Saab brand likely to disappear
Sale of storied Swedish automaker to supercar manufacturer backed by Chinese falls through
John Leblanc
Special to the Star
Nov 28, 2009
Fifty-five years after the first 92 models went on sale, the fabled Swedish automaker Saab will likely join other GM brands Pontiac and Saturn and cease to exist by the end of this year.
GM had been aiming to close a deal by the end of next month to sell Saab to a partnership led by tiny Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg (which was founded by Christian von Koenigsegg) and backed by China's Beijing Automotive Industrial Holding Ltd.
But the deal fell apart this week, threatening to close the brand for good.
GM Canada had previously announced plans to no longer distribute Saabs in Canada as of the end of the year.
Koenigsegg, as the potential new owners of Saab, would have decided the future plans for Saab in international locations, like Canada. But with no other bidders, and time running out, a closure of Saab is likely.
The news marks another setback for GM in its bid to sell off brands as part of a more focused product portfolio that will leave it with Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick.
GM is closing down Pontiac. It also had an agreement to sell Saturn to the U.S. Penske Automotive Group. But Penske pulled out because its proposed automaker partner, France's Renault, had decided there wasn't enough profit building Saturns.
GM also had planned to sell a majority stake in its European Opel brand to a consortium led by Canadian supplier Magna. But the automaker decided earlier this month to keep Opel.
The last GM brand with any hope of generating cash from a sale looks to be Hummer.
GM still has a plan, which has yet to go through, to sell Hummer to China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery.
2011 BMW 5-series
bigger – inside and out
We've already seen the new 2010 5-series Gran Turismo five-door hatchback. But as the second-best-selling BMW model in North America, a new-generation 5-series sedan is an important car. But BMW has now debuted the more mainstream 5 four-door.
Set to go on sale in Canada in June as a 2011 model, initially the mid-size, five-passenger BMW will be offered in rear-wheel-drive models only.
A 400 hp, eight-cylinder and a 300 hp, six-cylinder will be the initial engine choices. Later in 2010, a 240 hp, six-cylinder will show up in showrooms.
The biggest differences in the new 5, compared to the last model that went on sale in 2003, are an increase in size – inside and out – and less controversial styling.
The 2011 5-series utilizes a new platform shared with the new full-size 7-series sedan and next year's Rolls-Royce Ghost. As such, it boasts a longer wheelbase than rivals like the Mercedes-Benz E Class or Cadillac CTS, delivering generous rear-seat legroom.
For those who thought the styling of the last BMW mid-size sedan was a bit adventurous, the new 2011 is relatively conservative. The final result is a synthesis between the smaller 3-series and the larger 7.
New options include what BMW calls Adaptive Drive (which includes Driving Dynamics Control, Electronic Damper Control and Active Roll Stabilization) and Integral Active Steering (which will virtually extend or shorten the vehicle's wheelbase for improved stability at high speeds and enhanced agility at lower speeds).
Canadian pricing of the 2011 5-series will be announced closer to its on-sale date next year.
GM's Cadillac brand
back on the coupe market
Seventeen years after the last Eldorado was sold, General Motors' luxury brand, Cadillac, returns to the coupe market with the third model in its CTS family.
Joining the existing four-door sedan and five-door wagon in Cadillac showrooms next spring, the production version of the 2010 CTS Coupe will debut at next week's Los Angles auto show.
The rear-wheel-drive, 2+2 two-door will come with a variety of drivetrain options to counter rivals like the Audi A5, BMW 3-series, Infiniti G37 Coupe, Lexis IS-C and Mercedes-Benz E Coupe.
Standard on the Cadillac of coupes at launch will be a 304 hp, 3.6-litre V6 and six-speed manual. A six-speed automatic is optional. The big news for driving enthusiasts is the confirmation that a 556 hp, V-Series Coupe is coming in 2010.
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