Saab’s sad story has been told so many times over the past couple of years that you would think there was nothing more to tell, but a new set of allegedly official images depicting what could have been the vehicle to save the Swedish brand, give it a fresh twist.
These low quality screenshots of a computer rendering of the next 9-3 series were obtained by Sweden’s Auto Motor und Sport magazine, purportedly via a former Saab employee.
The car’s styling is said to have been completed under the direction of American-born automotive designer Jason Castriota, who at the time, led Saab’s design team. The renderings show the five-door hatchback in profile and from the rear as well as the convertible variant.
Naturally, the five-door model’s styling captures the eye with its distinct rear end that harks back to the original 900 that was built from 1978 to 1993. The rest of the car borrows styling cues from the last 9-5.
There was another low-quality image of the new 9-3 floating around, but the Swedish magazine says that these pictures are closer to the final design that would have been previewed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show had Saab not been shut down in 2011. The 9-3 would have been based on the Swedish brand’s Phoenix platform.
What remains of Saab is now under the control of a Chinese-Japanese consortium named National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS).
Story References: Automotorsport
Hat tip goes to Johannes B.!
PHOTO GALLERY
