Is Volvo really the alternative to Saab?
A few days ago, I asked the readers, where they see an alternative to the brand Saab. And whether they drive exclusively with a Saab through everyday life, or whether their mobility is spread over several brands. The result is in parts surprising and clear on a scale that I did not expect.
High Saab exclusivity
8 years ago the production lines in the Stallbacka came to a standstill. Saab last delivered quantities in 2008. The average vehicle age is over 10 years, so it's exciting to see how high the Saab exclusivity is. 648 readers voted, and almost half drive a Saab exclusively. A high value that stands for incredible brand loyalty. You will probably find more than just a car from Trollhättan in the carport with this group. After all, every 10th person no longer drives a Saab, every 20th would like to drive one, which means that the proportion of readers without a Saab is 14%.
Saab drive exclusively. Or not?
- I drive Saab. And only Saab! (49% 315 Votes)
- Saab and another make. (37% 240 Votes)
- At the moment I'm not driving Saab anymore. (9% 61 Votes)
- I would like to drive Saab. (5% 32 Votes)
Total Voters: 648
Is Volvo the alternative to Saab?
While the first part of me Vote Unsurprisingly, the second part is tough. 620 readers cast 840 votes, multiple answers were possible. Volvo took the victory very confidently, with a share that would put some people's party in ecstasy in the elections. Due to a technical error, it was not possible to vote for Volvo in the first 90 minutes of the vote, many votes ended up with “other brands”. There will have been one or the other vote for the provider from Gothenburg, so that the Volvo share is a little higher.
For me, the result is a real surprise. First, because the German suppliers except BMW look extremely pale. And second, because the vote for Volvo is so clear.
Alternatives to Saab? Which make do Saab drivers prefer?
- Volvo (32% 276 Votes)
- Other brand (13% 110 Votes)
- BMW (8% 67 Votes)
- Japanese manufacturer (7% 60 Votes)
- Mercedes (5% 48 Votes)
- Audi (5% 44 Votes)
- Tesla (4% 36 Votes)
- Citroen (4% 36 Votes)
- Skoda (4% 34 Votes)
- VW (3% 28 Votes)
- Peugeot (3% 27 Votes)
- Opel (3% 26 Votes)
- Korean manufacturer (3% 24 Votes)
- Porsche (2% 16 Votes)
- Ford (1% 10 Votes)
- Renault (1% 10 Votes)
- Seat (1% 9 Votes)
- Mini (1% 7 Votes)
- Smart (1% 6 Votes)
Total Voters: 620
Is Volvo really the alternative to Saab? We almost inevitably come to an old topic. For years, Mark and I have been discussing the option of whether Volvo would be an additional topic for the blog. At first glance, reasons are obvious. Mark has had good experiences with Volvo, both brands combine origin and history, in the scene there are overlaps.
Is Volvo a topic for the blog?
Between Volvo and Saab there were always rivalries and a not always obvious cooperation. For the other Swedish brand work more former Saab employees than at NEVS, a former Saab development chief influences the model range. In Germany, the Volvo press chief has a Saab past, and it could find even more starting points. Volvo has been on the road to success in recent years, but is still a small supplier in the automotive world and therefore an alternative to the mainstream.
However, in my view, there is a weighty argument against it, and that is why the oldest Swedish brand has not been discussed here so far. I like Volvo, no question, it's more the older vehicles, and there's quite personal sympathy for Gothenburg. Maybe I even have a Volvo as a company car, if the local dealer at least could give some enthusiasm for his product.
But Volvo has always been the bigger brand, and the Saab themes would probably only be in the minority on the blog in a short time. Volvo dominant, Saab second row, that can not exist. Saab, mixed with the topics around everything that happens in Trollhättan and the former factory, are in my eyes an exciting base. Do the readers see it that way?
Is Volvo a topic for the blog?
