does the straddle.
Where is the pain threshold?
The pain threshold is individual. Some are still investing heavily on 500.000 because they are ambitious. Would not it be an alternative to look for a newer Saab with fewer miles?
There are hardly any newer ones, since it was built in 2009. The NG is toooooolll, but unfortunately it's damn long and not available as a station wagon and because there is no hatchback ...
and then again I have the outline with the load on 2 tons of trailer load and engine tuning.
Then the air gets really thin. There is only one thing to help: Continue to invest if you want to continue driving Saab 😉
Wikingerparts cooperates well with Orio and delivers the original parts there fast, reliable and cheap. The company is sitting in my place and I can only recommend it.
I was looked at by the assumption master as if I came from another planet, as I wanted to give my 98er 9.3 for overhaul.
They would rather have a new car aufwatzt, I had the feeling. But the Infinity as a replacement car annoys me enough already.
New Positronic Nervesaw!
Since I prefer to continue good solid mechanics.
Because the substance of the twenty-year-old Sweden is so good that I could sweep away half of my repair note.
On the topic of diesel, I can only say: Who really appreciates Saab, does not sell his just because some chatterboxes give off hot air again.
Most environmental tanners are not controlled anyway.
And to sell a neat diesel just so you can drive through the big city from the country. So please !? I whistle on the badge craze.
Dear Saabig on the go as these big industrial equal contacts go to grime!
An important call to entrust your Saab to a specialist and thus support the remaining workshop network. But this medal also has two sides. One would think that due to the situation described, the workshops mentioned are grateful for every customer and also offer appropriate service. Sometimes, however, you sometimes have the feeling that, as a “small” customer who cannot come up with a whole fleet of vehicles, you are of secondary importance.
I hope that anyone who had a Diesel Saab scrapped, ever deeply impressed that he did that and is now qäult with an all-car, for me there is no reason to scrapped a ready-serviced car, environmental protection is not one Scrap the car and then buy a new one. Unfortunately, the used car prices are in the basement and someone who has to sell a diesel, it is difficult to get rid of, at least if you look at the sales ads, you could still manage today to bring people to Saab, if you tell them that the brand always still alive and suitable for everyday use. And an 9-5NG with, which must not be scrapped in any case, every 9-5NG is important
I will continue my (admittedly quite new tax-efficient Euro-5) diesel as long as it still goes somewhere. But if I had my 2008 newly purchased Euro-4 9-3 diesel then the now almost 300000 km and would then drive him only as a second car very little and even little repair and probably annoying often on the car tax.
If you really need your car then buy another one. Maybe not so many land in the junk press but in Eastern Europe, even here in southern Hesse I often see 9-3 and 9-5er with Polish license plates, often pretty well preserved.
It is quite natural that then the spare parts sales decline, even if my workshop installed wherever possible, the Orio parts.
Why should one not actually be able to use an older SAAB in everyday life and not also on business?
Just because the tax advantages may no longer apply or because you want to have a parking machine or because you like double exhaust trims made of plastic? ... with a sound generator, of course ... I don't know.
Everyone here knows that SAABs last forever with proper care. All models from the late 900er or 9000er are not significantly worse in everyday use than corresponding new cars. Since you can rather invest in maintenance and repair than in loss of value (a new car).
That depends on the personal driving profile. For someone who drives more locally and a few kilometers per year is a Saab Youngtimer an individual alternative. If you have 60.000 annual kilometers, the older car is not practical.
I had thought about 40000km annual 901km take the 9, on the other side there is still the 3-901III as a diesel. Since the 200 would have been about once again XNUMX € fuel costs per month on top, it was finally the tradeoff between fun and reason.
However, I take min. 1x per week gets the 901 so that its miles. Is finally a vehicle and not a tool. A Saab with LPG would actually be exactly what I'm looking for, but there is no real market for it in D. What is offered are usually used vehicles with eternal repair bottlenecks.
40k a year with the 901 I would describe as ambitious. Would I neither want to drive the car, nor me. Not so much because I doubt the Saab, but because of the contemporaries on the BAB. But the bones of the 901 are too old for my taste.
Unfortunately, unfortunately it's like Tom writes. I have a shit ... anger at this crappy company. They are already on top again, no trace of remorse or humility. And the German state still strongly supports all of this.
