The Saab Pages

Saab developing driver alert device

Volvo is currently testing a device called Driver Alert that aims to counter the problem of driver fatigue, reports Channel 4 website in the UK.

Sleepiness at the wheel is thought to account for at least 10% of all road accidents and 20% of accidents on motorways, claiming more lives than drink-driving.

The same website reported back in January 2005 of a similar system being developed by Saab:

Saab has released details of its new safety system which detects if a driver is nodding off at the wheel. A number of manufacturers have been working on such systems, but Saab could be one of the earliest to put theirs into production.

It incorporates two miniature cameras with infra-red lenses which monitor the driver's eye and head movements; if they stray from the 'straight-ahead' position for more than two seconds, a buzzer sounds, and if they continue to fail to respond, a brake pulse will be delivered through the ESP system.

The system can apparently determine also whether the driver is looking in the rear-view mirror or round a corner, so will not sound a warning, and it can also distinguish between city driving and faster highways.

The software could also be used to determine automatic optimum settings for driver's seat position, steering wheel and mirrors, or to decide the best speed for airbag deployment in the event of an impact.

Saab's ergonomics chief Arne Nabo said this week: "The system is functioning extremely well in our testing. And there is no problem with the hardware, which is reliable and relatively inexpensive. We are now concentrating on fine-tuning the timing and nature of the final warning alarm."

Volvo's system is a little different from those being tested by other manufacturers, such as Saab's, which monitors drivers' eye and head movements. It uses a camera mounted between the windscreen and rear-view mirrors that monitors the distance between the car and the road markings, detecting if, for example, the car is drifting out of lane or moving in an uncontrolled way; it then sounds an alarm and displays a message on the control panel.

Porsche to buy Saab. Maybe.

Edmunds Inside Line reported, a couple of days ago, that Porsche is gearing up to possibly buy another automaker.

Having already taken a 20% voting interest in Volkswagen, earlier in the year, Porsche is to ask its shareholders to amend its corporate rules to allow foreign acquistions.

There's an interesting idea, maybe nothing more than a rumour and wild speculation or wishful thinking at the best from John Neff on Autoblog, today.  The suggestion is "...it’s fun to speculate who could end up in the company’s shopping cart. Will it go slumming for an economy brand or try to add a venerable luxury marque to its portfolio? What’s our best guess? Off the top of our heads, Saab. What’s yours?"

It's certainly an interesting thought and one that is likely to appeal to downtrodden Saab enthusiasts who have spent the last ten years watching the large American pensions and healthcare company continually snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in their decision-making that has run Saab into the ground.

What is appealing about the suggested Porsche link to Saab is the potential of reuiniting the Swedish automaker with uber-designer Michael Mauer, formerly of Saab before moving to the German souped-up Beetle maker.  It will be interesting to see Saab built with passion once more.

Mauer is widely regarded by me as being Saab's greatest designer since Sixten Sason. 

9-7X coming to Europe afterall?

Ever since the Chevy Trailblazer / GMC Envoy based Saab 9-7X SUV was announced, GM has repeatedly stated that it is only for the American market.

Today BusinessWire reports that badge-engineered Saab will be in Bologna, Italy, for this year's Bologna Motor Show, taking place from 3rd to 11th December.

BusinessWire regurgitates the hype: "The four-wheel drive five-seater is the first SUV model (sports utility vehicle) from the Swedish premium brand. It is built in the US state of Ohio. Many of the Saab 9-7X's design details, for example its distinctive radiator grille with three air inlets and the transparent tail lamps, reflect the current Saab design language. Another feature typical of the brand is the ignition key positioned behind the gear lever in the center console."

Now that we have established that it is a 'proper Saab' because they did not put the ignition key on the steering column, BusinessWire goes on to report: "A powerful V8 engine with a displacement of 5.3 liters and 300 hp output ensures a superior ride in any situation."

The interesting bit is coming up now, "According to current plans, within Europe, the Saab 9-7X will be distributed in Switzerland and Italy via importers, and will be sold through selected Saab dealers."

Well, that's a turn-up for the trousers.  I wonder how well the 5.3-litre V8, mustering a measly 300bhp, will go down with diesel-loving Europeans?  Time will tell.

Saab helps Holden with engine growth

The four-millionth export engine, a 2.8-litre turbocharged V6 from Holden in Australia, is to be shipped to Sweden for a Saab 9-3 Aero.

Saab, as part of the global portfolio of GM brands, is increasinlgly using technology from other parts of the large American pensions and healthcare company's business.

Production of the 'Global V6' began just two years ago and, together with Holden's 'Family II' four-cylinder, has been making inroads into Holden's export volume.