- No, everything should stay as it is! (56% 254 Votes)
- Yes, there comes together what is Swedish! (34% 156 Votes)
- I really can not decide! (10% 44 Votes)
Total Voters: 454
Voting is a democratic instrument and therefore always associated with risks. An island separated from Europe by the English Channel and the North Sea is still struggling with the unexpected outcome of such an event. So a tricky story, even if I'm actually pretty sure about the outcome. How will the readers decide?
For VOLVO there are enough websites that deal with this car. In this respect, this blog should continue to be SAAB-specific.
I drive at the moment
VOLVO XC 70 YOM 2007 MJ 2008, with the 3,2L 6 cylinder with automatic
SAAB 2,3 TU Bj 92 switch
SAAB 900 soft turbo CV BJ 92 switch.
The VOLVO does not give anything like the driving pleasure of the two SAABs. It is lurking in comparison to the 9000er, very noisy for an 6 cylinder, and it consumes far too much. However, driving with him is very relaxing.
JFP
An avalanche is almost nothing compared to the number of comments posted here on Tom's question whether Volvo is a topic for the blog. And opinions often clash. I noticed - everyone obviously has their favorite car.
I have driven several Volvo 1971 and 1983 from 142 to 144. At the time, they were considered to be particularly good compared to, for example, a Fiat, which was said at the time that it is already rusting in the brochure.
Since 1983 I'm on the road with Saab and just before the end of March 2010 I bought another 9-5 Vector Griffin Sportcombi, which is fast on the way and offers me the necessary space for my numerous extended trips to Norway.
Because it is now getting on in years, I briefly considered switching to a Volvo V90 - but my conscience keeps me on the 9-5. And it runs and runs - hopefully for a long time to come.
And so I would be happy to read mainly about Saab in the blog - maybe sometimes with a little detour to Volvo ...
Hallo,
funny as it is hot here on white socks 🙂
So for me every article about Volvo would not be interesting and I would certainly no longer be as interested in the SAAB blog as it is now ... sorry ... just have no relationship with the other brand. That is certainly due to the history of the GDR government fleet and that I could never understand that these Red Guards exchanged the marvelous Tatra's like a T603 and T613 for these, sorry, weird 240s Volvo's with 4 instead of 8 cylinders, but that's not that only thing that keeps me from Volvo. I think it's almost like a “Hoshimark” like the one with the 4 zeros on the bow ... but that's my opinion ...
We also had to buy a new car and since I prefer to travel analogue I don't need all the "crap" and I don't drive 100tkm a year, it was a Jeep Wrangler. It is almost as analogous as our CD and so far has only brought positive feedback when I'm on the road with it, especially when the roof and doors are removed ... 🙂
So dear blog team ... let the SAAAAAAB blog be SAAB blog ... anyone who is interested can find one click to the Volvo blog ...
Have a nice week and to those interested,
At the end of September, at the beginning of October, the SAAB trip in Saxony is again ... More information on the SAAAAAAB blog, of course!
After many comments and a short break, I also want to say something here, I see Volvo quite as a new alternative to Saab. The design and the design characteristics are different than with the German makes, in scarcely another car one finds so good seats as in a Volvo. I especially like the new models since the new XC90 very well. That there are only 4 cylinder engines bothers me less. If I may wish, I would rather Volvo contributions as Nevs read posts, because Volvos is there, you can drive and buy. Nevs is still more of a study
If I look at the current state of the vote, then that will probably be nothing with Volvo on the blog.
I'm off at Volvo. No desire to support a totalitarian system by just one click on this page. I also lack the understanding of people who buy something, after the last attempt in their own country just 30 years ago.
Oha,
Is there actually a German car manufacturer who does not yet produce or sell in China and thus supports the Chinese economy? Consequently, you should not order a German car under any circumstances. What if VW did not produce and sell cars in China? Is it still possible today to defend oneself completely in everyday life against products made in PRC? The question raised here with three lines to such a high political level, I'm probably not with, especially since I occasionally wonder which system is actually not totalitarian. Are data bats and total surveillance in our system totalitarian? Questions about questions.
