First customer deliveries are being rolled out in Europe from September 5 and Saab dealers around the world have already placed advance orders for more than 8,500 cars, a record for the launch phase of a new Saab model. To meet such unprecedented demand, overtime is being introduced at the Saab assembly plant in Trollhättan, Sweden, and this year's production target has been increased by more than 30 per cent, to 20,000 cars. "We are delighted to have a bulging order book for this new product and our main challenge right now is to meet the high level of customer demand at our dealerships," says Jan-Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile's managing director. "Customers have so far placed orders purely on the basis of what they have seen and read about the car, so we can look forward to building on this strong momentum as the first display and demonstrator models become available." Sporty, five-door styling and a strong, muscular 'hewn from solid' stance give the 9-3 SportCombi a distinctive character alongside its successful 9-3 Sport Sedan and Convertible peers. In the U.S. market, the SportCombi 2.0T comes with a 2-liter, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine rated at 210 horsepower and 221 lb. ft. of torque. The 9-3 Aero SportCombi features as standard Saab's new 2.8-liter, 250-horsepower/258 lb. ft. Turbo V6, which makes it the fastest production Saab ever. The arrival of the 9-3 SportCombi takes Saab into the premium, mid-size wagon class for the first time and is set to give the brand a strong presence in this growing market segment. Customer deliveries begin first in Sweden and the United Kingdom, to be quickly followed by the rest of Europe. The SportCombi will arrive in North America by late autumn. Saab is a division of General Motors Corp. Saab USA is the importer and/or distributor of Saab 9-2X, 9-3, 9-5 and 9-7X automobiles for Saab Automobile AB, Sweden. For more information, please visit www.saabusa.com.

Dealer orders don't mean that they've actually sold them, like on the Solstice, right? I'm not predicting that the SportCombi will be that big of a hit, but maybe there is a lot of demand from Saab traditionalists that want a hatch/wagon version of the 9-3.

I would think that there is a pent up demand from old college professors.

it'll def sell - keep the sport wagons for pontiac and saab then people will buy them!

YES, dealer orders indicate a sale cause in Europe, unlike in America, most customers order their cars from the factory. Very few cars are sold from lots, at least new ones. In fact, it's very common for customers in Europe to buy their cars in cash. When I told my European friends I financed my new car, they looked at me like I was on crack or something. :blink:

people want Saabs not Saabarus..

The new 9-3 Combi is not a Saaburu... It is as close to being pure Saab as you can get these days. Granted it is based on the Epsilon platform - this is clearly designed with Saab loyalists in mind. I predict this model to be a huge success.

My neighbor ordered one a few days ago... a blue/black 2.8T.

I would think that there is a pent up demand from old college professors.

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So funny because I had a Chemistry proff that had a 1990 SAAB 9000 back in 2000. :lol:

I personaly think the car is ulta-ugly. That is not a bad thing though. This is a true SAAB in every sense!

Hopefully Saab/GM can keep the momentum going. I haven't seen an ad for it yet.

This is good... I like the SportCombi too. Something I can't say about most other Saabs.

Seriously, if I had the cash I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. They look great, IMO. The 2.8T should prove to be quite the potent little motor also. I wouldn't be suprised if in the near future well see someone running around w/ a SportCombi pushing in excess of 600hp.

Edited September 24, 200519 yr by quantum110