The past two years have been a very bumpy ride for Saab. However, after the rain comes the rainbow – and after narrowly escaping bankruptcy and making a deal with Pang Da and Youngman, a sketch for a replacement of the ageing 9-3 has appeared online.
The image was discovered by Swedish daily newspaper SvD Naringsliv that managed to get access to a power point presentation that was made by the automaker to the National Debt Office and the European Investment Bank back in January.
Just a couple of months later, the Phoenix concept was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show. Even though it was clearly not destined for production, Saab’s design chief Jason Castriota had revealed that the front end was very similar to that of the next 9-3.
Castriota had also told reporters that the new model would be more compact than the one it will replace, measuring close to 4.4 meters in length with a wheelbase around 150 mm shorter than that of the current 9-3.
Judging from this hazy sketch, we see that the new 9-3 design proposal adopts the Geneva concept’s front-end styling and swooping roofline.
We assume that if Saab manages to stay alive and move forward with its plans for the 9-3, the concept’s frugal gasoline-electric hybrid propulsion system would be replaced with more conventional petrol and diesel engines, though a hybrid version may follow later.
Story References: SvD Naringsliv
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