This is about cars from Sweden (which have remained Swedish with the entry American car maker, or not?). You may or may not like Volvo. SAAB, by the way, too. The most recent report on this blog is related to the Stallbacka and is about a German startup. I find it informative, is related to Sweden and appears on a SAAB blog, although the only thread is a former SAAB work. I like to read. Can I just imagine for Volvo in conjunction with SAAB. And again to Volvo. I would never drive a Volvo today if there were new SAABs. In the absence of a tolerable alternative for me, I have opted for the highest intersection between the two Swedes. Safety, longevity, willfulness, solidity, partly still family structures with emphasis on personality at the dealer, quality, restraint, etc. Volvo was always second choice for me, honest, somewhat emotionless, with the halo that many teachers, and people with higher Nature reference these vehicles prefer (please, is not judgmental, I come from a SAAB driving teacher family :-)). But it is the brand from Sweden that has remained. With Saab employees, with techniques adopted by SAAB and with strategies that I can identify for the future. Not unsympathetic, even if some of the vehicles do not meet my taste. So why not now and then on this blog news, historical and interesting read it here? Also Polestar I find very interesting.
Greetings from Erik
Hello to all Saabiisten!
What a reaction to the article! I mean that this blog should only be for Saab topics. It's also called Saab blogg. I think many people confuse the question of the blog with the topic of what kind of cars we will have in everyday use in the future. Most likely in 10 years we will only be using Saab's as weekend cars. And the question is what do we use as a daily “carriage”. You can't argue about brands here. Everyone has their for and again. Depending on the taste, and as is well known, there is no arguing about taste. The blog should specialize in Saab, even if the city of Trollhättan keeps popping up. For me, what happens there has nothing to do with Saab. Even if they use the factory. For some residents there is still a source of income and that is good.
All Saabiisten a nice holiday season and always accident-free ride.
Is Volvo really the alternative to Saab? Certainly not for me, definitely not. I've been asking myself this question for almost 50 years and compared the two on an ongoing basis, the answer was always 100% Saab. That is probably a matter of character. But I just don't find the Saab-typical at Volvo, not even today. My employer at the time was a Volvo fan, there was one generation of Volvo after the other and we often had to drive Volvo on business trips, at the same time we also had the top model from Opel. That was always a recovery after the Volvo, which has always remained a rough tractor for me, even today. My Saab concessionaire took over the Volvo representation after the Saab bankruptcy, but was not happy with it and neither was I, as I had to rent a Volvo of the latest generation during the Saab service on my Saab (which he continues to carry out) and always unhappy so was. It's like Peugeot, you can still find the same weaknesses that the brand has been blaming for decades. On the other hand, in summer 2018, I drove 118 km in a rented BMW 12i machine in four weeks (Norway and France). I got used to it immediately and was very happy with it as a Saab replacement. I am loyal to Sweden with all due respect, but they didn't save Saab either, and Norway is more beautiful and interesting than Sweden and BMW is more ideal than Volvo.
And most beautiful is Denmark
that too is a matter of taste, you will never be able to inspire the inhabitant of a mountain country for the flatlands ...
Saab should be foremost for sure, but I would much rather have news and articles about Volvo than anything about mobility pods .... NEVS is not Saab.
Well, one or the other will love Sweden, and Volvo and Saab once had a similar philosophy when it came to safety. I have test-driven Volvos and found them rather boring. As long as Saab was around, I've always come across Saab. Then Jaguar as an alternative, and always a Saab convertible with you ... Well, and today Volvo will soon have more China in it than Sweden. If you look at all the car brands together, there is certainly more individuality with Volvo than with other brands, and for many of them the myth of Sweden is sure to attract them too. But still I don't need it here. A Saab blog is a Saab blog is a ...
hello,
this should remain a saab blog and the quality of this blog is reflected by the activity alone despite an unfortunately dead brand again.
