Thousands of miles from the protracted negotiations
over the
future of Saab, production has begun of Saab’s rival for the Volvo XC60,
the
Saab 9-4X. This model shares the new TE platform with the Cadillac SRX
crossover, and both models are built by GM at its Ramos Arizpe plant in
Mexico.
Automotive News
data shows that 147 units of the Saab 9-4X have been built, this
low-volume
production is set to be used for assessment, including crash testing.
With production independent of the future of the
Trollhättan,
Sweden plant, this model was always destined to be resistant to the
complex
negotiations over Saab’s ownership. Jan-Ake Jonsson, the then-MD of
Saab, told
AutomotiveWorld.com on 3 March 2009 that the model was guaranteed to go
into
production, regardless of Saab’s relationship with GM, saying, “Yes, the
9-4X
will be built by GM in Mexico. It is an important model for us [Saab],
particularly for the US market.”
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