GM Holden chairman and managing director Denny Mooney said engine manufacturing for export and domestic markets was an important part of Holden’s operations and complemented the company’s vehicle exports.

"The fact that we have built four million engines for other markets around the world highlights how serious GM is about manufacturing in Australia. This is a significant contribution to our global operations and has involved many collaborations worldwide," he said.

That's nice, then.

Saab and Alfa Romeo are two of a number of customers for Holden's V6 engine.

Saab 9-6X canned

General Motors, in early October 2005, said it has cancelled a planned Saab crossover vehicle, which it had been jointly developing with Japanese affiliate Subaru, and is dissolving its partnership with Subaru's parent, Fuji Heavy Industries.

GM has sold its 20-percent stake in Fuji, which it acquired in late 1999. Toyota will buy about 45 percent of the shares, which will make the company the largest shareholder in Fuji.

The crossover vehicle, known internally as the 9-6X, was to have shared a common platform with the Subaru B-9 Tribeca and was to have been introduced in 2006.

The Subaru B9 Tribeca was designed by Andreas Zapatinas, Head of Advanced Design. He has also worked for Fiat and Alfa Romeo, ...and doesn't it show?  The arse-end of the B9 has Alfa written all over it.

More appealing to Saab enthusiasts, surely, is the interpretation of what the 9-6X might have looked like.  Taking design cues from the 9-X and 9-3X concepts designed by former chief-designer at Saab, Michael Mauer, the image published in Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet is more in keeping with the current design direction.

Saab to increase range from two to five in Europe

Reports from German financial heavyweight Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung today suggest that the loss-making Saab subsidiary of General Motors is planning to launch three new models in Europe in an effort to boost volumes and break even.

Ignoring five years of procrastination since taking full control of the Swedish niche-player, an unnamed GM executive is quoted as saying, "We're taking the bull by the horns."  Laughable.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung says that the Chevy Trailblazer / GMC Envoy badge blurring exercise that gave us the Saab 9-7X is to come to Europe along with a more compact sports utility vehicle, the 9-4.  Given that GM has sold it's stake in Fuji Heavy Industry the platform sharing exercise with the Subura B9 Tribeca, which was supposed to be the base for a new Saab, looks like a non-starter.

Saab is also developing a compact car the size of a VW Golf or Opel Astra. Nice one, GM.  Arse. Elbow.  Let's make a car that competes directly with another of our products.  This model, including possible variants, is meant to arrive by 2010 at the latest, said Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri reported on Friday that Saab made a loss of 1.9 billion Swedish crowns in the first half of the year, up from a loss of 763 million in the same period of 2004.  Dagens Industri also reported that Saab's sales had fallen by 13 per cent to 12 billion crowns.

Saab's Uninspiring Product Range

Today, Reuters reports that continued losses at Swedish brand Saab are expected to drag General Motors Corp.'s European operations into the red during the fourth quarter.

That statement is, in my opinion, more telling than at first one may think.

Saab is now referred to as a 'brand' both within GM and by the automotive industry as a whole. The tiny Swedish automaker is no longer considered a marque in its own right.

Whilst this is regrettable it is most likely accurate now that Saab has been stripped of it's own design department, moved to a European design centre in Russelsheim, Germany, and then opened up a design department back in Sweden to 'add Swedishness', whatever that might be.

But it is not just the design, it is the engineering.  Saabs have now been based on old GM platforms for the last eleven years so.  The Saab GM900/9-3 suffered as a result of being based on an old Cavalier platform, and the 9-5 on a Vectra platform, but the new Epsilon platforms on which the new Saab 9-3 and Vauxhall Vectras are based is reputedly much better.  Saab's engineers spent time refining the hand-me-down platform and developing Re-AXS - a passive rear-wheel steering to improve stabilty.

Anyway, I'm in danger of veering away from my point which is in response to this quote from Reuters:

Saab's problems, which analysts say stem from poor brand positioning and an uninspiring product range, overshadow improvements at GM's German unit Opel, bolstered by restructuring effects and strong sales of popular models such as the Astra compact and the Zafira minivan.

That sounds about right, too.  Saab does seem to be the poor cousin in many repects.  There is not enough to differentiate itself from Vauxhall/Opel, it will soon be built in the same Russelsheim factory in Germany and it now comes under the European design Studio that is not Saab specific.

Much of the engineering expertise appears to have been removed from Trollhattan in preparation for assembly of Saabs in Germany, to make was for the Cadillac BLS (based on the same platform) to be built at Trollhattan.  Way to go, GM.  Make the Swedes build a car that will compete in the same segment as their own which you have moved to Germany.

So what of Saab's uninspiring product range?  How could it have been?

