The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded the 9-4X crossover and the 9-5 sedan a “Top Safety Pick”, its highest rating for crashworthiness.
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The company’s president, Tim Colbeck, said in an interview with Automotive News that he is optimistic about its future despite the Swedish carmaker’s decision to exclude its North American operations from its restructuring plan.
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“Our first vehicles are just hitting retailers and our first customer sale took place last weekend at Saab North Olmstead in Cleveland, Ohio” said President and COO of Saab Cars North America, Tim Colbeck.
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"There will be no normal production during weeks 25 and 26 (June 20th-July 3rd)," Saab spokeswoman Gunilla Gustavs told Reuters. "We are still negotiating with all suppliers and we need to get everyone on board at the same time. The weeks of 27-29 (July 4th-24th) are planned to be normal working weeks".
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Saab said that it anticipated production hiccups in the start-up phase, as the supply chain still is not fully operational with some suppliers holding back until they get paid and others trying to re-stock.
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The Swedish automaker said that as with the first order, Pang Da will pay the additional €15 million order up front with the funds expected to be received by the end of this week. Delivery of the vehicles ordered by Pang Da will start in the fall of this year.
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It's been a rough ride for Saab's 9-4X, but the very first production model has now rolled off the assembly line at General Motors' Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico, just three months after the compact crossover was unveiled last November at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. “This is a great day for Saab,” said Jonsson. “The arrival of the 9-4X is another important step in the fulfillment of our business plan. This sporty and distinctive product will significantly broaden the appeal of our brand and give us access to an important new vehicle segment that is still growing, particularly in the United States.”
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In regards to China, Saab CEO Jan Ake Jonsson, told reporters on the sidelines of the Los Angeles Auto Show: "Until we launch the new 9-3 at the end of 2012, it will be just a couple of thousand units (annually), all based on imports. As we lead up to this, we have to make a decision if and when we are going to introduce local manufacturing in China."
The 9-4X's shape and styling will familiar to most as the crossover model was previewed by the 9-4X BioPower concept at the 2008 Detroit Show. On the outside, changes over the 2008 study concern some minor details such as the smaller front fog light openings, mirror caps, tail lamp color combos and smaller (and less impressive) alloy wheels.
The same can be said about the interior, with differences limited to the air vent designs and the less flashy decorative trim.
