Saab will continue to produce the 9-3

National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) saved Saab from bankruptcy last year and promised to debut an electric vehicle in about 18 months with the name Saab, but it can't use the griffin logo because it is also used by Scania and Saab Aerospace Group. Now plans have been changed. While the company still wants to build electric vehicles they will first resume the production of the "old" 9-3 to prepare the company, economically and industrially, for the new electric Saab.

Starting from mid-2013 you will be able to again buy a Saab 9-3 and later in the year a 9-3X, both produced in Throllhattan, Sweden. The new EV, also built in Throllhattan, will arrive in 2014, and when the production reaches the factory limit of 120.000 units/year a new factory will be constructed in China.

I don't know if building electric vehicles is the best option for a company recovering from a bankruptcy, specially if that is the main goal. In 2012 only 110.000 electric vehicles were sold in the world.

Source: es.autoblog

Short News: China will overtake Europe in automobile production

In reality this is not something unexpected, China is one of, if not the largest emerging market in the world, so it was expected that one day the number of cars produced in the world's most populous country with about 1.34 billion people, surpass those produced in Europe.

And according to the projection made by consultancy firms IHS, LMC Auto and PwC, and investment banks UBS and Credit Suisse, that will happen this year. China will produce 19.6 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, while Europe will reach 18.3 million. in 2012, Europe produced 18.9 million, and China 17.8 million units.

And the European values include Russia and Turkey for a population of 715 million. Fortunately most European car companies have partnerships with Chinese companies and will be able to cushion losses due the contraction of the European market.

Source: autohoje

Volvo XC60 facelift revealed in China

 

It seems that the Chinese automobile market is entitled to have the majority of updates before all other countries, and once again it happened with the facelift of the Volvo XC60.

 

The front lights, grille and bumpers are different and follow the style presented with the new V40. On the inside we get to see a new dashboard. The facelift will hit dealerships in May.

Towards the end of 2013 the model abandons the 5-cylinder engines and will adopt the more economical and less polluting, 4-cylinder motors.

Source: yiche

 

Fiat Panda and Panda 4x4 coming to China!

 

The Pandas are coming and i don't mean the bear but the small car from the Italian company. Fiat intends to patent the Panda 4x4 and Panda in the Chinese market so production can be begin by the new Guangzhou-Fiat joint venture.

 

The Guangzhou-Fiat partnership produces the Viaggio sedan and soon will produce the hatchback version. Production of both Pandas will start, in the best of chances, in 2014, and may facilitate production of the 500 in China, since the platform use by the Panda is the same.

Source: Auto.Ifeng