swedish cars
Great Wall Denies Talks With Saab, Swedish Automaker’s Future Uncertain
It might start to be a real sob story over at Saab, if the Swedish automaker can’t find a partner to help finance operations and help get production restarted. News of a most recent deal with Chinese automaker Great Wall might be little more than a rumor, with the Associated Press now reporting a Great…
Saab, Hawtai Deal Terminated
Saab parent, Spyker Cars, said that Hawtai was unable to obtain all the necessary consents, as a result; the arrangement has been terminated with immediate affect, though there still is the possibility the two companies might continue discussions, albeit on a non-exclusive basis.
Saab Could Sell Chinese Built Cars In America, Priced At $10,000
Saab’s partnership with Chinese automaker Hawtai could see the ill-fated Swedish luxury brand use its dealer network to sell cheap Chinese cars in America, with some priced at the magic $10,000 mark. “We laughed when the Japanese came,” Victor Muller, Saab’s chairman, told Automotive News. “We laughed when the Koreans came. But we will not…
New Volvo XC90 Confirmed for Production
Rumored to have been axed, Volvo North America CEO Doug Speck has confirmed plans to keep the XC90 SUV alive. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Speck commented that the automaker intends to “bring an all-new XC90 to the market.” Introduced in 2002, the XC90 is still on its first generation, receiving new engines…
Saab To Resume Production After Short Term Loan
With Saab parent company Spyker Cars having secured a 30 million euro short-term loan, Saab vehicles will now resume production after a payment dispute with suppliers forced them to suspend their operations. Saab CEO Victor Muller released a statement to the media, remarking “I would like to apologize to our dedicated employees, suppliers, dealers and customers…
Volvo Clinches First World Challenge Touring Car Victory With K-PAX Racing Volvo C30
Defending World Challenge champions, K-PAX Racing, headed back to the podium in Utah over the weekend. After conquering their respective class last season and capturing the World Challenge Drivers Championship with their Volvo S60 in the GT Class, K-PAX’s newly built C30s are already looking like true competitors in the Touring Car class as well….
Russian Financier Vladimir Antonov Clear by Swedish Government to Fund Spyker
Vladimir Antonov, Russian banker, investor, billionaire, and perennial runner-up for Most Interesting Man In The World Award, has been cleared by the Swedish National Debt Office to become a shareholder in Spyker, and ultimately Saab. Despite possible connections with organized crime that any Russian billionaire is expected to hold in the first place, Antonov has…
2012 Volvo S60 R-Design, XC60 R-Design Get More Power And Torque
There used to be a time when an “R” badge on a Volvo meant it was very special, a time when a former Formula-One racing team by the name TWR, tweaked a humble Volvo sedan and wagon into an autobahn missile. More recently though, Volvo had ditched the idea of a true performance model and…
2012 Volvo XC70, S80 Get Facelift, Tech Upgrades
Would you believe that the Volvo XC70 and S80 have received a facelift for 2012? Well, looking at the photos we’re not sure we would either. With styling cues so imperceptibly tweaked, Volvo insists the cars actually have new headlights. Plus, they get some new color options. Inside the changes are more dramatic, with both…
Saab Production Halt Continues Amid Reports Of Unpaid Bills Worth Millions
Saab parent company Spyker held talks with parts suppliers Thursday, in a bid to restart production that has been halted over a dispute regarding unpaid bills. The scandal has been a blight on Saab’s efforts to re-structure after a tumultuous year of teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. “We’re expecting that we could resume normal…
Saab CEO Retires, Victor Muller Named As Interim Replacement
Saab CEO Jan Ake Jonsson will retire from Saab on May 19th, with the 59 year old executive leaving Saab during a tumultuous time. Saab Chairman Victor Muller will act as interim CEO as a search for a replacement gets underway. Jonsson, who was reportedly planning to retire regardless of the situation, will assist with…
Saab And ZF Establish New Plant In Sweden
Saab and German parts manufacturer ZF will establish a new facility in Saab’s hometown of Trolhattan, Sweden, that will build suspension components for their upcoming Phoenix platform cars, one of which will be the next 9-3 sedan. The plant, which will employ 50 people, will produce front subframes and rear axles for the new cars….