I have only one diesel in the stable, a 95 NG TiD, I would be annoyed if I am no longer able to use this great car unlimited.
Was recently in one of these VW Fritzen, you have the cars in the yard, safe against 100 Stk!
A colleague has looked at the Tiguan and the T-Roc. Tiguan, 4WD, with approx. 10000km, Euro 34500.- !! T-Roc, also 4WD, with 9500km, Euro 38200.- !! The sipinnen but with these prices.
One thing is for sure, never VW!
I am still lucky that there is a very good Saab workshop in our region. I bring all my Saab there. It costs a lot, but it's worth it.
Was on the road today with my 20 year old, yellow 9-3 I convertible. What a pleasure, nice weather and empty streets. Everyone in the south, in Ticino and Italy, is exhausted after around 28km of traffic jam and 4 hours of waiting at the Gotthard… .. 🙂
I always wonder who is buying this crap? You really sit in the T-Roc ... .. and on a razor-sharp lacquer burr on the inside of a door I cut my whole hand open. And I can't tell the difference between an Audi A4 or A6 Avant, 3 or 5 Touring. No risk, design in slices. But for me it is not the corporations but the customers who buy something like that who are stupid ... I drive 160 KM with my Saab vehicles to the service, because they do a 1A job!
Regional thinking and acting (!) Is the order of the day! Ergo: Support SAAB locally!
After all, if the technician is dismissed with know-how, maintenance at the former SAAB dealer is stopped, the problem is really great!
It was more or less clear to me from the start that the 9-3 II models with possible driving bans would “die out” from our automobile cityscape. Not that another individualistic note is lost in traffic, any environmental concerns remain here. With falling NOx values, the CO2 emissions rise again because the population relies on the gasoline engine when buying a new VW, Skoda or Audi.
The question remains what happened to the 9-5 NG models?!
The first Opel Insignia models should indeed be as affected by the diesel scandal as the Saab 9-5 models. Does a possible upgrade also apply to our engines? That would give the last Saab vintage at least a few more years before the state closes the door for the diesel completely.
That would be the hope that the state would finally create the necessary foundation for it. Despite the smallest quantities, it is not outlandish that Saab would benefit from the former GM connection. Remains as a big unknown nor the PSA Group as an Opel owner. Interested in retrofitting old Opels (and Saabs)? Maybe not.
The recently published by the ADAC study shows clearly that there is quite an alternative to get much cleaner Euro 4, 5 and even 6 diesel. And this regardless of the manufacturers. While the manufacturers of the vehicles adorn themselves with hardware retrofits and do hard, there are, as the study shows well-known manufacturers of exhaust technology, which are often also the suppliers and original equipment manufacturers for the automakers, which could offer solutions here, if they are allowed. What is missing is the legal basis and the approval. And that's missing from the legislators say government, and the manufacturers in my view, just the good will and probably there is also the politically desired electric sun visor already too pronounced. Many viable solutions are ignored or dropped because it simply should not be, because some lobby simply pursues different goals. Regardless of whether the manufacturers are subsequently sentenced to pay for the retrofit or not. If there was a possibility that I would clean my vehicle with legal certainty with 2 to 3000 Euro, I would also like to do this out of my own pocket. Without retrofitting this money is lost by the loss of value of the vehicle anyway. Whether our government under the leadership of Mrs. Merkel can tear something here and conjure a reasonable regulation out of the hat, I dare to doubt.
I love Saab, mine is maintained and cherished by Ratzmann. Continue with passion!
Our government has no prospects and no courage. Car manufacturers may continue to cheat, as Audi until last week with the current A6. The Porsche Macan has to go to 2. Time to software update, because still (or again?) Half a dozen defeat devices work illegally. All this remains unpunished, only the ordinary citizen meets if necessary the full severity of the law. Sorry if I puked myself here, please delete if necessary!
But I'm on the mind as here in the country with alleged care for the environment continues to be made checkout. The opposite is the case.
There is so much energy in a car that you would have to drive it for 80 years - I wouldn't buy a VW Golf even if I get 4000.- € for my old man !!!
Too bad what happened to all the "old" Saab Dieselb. Will continue my 9-5 diesel as long as possible. Such a nice everyday car can not be found today.
We are currently in Poland and here we see some Saabs driving every day, especially Daily Driver!
We have to enjoy the days with our cars as long as we can, that's what everyone has in their own hands!