GM is considering selling the latest Saab 9-5 as a Buick in America, according to reports in Sweden.
The Saab 9-5 is ready for launch, but it faces an uncertain future as GM will decide if it will either sell Saab or close it down within the next few days.
Any buyer of the company is likely to keep the 9-5 within its portfolio, but, according to Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri, if GM closes Saab it will rebadge the 9-5 as a Buick model.
The latter option would give it an opportunity to recoup some of its development costs for the car.
Dagens Industri is also reporting that GM has told Saab's suppliers that it expects it to take five years for the company to be fully wound down, if that is the course of action it takes.
However, GM's talks with prospective buyers - including Spyker - are said to be ongoing.
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Re: New Saab 9-5 may live as a Buick
I would have thought it would have been better suited as a replacement for the Vauxhal Omega.
Re: New Saab 9-5 may live as a Buick
Did anybody see how ugly the new 9-5 is? I for one am glad to see it to disappear. If GM sells the 9-5 to the Chinese and the Chinese end up producing it a couple of years from now, I'd bet there'd be many unkind words levelled at the Chinese for the poor exterior design.
Re: New Saab 9-5 may live as a Buick
Perhaps it may be Buick in the US and Opel/Vauxhall in Europe?
Previous contributors have suggested that the 9-5 would be a fitting replacement for the Senator/Omega - that was rwd.... which set it apart from its mainstream competitors and made it the great car it was.... I dont think a fwd 9-5 sized car with Opel/Vauxhall badges would sell in Europe.
I also think it will be too expensive to be sold in the US and make a profit as a Buick.
....thereore, I dont see this happening.... Which is a real shame, because GM has finally allowed SAAB to create a competitive (genuine) SAAB product. How ironic!