Before Michael Mauer's departure to Porsche, he came up with three exciting indications of the (possible) future of Saab.  These were in the Saab 9-X, 9-3X and 9-3 SportHatch concepts.  Had GM had the balls to do something brave with Saab then things might have been a bit different.  Instead, the procrastination and lack of vision and no strategy to achieve that vision has taken its toll on Saab.

So, GM dragging down Saab results in Saab dragging down Opel in Europe.

ovloV's WHIPS is as good as Saab's SAHR

Well, the ovloV propaganda machine has cranked into motion a full two days after it was announced that Saab had achieved top-marks for it's SAHR (Saab Active Head Restraint) system to prevent whiplash injuries.

The Saab SAHR system is a mechanical system that moves the head restraint forward and slightly upward, as a result of the force of the driver's body into the backrest of the seat after a rear-end impact.  The Saab system requires no resetting and is ready for use again after having been deployed.

Looking at the ovloV WHIPS system, the approach appears to be different in that the backrest hinge extends and the backrest reclines following an impact.  Not sure if this system requires resetting after it has been deployed, but I can not help but think that the Saab SAHR system is superior given its simplicity.

Saab and ovloV were the only manufacturers to receive the top 'Good' scores from Thatcham.

Saab losses "drag GM down"

Just caught this story from The Local, a Swedish news website written in English, and couldn't help a wry smile at the way this story has been pitched.  It appears to blame Saab for 'dragging down' Opel, citing Saab as having 'too few models, and an ageing 9-5 model' as reasons for it's poor performance. 

All this in a week when GM have announced it is to lay-off 30,000 US employees and there is increasing speculation as to whether the large American Health and Pensions business (that also makes cars) is going to go bankrupt.

Anyway, here's the article:

Published: 24th November 2005  16:47 CET
Saab losses "drag GM down"

Loss-making Swedish carmaker Saab Automobile is expected to drag parent company General Motors' European division's results for the fourth quarter into the red, according to a source close to the company quoted by Reuters.

Problems at Saab are overshadowing improvements at GM's German operation Opel. Saab is suffering from having too few models, and its 9-5 model is beginning to look outdated. Opel has experienced an upswing thanks to a comprehensive restructuring programme and a number of new models.

According to German business newspaper Handelsblatt, Opel is expected to break even in 2005. Next year it is expected to show a profit of several hundred million euros, the paper reports.

Reuters also claims that Opel is expected to reach break even point this year.

GM Europe showed a net loss of $216 million for the first nine months of 2005. According to Handelsblatt the result for the whole year will be $300 million, more than halving last year's loss. Earlier this year, expectations were that the division would lose $500 million.

TT/The Local

Top Safety Ratings For Saab Active Head Restraints

Saab has always been an innovator.  Safety has always taken priority for Saab where form follows function and, it could be said, Saab has been so busy working on safety that the marketing people at ovloV have successfully convinced the world that ovloVs are the safer car.

The concern is that Saab may have lost it's emphasis on innovation and priority on safety since GM took it's 100% share of Saab back in the year 2000.

Just prior to The General's complete takeover, Saab launched the Saab 9-5 in 1997 together with it's innovative Saab Active Head Restraint system, or SAHR.

SAHR is a mechanical device that is beautifully simple.  In the event of a rear-end crash, the resultant force of the driver's (or front seat passenger's) body being pushed into the seat will cause the SAHR to operate with the head restraint being push forwards andslightly upwards in order to cushion the back of the head as the body recoils after the impact.  It's one of those things that is easier to see in a diagram than it is to try and explain in words.  This is how CarPages put's it:

Saab's pioneering SAHR has been developed to reduce relative movement between the head and lower back. The restraint is mounted at the top of a frame, inside the seat-back, which is designed to pivot at its mid point. In a rear-end impact, the occupant's lower back is forced rearwards by inertia against the bottom portion of the seat-back. A mechanical linkage in the frame then forces the upper half, carrying the head restraint, upwards and forwards to catch the occupant's head and help minimise the amount of whiplash movement. After activation, the SAHR immediately returns to its passive position, ready for further deployment.

In any case, British automotive testers Thatcham have announced that SAHR has been awarded top marks for preventing neck injuries. Announcing the results, Thatcham Crash Research Manager Matthew Avery said:

"Saab has been a benchmark for designing seats to help prevent whiplash injury. Real world data from insurance claims shows that the Saab 9-3 with active head restraints has produced a 42 per cent reduction in whiplash injuries, compared to the previous model which did not have them."

"The 'best practice' approach from Saab was a fundamental part of the International Insurance Whiplash Prevention Group's test procedure and it encourages all manufacturers to fit similar systems."

So there you have it.  Saab was still innovating safety as GM took control.  Shortly after the introduction of SAHR, ovloV announced it's WHIPS whiplash protection system.  They probably marketed it better, too.