9-3 Sedan

Make
Saab
Segment
Sedan

The Saab 9-3 could be getting a new name for the next generation that is due out sometime in 2013. The current 9-3 model was a nice performing car when it first debuted back in 2002, but has since then become victim to GM's neglect for Saab. The 9-3 has taken a rough journey through the market to increase sales with poor feedback from customers. The reason could very stem from its 9-3 brand name, which has not really impressed buyers since the initial debut.

Saab now has decided to go back to the drawing board and rename the 9-3 something more appealing that reaches out directly to their targeted audience. Tim Colbeck, president of Saab Cars North America, said that the 9-3's successor will be scheduled to go on sale in the first quarter of 2013 with an "edgy" re-imaging of Saab traditional styling from previous models. The upcoming 9-3 seems like a modern interpretation of the Saab 92, which was a model produced from the late 1940's through the 1950's. There are now reportedly a total of five designs for the 92 currently being reviewed by Saab's executive design director.

In the meantime, Saab continues to ponder the name for the next generation 9-3. "9-2" may very well be a likely successor and top candidate. A few years ago, Saab used the numbers for the 9-2X, which was essentially a restyled Subaru Impreza 5-door.