Saabs United Forum Founder Hired to Head-Up Social Media For Saab
Proving the worth of social media (forums in particular), Saab has just hired on SaabsUnited.com forum founder Steven Wade. Swade, as he’s known on the forum and blog, will be in charge of the social media presence for the Swedish automaker as it searches to reinvent itself. In a post on the SaabsUnited home page,…
Saab Could Miss Sales Targets, Go Bankrupt Admits Potential Russian Investor
Russian billionaire Vladamir Antanov isn’t done with Saab yet. Forced out of the Saab deal when General Motors sold off the Swedish automaker to Spyker, he recently re-acquired the Spkyer brand from the combined Saab Spyker Automobiles through a British coachbuilder he’s heavily invested in. Now Antanov is stirring up trouble suggesting Saab might miss…
Volvo Ocean Race Limited Edition Models Debut for Europe
As the sponsor behind the Volvo Ocean Race, the Swedish luxury automaker is celebrating with the release of several custom models for the European market. The special edition series is limited to the V60, XC60 and XC70 models with either a black or beige leather interior, with ‘Volvo Ocean Race’ embossed onto the seatbacks, as…
Volvo P1800 Turns 50 This Year, Still A Looker
When most people think of Volvo, they think of boxy designs, however, that has not always been the case, and current Volvo’s are as sleek and curvy as cars get. While Volvo has produced some attractive cars in its lifetime, perhaps the most loved and admired is the P1800. While first prototypes of this car…
Geneva 2011: Saab PhoeniX Concept Showcases Future Design, Electric AWD
Reborn from the ashes of a crumbling auto industry last year, Saab‘s latest concept is appropriately named PhoeniX. The creation of Saab’s new design boss Jason Castriota, the PhoeniX is anything but beautiful. It is, however, an interesting look at what the Swedish automaker will bring to market in the near future. Perhaps the most…
Geneva 2011: Koenigsegg Agera R Makes 1,115-HP Look Even Better Than It Sounds
Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg has found a way to make 1,115 horsepower look even more impressive than it sounds, (well, sounds to say anyway), thanks to a matte-white and exposed dry carbon body. We’ve acquired these shots of the latest Koenigsegg, the Agera R, on display at the Geneva Auto Show a day ahead of…
Spyker Sold to British Coachbuilder for $44 Million; Russian Mafia Ties Pop Up Again
Spyker Cars, a Dutch sports car company no one would know of were it not for its purchase of Saab from GM, has just announced its own sale. Sort of. The current company known as Saab Spyker Automobiles will retain Saab, but sell off the niche-market Spyker brand for $44 million to CPP Global Holdings…
Saab To Mark Independence From General Motors With Celebrations
Saab employees will get a day off on February 23rd to celebrate the company’s independence from GM and its resurgence as an automaker. Slated to die during GM’s bankruptcy proceedings, the Swedish vehicle manufacturer was rescued by Dutch boutique sports car maker Spyker, and is set to launch an all-new product line over the coming years. Saab…
Hirsch Performance Officially Announces Saab 9-3 and 9-5 Tuning Packages
Saab is looking to add some excitement to its 9-3 and 9-5 vehicle models by teaming up with Hirsch Performance, offering the American market accessories to outfit their vehicles. These aftermarket performance products will be available through authorized dealers and will not affect the warranty on Saab’s 9-3 and 9-5. For performance, Hirsch will be…
Volvo S60 Sales Up 17,267 Percent
Volvo‘s new S60 is an absolutely wonderful car, and our review (coming soon) will reflect that. We’re not the only ones either, as praise for the car has been unanimous. While there’s often a disconnect between what auto journalists like and what consumers actually buy. We’re glad to see that the S60 has gone from…
Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid Turbodiesel to Debut at Geneva Auto Show With 124-MPG
Volvo will strive to be the first to market with a diesel plug-in hybrid, debuting a near production ready V60 wagon at the Geneva Auto Show in March. The V6 Plug-in Hybrid will get a claimed 1.9 l/100 km says Volvo, which translates to an incredible 124-mpg. Combining a 5-cylinder turbodiesel with 215-hp and 325…
Volvo To Cut Lineup In Hopes Of Boosting Sales, V50 Slated To Die
Volvo will reduce the number of models sold in the United States as part of their effort to bump up sales. While Volvo currently sells nine models in the United States, three of them are expected to be cut. The first victim is expected to be the V50 wagon, a car well regarded by the…