i currently only drive the saab 900 turbo 16s and am certainly one of the happiest drivers there are. no jaguar, maserati, etc., however great, could replace this feeling. the newer saab don't speak to me, except for the 9-5 II that I had for three years. after seven volvos and 9 saab, however, i can already see that at least older volvos also appeal to comfort - i still remember the almost pitying looks when i drove the 740 and later the 960, certainly not an expression of beauty, but great cars. my last volvo was a v90 (960 station wagon). an absolutely great car, which unfortunately resulted in total damage on black ice.
this is a saab blog and should it stay, possibly polestar would still be acceptable, but otherwise no other make, which is still active in the market.
personally, i would be interested in an article about the designer of the last saab 9-5. the man must be a genius - the 9-5 II was and is certainly one of the most beautiful cars ever created. that it was absolutely flawless, although one of the first, speaks for itself.
nevs don't give me the bean. they screwed up everything that was possible and if they really bring new cars onto the streets, that has nothing to do with saab. the fact that volvo has chinese owners is irrelevant to me; here, as so often before, the swedish state has slept. it is built in sweden, so for me it's a swedish car - that was saab in GM's time too.
I find suv bashing absolutely unnecessary. everyone should drive what they want and that has nothing to do with ecology. my jeep grand cherokee consumed 2 liters less than my old saab 900 and also the x5 and x3 are very economical models if you don't order the eight-cylinder ...
Such a Volvo V60 CC would certainly be an alternative for my 9-3X, but a look at the price list makes you quite shudder! And that's how I stay with my Saab. Now there are only four, but they are all in top condition and good for the next 5-10 years. And then look, if you can drive or even cars with internal combustion engine.
I own a Volvo. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the articles published here should always be related to Saab. If - as already mentioned, it is about former employees, technical details, etc. that are now in other brands - it can of course also be reported, but the actual block work should revolve around Saab.
On the other hand, the question is of course, how many (interesting) topics can you still find for Saab? When do you start again? Do you turn in a circle? How much creativity and energy do you need to produce new content over and over again? With other manufacturers, there are always current topics that can be blogged / published (faster?!?). This is a difficult balancing act for the editors.
Alternatively, once a month you can do a column à la “View of Sweden” and cover several automotive topics beyond Volvo.
THE BASIC BLOG & THE TRUE SENSATION
Surveys and other analysis tools always show enormous blurring. In a serious scientific approach, involuntary but more often desirable results are produced because an economic or political concern is to be underpinned with statistical arguments - with the supposed objectivity of numbers.
You can never avoid questioning the results against the background of the question, the initial thesis and the object of consideration. In this case, this subject is us ...
SAAB drivers were interviewed. And that's wrong again, because the SAABBLOG readers were asked, of whom 14% do not have a SAAB ...
It is these 14% of interested parties who would like to drive SAAB, which for me are the real sensation of this survey. It speaks for the brand and this blog in its present state, when a significant and surprisingly large part of the readership finds both exciting.
I find the 90% plus for a Volvo as a SAAB alternative comparatively unsurprising and relatively profane. For both (reader) groups (the 86% SAAB owners and the 14% candidates) one can assume a high affinity for Swedish and since there is no other Swedish-automotive alternative to new cars, an election result was preprogrammed how to do it otherwise only to be expected in an autocracy * ...
The long story short:
Even if I drive a Volvo and SAAB myself, I don't miss anything here. The focus on SAAB and the occasional look outside the box in different directions make up this blog for me. In my opinion, the survey does not reveal Volvos as a permanent topic - especially not at the expense of SAAB. A question that came down to this was not part of the survey ...
* involuntary but inevitable pun
Jochen Gewecke actually said everything; Saab blog is Saab blog. Occasional reports from another brand are no problem, but why a “double” blog?
It is easy to understand that for practical reasons, many people have switched to the other Swedish brand in the meantime (very practical, it's not all about teaching), but honestly: V. can never be an alternative to Saab Saab is an extremely independent brand for dedicated individualists and true free spirits, V. is just the opposite. For me then rather something completely different, sorry 🙂
Many thanks to the creators of this site; that is really top!
