Currently reading: BAIC set to buy old 9-5 design
Outgoing Saab 9-5 could be heading to China

The Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) is poised to buy the tooling and design rights to the outgoing Saab 9-5, according to Autocar sources.

BAIC recently became a minority shareholder in the Koenigsegg Group, which is attempting to buy Saab from General Motors.

If the plans go ahead, the 9-5 will be ‘shifted lock, stock and barrel’ to China. Production of the 9-5 estate is expected to end in the next few weeks.

There’s no news as to whether BAIC intends to re-start production of the 9-5 in an unchanged form or whether it will re-skin the car for sale under BAIC’s own brand.

Such moves by Chinese carmakers are increasingly common. Production of the Rover 75 and MG ZT was re-started in China after MG Rover collapsed and production of the Alfa Romeo 166 was moved to Guangzhou Auto last year.

The 9-5 is powered by Saab’s own long-running slant-four turbocharged petrol engine. The factory building this engine was wound-down earlier this year, making it another potential buy-out target for BAIC.

Shifting production of the defunct engine to China would be a much simpler operation than re-engineering the 9-5 to accommodate a new drivetrain.

Although Saab is racing to install the all-new 9-5 into its Trollhatten factory, the Koenigsegg Group has still not finalized its buyout deal with GM.

At the time of writing it is still negotiating a substantial loan with the European Investment Bank. GM has set a deadline of 31 December for its planned sell-off of Saab.

Hilton Holloway

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J400uk 6 October 2009

Re: BAIC set to buy old 9-5 design

tannedbaldhead wrote:
At the right price (undercutting the Skoda Superb) and if they get the build quality right the estate would be a bloody good car.

No it really wouldn't. When it first came out it was good, but the design is very nearly 13 years old now so it would really need a radical make-over inside and out to seriousley compete with a modern rival.

tannedbaldhead 3 October 2009

Re: BAIC set to buy old 9-5 design

shortbread wrote:

Hoping they dont then ship it back to Europe and sell it as the all new 2010 'BAIC Shining Monkey' or something....

At the right price (undercutting the Skoda Superb) and if they get the build quality right the estate would be a bloody good car.

J400uk 3 October 2009

Re: BAIC set to buy old 9-5 design

shortbread wrote:
Hoping they dont then ship it back to Europe and sell it as the all new 2010 'BAIC Shining Monkey' or something....

That would be quite amusing if they did, can just imagine it now.