TROY, Mich. — Saab USA general manager Jay Spenchian has told that a new Saab sports car spun off the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky is "not in the plans.
"Earlier this year, Spenchian hinted that a new sports car was under consideration as "maybe one of our upcoming concepts." GM insiders had said a Saab derivative off the Solstice's Kappa platform was a possibility.
The next Saab concept will be a 300-horsepower 9-5 BioPower sedan that will be powered by a 2.3-liter turbo engine and run on ethanol. It will be shown at the Los Angeles auto show and the Detroit auto show in January. Saab introduced a version of the 9-5 BioPower this year in Sweden and Germany.
Spenchian said the automaker is using the new concept to test consumer reaction. "We could offer it within the next year and a half in the U.S.," he said.
Spenchian said there are no "concrete plans" for a replacement for the 9-2X, which is scheduled to be in production only through the 2007 model year. Saab officials said the company has plans for a crossover vehicle but would not give any specific details.
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