The 2014 Saab 9-3 Aero sedan has been unveiled by the Swedish brand’s new owner, National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), ahead of its December 10 on-sale.
Accompanied by the first details of the new Saab 9-3 Aero sedan – a model last produced in April 2011 – the NEVS announcement comes just two days after production of the model officially restarted at the Trollhattan assembly plant in Sweden and three months since the first NEVS-built pre-production mSaab vehicle rolled off the production line in September.
Looking near identical to the 2011-built model – barring the griffin-free badging and larger 18-inch alloy wheels – the new Saab 9-3 Aero will be initially sold in China, with the Chinese-Japanese consortium saying a small number of vehicles will also be sold directly to Swedish customers via its website.
On sale in Sweden from December 10, the 2014 9-3 is priced at 279 000 Swedish Krona ($47,300), with its “previously recognised” 162kW turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine tied to a manual transmission, and 289 000 ($49,000) in automatic guise.
Claimed to “ensure high quality” and supply chain functionality, NEVS says it will produce “about ten cars a week” initially, with numbers to increase depending on customer demand.
An electric car based on the Saab 9-3 is due to launch in China late first quarter/early second quarter 2014.
NEVS, who signed a purchase agreement to buy Saab in June 2012, is yet to reveal any plans to bring the new model to local shores.