Swedish car maker Saab Automobile has now resumed production of its cars after two years of interruption.
Hong Kong-based company National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) brought the company out of bankruptcy in September 2012 and has now started to produce the Saab 9-3 Aero sedans. The company plans to soon release the first 9-3 Aero cars in Sweden. The cars will have a starting price tag of 279,000 kronor (approximately $42,600).
"It is truly a complex mission to start a car production process which has been still for two and a half years. It is very pleasing that we have embarked on a journey where we want to and will make a difference with our partners and customers. Our electric car will be launched next year, and already today we can offer Saab cars with continued high, proven performance and quality", said Mattias Bergman, NEVS' President.
NEVS will fit a turbo gasoline engine in the initial production of the 9-3 Aero, which is expected to go on sale on December 10 in Sweden. The company indicates that the Saab 9-3 Aero will have the same exterior and interiors it had when the production of the car stopped in April 2011. However, the car will get an updated navigation system.
"It's very similar. You can't change or develop very much in a year. Our focus has been to get the co-operation up and running with 400 suppliers and ensure the facilities were working," said Mikael Oestlund, a spokesman for NEVS.
The company is also planning to launch an electric version of the car for the Chinese market, which is estimated to release sometime in 2014. The company says that it will use a Japanese battery technology in the electric version of the car.
The global financial crisis, which started in 2008, had a terrible effect on the car maker as its global sales reduced by around 79 percent to only 27,000 vehicles sold in 2009. At the time, Saab was a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors (GM).
In early 2010, a Dutch company called Spyker Cars bought the company from GM. Spyker Cars was also unable to turn the tide in its favor and was forced to stop production in April 2011.
NEVS, the latest owner of the car maker will initially hope to commence normal production of the 9-3 Aero cars and then start the manufacturing of the electric vehicles for the Chinese market.