That with the individualists and free spirits is just a marketing gag or if you are looking for a reason to see yourself as something special. I've already met a lot of people who drive a Saab who were as far from these attributes as the earth from Mars. There were sometimes so narrow-minded people who fulfilled every cliché of the “typical German” (including white socks in sandals) more than 100%.
But to put your mind at ease, the Citroenists think the same of themselves ...
REAL COOL SOCKS
Where is the contradiction?
After the German bourgeoisie for his white tennis socks had been dragged through the cocoa of fashion magazines and comedians since 1990, it has long since become a symbol of resistance and independent thinking after it was banned for many years and on the verge of extinction. I know from a reliable source that the white tennis sock will be voted “Must Have” and the fashion accessory of the year in 2020 ...
Even Brad Pitt is said to have already walked in white tennis socks on a red carpet, combined with a suit by Giorgio Armani, in which another white sock stuck as a pocket handkerchief. That's pretty cool and individual, right?
He is also said to have read along and already sought contact with Frankfurt. George Clooney has the bids for the red 9-3, which was seen here recently, but according to insiders the nose ahead and probably already white socks in the closet ...
We'll see how that ends. But it is already clear that the greatest individualist of all time is a man named Ove, someone who is not in the least interested in fashion or whether he contradicts or contradicts any cliché. Spiritually that is true freedom and independence, that is SAAB. The German white sock wearers you met didn't care what you think of them. Those were pretty cool socks too ...
Those who wear white socks again today are doing this consciously and not because they have no idea of style. You can believe me because I belong to the generation that is wearing white socks again today. The clientele doesn't drive a Saab either. At the Int Saab we can see how many Saab drivers between 22-38 years wear white socks there ...
I never thought to get such a bleak AW on my white socks commentary.
For legal reasons alone, I am hereby making up for the designation as SATIRE. I have no idea or even insider knowledge about the “Must Have 2020” or the Hollywood closet ...
Any response to my previous comment jeopardizes the mental health of the respondent and parents are responsible for their children. White socks endanger the health. And SAAB makes you dependent. Do not even start! ! !
... not without reason!
The first part, however, is not true so of course, was not an active fishing of Saab itself, has turned out so. The old TopGear troupe had put it in a nutshell https://youtu.be/Sx2e-8FGkB4 That one takes such clichés cum grano salis, is of course self-evident. That an 901 Aero was inhabited by a Weisssocke, was (and is) unlikely (then rather the black sweater), and that the late, sometimes quite watered Saab's (sorry) attracted other clientele, does not speak against the above core ,
But hey, so what? Saab was and is one of the best automotive experiences that ever existed, you can well live different perspectives and ways of perception. Main thing Saab 😉
I read / use the SAAB blog because I want to learn about SAAB, Fabrication, Models and Trollhättan.
If there are touching topics at Volvo, Subaru, Tesl etc., but SAAB please in the foreground !!!
Should I be more and more interested in other brands, I can switch to the corresponding “fan circle” / blog.
SAAB first! 😉
Personally, I find the demarcation to other manufacturers rather good, rather than disadvantageous.
In addition: please note the manpower !!! Donate more at the end of the year! ...
I'm still waiting for the sequel from Munich, SONO Motors…. 😉
Thanks, Tom! Class blog!
Volvo is clearly an alternative for me. Especially since my wife drove her second V40 T4 until a few days ago. Accordingly, I was also allowed to move the car several times. (mostly on vacation)
Also at work I drive Volvo. An XC90 2005 and every now and then new V60 or V40 as a company car.
What I miss at Volvo, are the emotions! With me as an eternal, longtime Saab driver who has also trained on this brand, comes at Volvo unlike Saab no real emotions in me highly.
Although a great brand. Maybe it would take a ride with a Polstar vehicle?
The mixing of the two brands on the blog can be discussed controversially. Just as we experience it.
My wife urgently needs another vehicle. As a long-time Volvo (and former Saab driver) driver, she is connected to various Volvo players in Switzerland via club and Facebook. The new car should be cheap (small budget) from around 2000 (vintage), not too big and strong. Colour? Yes also suitable. Only at Volvo is nothing suitable to be found. But at Saab it does. We now have quite a few 9-3s that could pass. Posted this on Facebook, the “militant” Volvo drivers are already on the plan. "Why we want to buy such a bad car is just a GM Sch ......!" One is literally hostile.
