Autoblog UK

Saab have a genuine SUV (the 9-4X BioPower concept) in the pipeline. But whether it will ever make it on to the market is anyone's guess. For bankrupt Saab could well become the next victim of the collapse of General Motors. Formerly a small but upmarket brand with a niche appeal, it was a bad day for Saab when it was taken over by GM. Gone were the innovative ideas of yesteryear. Today, what we have are bog standard series production cars with no upmarket pretensions which still expect to compete in the premium segment of the market. This quite clearly doesn't work. Whether the luxury sports car manufacturer Koenigsegg can really save Saab remains to be seen. It would, however, be a shame if this marque, steeped in tradition, really does go down the pan. But at the same time, that is the market economy. Only the strong survive.

The much heralded electrically powered Volt is intended to bring about an upturn in the fortunes of the insolvent General Motors corporation. With this low-emission family car, GM hope to set a fashion that will catch on both inside and outside the USA and also, of course, make pots of money. The sister model of the Opel Ampera is due to go on sale next year. It covers the first 40 miles (64km) of any trip purely on power supplied by a lithium ion battery. At this point, a 1.4-litre petrol engine kicks in to recharge the battery as the car drives along. General Motors have based the fuel consumption figures for the Volt on a method agreed with the American EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), according to which the Chevy Volt does 230 miles to the US gallon (3.785 litres) on the urban cycle.

Despite the recent slump in business, General Motors have continued to bring out some highly attractive products. For example, the Chevrolet Camaro has overtaken all its rivals to become market segment leader in the USA. The newly released Chevrolet Equinox, Cadillac SRX and Buick LaCrosse all received favourable reviews. And before the year is out, we are due to see the launch of the Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon and the GMC Terrain, with the Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Cruze and Cadillac CTS Coupe making their debuts some time next year. There is also abundant evidence of this focus on attractive new products in the Chevrolet Agile which is currently appearing in showrooms throughout Latin America.

At the insolvent General Motors group, the necessary sell-out has begun and Penske will be taking over Saturn. The transaction should be concluded during Q3, 2009. Under the management of founder Roger Penske, the Penske Group was previously particularly successful in the IndyCar Series. At the moment, the group is again enjoying success with Helio Castroneves, who won the legendary Indy 500 a few weeks ago.

The "Automotive Group" of the corporation came into being in 2007 and did a remarkably good job in selling Smart cars in the USA. The agreement with General Motors aims for Penske taking over the Saturn brand rights, while the vehicles concerned will still be manufactured by General Motors on a contract basis. The model range is, however, being drastically cut back. The Saturn Astra that originates from Opel will be going, as will the Saturn Sky (known in Europe as the Opel GT). What will remain are the Aura based upon the last Vectra and two SUVs: The Vue, which is the Opel Antara and also the Outlook.

It seems that the insolvent automotive manufacturer General Motors has found a purchaser for the Hummer SUV brand. The company advised that an appropriate provisional agreement has been signed. The deal is to apparently to be concluded in the third quarter of 2009. General Motors did not release further information about either purchaser or purchase price, so there is still a seething hotbed of rumours in the States. We can but hope that the brand will indeed continue. To see you through the waiting period, there is a gallery of pictures of the Hummer HX concept vehicle.

By the end of May, General Motors wants to make a decision about who the purchasers of Opel will be. According to General Motors, there are several interested parties, of which two are already known to the public i.e. Fiat and Magna. Apparently, it is all pending a political decision and a European partner is being sought. Within the scope of its salvation package, General Motors is attempting to prevent closing factories, while improving turnover. Production is to be reassigned within European plants and further sales markets targeted are Russia, Africa and Asia.

The German Opel works in Rüsselsheim could soon profit from the new plans. The Buick LaCrosse, which is related to the Opel Insignia is planned to be built in Germany for the US market from summer 2009 as it was not possible to convert the US works in Fairfax to handle production yet. 70,000 units are planned for the first two years.

In future, General Motors (GM) is only to be concentrating on four brands: Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC. Splits with Swedish subsidiary Saab - as well as with Saturn and Hummer - are already planned to take place during 2009. The Pontiac sports car marque will then reach the end of the road next year.

Pontiac was founded by GM back in 1926 and many models are known not just to an older generation: Firebird, Trans-Am, Corvette, GTO and the TV legend "Knight Rider" are probably familiar to most kids. The last GM marque to be discontinued was Oldsmobile in 2004. In the gallery, we pay tribute to ten of Pontiac's top models.

General Motors subsidiary GMC specialises in large SUVs and pickup trucks. At the New York Motor Show to be held between 10th and 19th April, this American manufacturer will be presenting a new entry model designed to fill a gap in their product palette. The trend in the USA is now also increasingly towards building smaller vehicles. The new GMC Terrain fully incorporates popular off-road visual appeal and is a seven-seater, which accounts for its generous length of 4.7 metres. Terrain purchasers have a choice between a 185bhp four-cylinder or a 268bhp six-cylinder engine. They're not planning to sell any in Europe. I wonder why?

The Swedish car manufacturer is close to being declared insolvent, which will merely hasten the split with its ailing US parent company General Motors. Saab want the courts to appoint an administrator who can restructure the cash-strapped car maker and decide whether parts of the operation could survive independently of the US parent company.

There is no appetite within the Swedish government for offering General Motors any form of subsidy. Consequently, the GM subsidiary Saab is faced with bankruptcy. Discussions are already taking place on alternative uses for the Trollhättan works. Just as with Opel in Germany, the American parent company asked the Swedish government for assistance without coming up with concrete proposals for the future of its Scandinavian subsidiary. Saab has been up for sale since last year.

A few days ago, the stricken American automotive giant recommended to its loss-making Swedish subsidiary that it should file for bankruptcy. General Motors warned that Saab could go under before the end of the month if no state aid were forthcoming. The US parent is keen for Saab to become an independent company by 2010. At GM Europe, they are looking into the option of a takeover by Opel.

The top echelons of General Motors have decreed that Opel Europe must submit a long-term rescue plan within the next few weeks. There are a number of options on the table. In order to give Opel competitive clout, Vauxhall and Saab could be taken over. Shareholding by other industrial operators is also thinkable.

The parent company in Detroit intends to concentrate on its three core marques in future (Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick) plus its GMC truck division. Before the first quarter of 2009 is over, there should be a decision on whether to wind up or sell off the Hummer division. The company intends to allow the Saturn badge to lapse if a buyer cannot be found. The Swedish Saab subsidiary is to be put up for sale. Talks have already begun with the government in Stockholm. The number of dealerships is also to be reduced by 25 percent to 4,700 by the year 2012.