Dealers for cash-strapped Saab will begin receiving shipments of new product this week, even though European production has been on hiatus since the second week of June. Arriving on the trucks: the 9-4X crossover, which is built by General Motors in Mexico. GM also designed the 9-4X, and it’s a mechanical twin to the Cadillac SRX that is built at the same facility.
If any vehicle is going to save Saab—or at least pump some cash into the coffers in the short term—it’s the 9-4X. Volvo’s comparable midsize crossover, the XC60, is the company’s second-bestselling product, just as are the Lincoln MKX and Cadillac SRX for their respective brands. With just over 300 cars sold in the U.S. in June, Saab desperately needs the 9-4X to be successful.
As a Deal is Approved, Production is Set to Restart on August 9
Until the five-passenger crossover is able to rack up some sales, Saab will be using money from a just-approved deal to sell 50.1 percent of its factory and the land under it to a Swedish investment group. The Swedish government just approved the sale this week, which sees the investors then leasing the factory back to Saab. The total rake for the automaker is $40 million, and Saab says that will enable the company to pay its suppliers and resume production of the 9-3 and 9-5 on August 9. Whether that will happen, or more issues will arise in the interim—leaders of the company’s labor force indicated recently that they are unhappy with the work stoppages and amount of backpay owed—is uncertain, to say the least.
For more on the situation, including a rundown of Saab’s Chinese investors, check out our Guide to What the Heck Has Happened, Is Happening, and Will Happen with Saab.
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