Certainly there are “militant” Saab fans on the other side. I found the choice of words of some Volvo fans on Facebook a bit irritating. Especially since Volvo is no longer independent. But apparently there are still big rifts between some Saab and Volvo drivers (fans). Which is a shame these days.
Greetings Matthias
How about a C30? There was never anything like it at Saab. Is chic and if you do not constantly transport a washing machine but still completely sufficient.
To be honest I am undecided. I think the Volvo theme is not uninteresting, if it is not too much. For anyone who does not like to read the blog then 10 will win new readers. So for Tom this would be an interesting approach I would say. Get out of the very small in the big niche.
Why not look outside the box in a new section and occasionally present interesting topics around Volvo? The focus of the blog remains clear on Saab, but still leaves room for new things.
VG
I find the blog interesting precisely ... because the users of the SAAB brand will find a portal here in which their interests are first of all taken into account. And these refer to SAAB alone ... and not to a mixed goods store where everyone can find their soup. Should there be a merger with Volvo, the portal would no longer be relevant for me.
Of course, NEVS retains its justification for me here ... because these have emerged from the SAAB genes ... and your Chinese support in debt servicing seems to be long-term.
''''''''''''ALL GOOD DRIVING and have fun with SAAB VEHICLES'''''''''''''''''''
For me, a SAAB blog is a SAAB blog. Time one or the other interesting note to Volvo? Okay, also like reading.
But the current Volvo models appeal to me as little as the models of other manufacturers. If necessary, yes on other pages can be geschmökert.
Greetings from the Main
Herbert
I see it like Tom: This is a - well done - Saab blog and it should stay that way! Just because of the sheer number of Volvo drivers and the conceivable number of (new cars!) Topics, Saab would quickly be left behind and then also dead on the blog. Just think of the numerous comments from Volvo customers!
I would certainly soon stop reading at all, as Volvo does not interest me with all its ugly Chinese giant-tractor SUVs. At least here in HH, this is not a niche product, but belong to the Volvo SUV the dominant street scene. And is not there already enough independent Volvo blogs, etc. anyway? Conclusion: A few side notes related to Saab (eg: what are the former Saab designers doing there now, which ideas from Saab can be found today in the Volvo, etc.), but please no longer from the Nordic Chinese!
That this is a great made SAAB blog, is completely out of the question, otherwise he would not be so popular and would still produce so many readers.
After all, here is also reported by the Nordic Amis, and that does not stir. I accept the opinion that SUV vehicles may be driven by many who rarely find themselves in the imaginary terrain. That's what SAAB should have done. Oh yes, NEVS and SAAB are or were a purely Swedish company, are not they? In any case, I'm glad that there is at least one Swedish alternative and I would be happy, if here sometimes the one or the other info flows. I do not read Volvo blogs, but my heart beats to SAAB.
Greetings from Erik
EVERYBODY
what you say. I also like Martin Schmuki's arguments, which you agree with, because they primarily aim to praise this blog for its qualities. I would also like to have a Volvo blog of the same quality and from a single source ...
However, a doubling is not up for debate and the blogger has expressed his concerns about a step in the direction of two brands clearly in the article.
We readers would have to choose less SAAB to demand more Volvo here. You can still do it if you think that's right. But first you should be aware that everything has its price, that such a claim would be at the expense of the SAAB issue ...
Do you really want that? Will Martin Schmuki want that? I like (old) Volvos and still do not want that.
Since I agree (beyond the exhausted SUV bouquets that do nothing to the matter) rather Ebasil.
Quote: "This is a - well done - Saab blog and it should stay that way!"
What does Martin Schmuki want….
Personally, I would be happy to read from time to time a well-researched report on the brand from Hisingen!
First and foremost, however, this should remain a SAAB blog, for SAAB Tom also has the necessary heart and joy in the matter!
Regrettably, I have not yet discovered a peer Volvo blog!
As for the comment on the Volvo SUV…. Volvo has obviously done everything right with the XC60 / XC90, thank God we're still living in a happy market economy in which everyone can and is allowed to decide for themselves which type of vehicle they want to drive!
Of course everyone is free to decide, which was not denied. But you can also express your opinion as to whether you personally find something good or bad, beautiful or ugly, interesting or uninteresting. Nothing else I have done regarding Volvo and SUV. And that Volvo said with the said - in my very personal, sales-technically certainly irrelevant opinion - of the exterior and interior design totally failed SUV insofar as that in the affection of the mainstream of consumers, the ongoing presence in the streetscape, of the (often arrogant) appearance of the dealers, the sales figures, etc. reflects no one denies. But that's why Volvo stands for nothing more than Audi, BMW, Mercedes, etc. Volvo is not a niche brand (more), it was, if ever, never like Saab and in my opinion is nothing special, extravagant or idiosyncratic and therefore certainly needs also no support or closer examination of a blog that deals with the small, fine, but unfortunately dead niche brand Saab.
And that at Saab in GM times by no means everything was the best, on the contrary, the "Americans" has a large share of the way of the decline of Saab, may certainly be assumed as a consensus here. But it is now a Saab blog, which, as already stated above, just served this special niche - regarding all Saab models, at which owner times still. The capacity of the blogger and the blog are not unlimited and therefore it should stay with the previous, really great presentation of Saab and Saab relevant topics. Incidentally, especially the youngest 9-3 have much more Saab DNA than the 9-3 I and there are, as we all know, even Saab, which was produced after the independence of GM. The preferences for older and newer models are certainly widely distributed in the readership and I therefore particularly appreciate the variety of content and opinions of the blog and the blog - as long as it is at the core of Saab or related to Saab - and not around any other car brand.
Honorable Mr. Hürsch,
I totally agree with you. This blog, dedicated solely to the SAAB and NEVS brands, should not be doubled with contributions to Volvo. I also think that the moderator team would go beyond the limits of writing their own reports. I did not understand Mr. Tom's question either. For me, the question arises as to whether the presenter could possibly publish interesting or up-to-date information on the other Swedish brand Volvo in the event of possible gaps on the subject of SAAB / NEVS, possibly in conjunction with both brands? The moderator spoke of overlaps and rivalries. That's exciting.
But, of course I do not mind if SAAB stays exclusive and would still read and support the blog!
I like to give away flowers when the environment is treated with particular care and appreciation. Is such a, say, character weakness on my part.
Wishing a sunny afternoon
Erik
@ Martin Schmuki, Erik 900 & Ebasil,
then we four actually agree on the blog and thematic preferences (SAAB).
Nice that we have worked this out so clearly, because that is exactly what the author asked for my understanding. Quote: “Do the readers see it that way too?”
Now he has a clear and unanimous “YES” from us and that's a good thing ...
I would find an article about former Saab employees who are now at Volvo quite interesting. From the test driver to the designer to the normal assembly line worker. How was it then, how it is now. It falls to me, for example. Again the picture of the Volvo test driver one of which was photographed by a paparazzi in Saab jacket.
In HH, Saab wasn't really a niche product compared to Volvo either. If Saab weren't bankrupt, just as many unnecessary 9-4 SUVs would be gondola through the streets in HH as XC60 / 90. An SUV is not “better” just because it says Saab.
Perhaps that's true, although I can't imagine that so many Saab drivers would have bought the SUV. I also felt it was more of a last attempt to ingratiate someone who was doomed to death in the mainstream and a Saab SUV as an imposition to the “classic” loyal Saab customers. (I hope that not everyone beats me now, and emphasize that this is my personal sense of aesthetics, among other things, which is why I find SUVs basically terrible.) But I have this question here in HH - in view of the “hordes” of Volvo SUV - also asked more often. Would all of the Volvo SUVs be Saab SUVs if Saab still existed? Nobody can say that, but even before the end of Saab there were certainly significantly more Volvo station wagons than Saab, which in the end probably had a similar target group as the SUV. But - who knows?
The assessment is of course only my own, but my guess is that the number of 9-4X would be significantly lower than that of comparable, or even un comparable, Volvo SUVs.
And not because the potential Saab buyers would be the better people, whatever that means, but because the engines offered by Saab did not meet the needs of European customers.
With only two six-cylinder gasoline engines, the potential buyer was probably not only manageable in the Saab stock, but quite fundamentally limited in the European SUV market.
Perhaps a V6 turbodiesel from a commercial vehicle would have been found on the GM shelf, but it would probably also have offered 'too much' displacement and too little comfort for European customers. And a relatively small four-cylinder, which probably should have received a halfway Saab-typical overhaul, the budget obviously no longer gave ...
The 9-4x was probably more of a model for Saab customers in North America.
Now, of course, you can speculate what would have happened if Saab had even remotely managed the turnaround? Would the 'right' engines have come to the facelift, or in the successor? In principle, SUVs can be sold here too, the streets and parking lots show it.
You can then quote the great philosopher Lothar Matthäus: “Would, would be, bicycle chain…”
In 9-4x there would have been no diesel and no smaller engines. Germany would have received only a few 100 pieces per year, the distribution would have been very limited. Only the successor, built in Trollhättan, would have become really interesting for larger numbers with the 1.6 Turbo plus a diesel.
Oh dear,
I usually very much appreciate your comments. With your insider knowledge about the E85 and the French conditions, from my point of view you have repeatedly earned great merit in the environmental policy debate on transport here on the blog ...
... but I miss a comment from you about the current article (despite the three) in which the abbreviation SUV does not appear. Or at least not covered with slogans, not covered with tirades ...
And wouldn't a compact SUV with a down-size turbo engine and E85 or bio-diesel operated by your own standards be better than some other car? Be that as it may, any debate about whether SAAB should still be considered an SUV refuser or an SUV late bloomer is idle almost a decade after the 9-4X and the final bankruptcy per se ...
The debate becomes finally obsolete if the tool (the station wagon) is lumped together with the SUV. Quote: "(...) but even before the end of Saab there were certainly significantly more Volvo station wagons than Saab, which in the end probably had a similar target group as the SUV."
The station wagon is the car of all cars, which on one and the same platform offered the greatest possible utility based on the use of resources even before the SUV wave. Convertibles, coupes, sedans, station wagons and SUVs on one platform and with an identical drive are now common practice ...
In other words, not only does the station wagon exceed convertibles, coupés and sedans in terms of utility, but some SUVs (often 7-seater) also outperform (5-seater) station wagons without using significantly more resources than a coupé or convertible ...
Hopefully we will not delve deeper into this debate about the supposedly most sensible form of new or younger vehicles. I wish everyone who drives a car (especially a SAAB) within this range between convertible and SUV that they appreciate and use their respective vehicle and its advantages. If it were different, then only then would the resources be truly and finally wasted ...
Saab's blog is Saab's blog. That's why I find a Saab Volvo blog rather difficult. Okay, if Volvo seems to be a wildcard sometimes, for example, about every eighth or tenth time. This would keep the alignment.
Hi,
join me Martin S However, for me the weighting on SAAB / NEVS etc. would clearly be in the foreground. But occasionally reading interesting things from Gothenburg would delight me as a SAAB and Volvo driver. If you think about the future, then the SAABS are more and more in the Classic area. Stories about Trollhättan and Nevs? Will be something exciting at the moment. Volvo seems to be good in the long term for a complementary story.
Best regards from Erik
As an avowed Volvo and SAAB driver, I would be happy to read more about the Swedish alternative, especially as the saabblog tips are moderately made.
Here also a big thank you!
I think the Saab and Volvo anyway vehicles are soulful .. German scrap vehicles that are produced only with the help of tax billions are anyway no alternative for true car connoisseurs.