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NEVS, Dongfeng ready to make more green cars

National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS), the owner of the sorta-still-there Saab automobile brand, has reached a deal with Dongfeng Motor Corp. in which the China-based automaker will help NEVS develop greener vehicles. NEVS and Dongfeng have been working together since July, though the agreement was officially announced Monday. The companies say the agreement relates to so-called "new-energy" vehicles, though neither details of what those new energy vehicles will be nor financial terms were disclosed. But there's long been talk about Saab working on electrified vehicles, so this appears to be a move in the right direction. NEVS has picked a large company as its development partner. As part of the agreement, Dongfeng will speed up the development of advanced powertrains at its plant in Tiajin, China. In return, NEVS will help Dongfeng get distribution in both North America and Europe while helping the Chinese automaker sort through the matrix of developing vehicles that meet regulatory standards in those two regions, which is no easy task. Dongfeng made more than 3.8 million vehicles last year, and has done business with Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, Nissan, Honda, and Kia. Last we reported, NEVS was in the process of reorganization this past winter, and it's unclear how that will impact the relationship with Dongfeng. Also unclear is the status of the Saab brand name. The Saab AB aerospace company is no longer affiliated with the automaker and disputes NEVS using its name, but the NEVS website still highlights the Saab automotive brand. NEVS bought Saab out of bankruptcy in 2012. The latest NEVS press release is available below. Related Video: Nevs and Dongfeng tie-up for long-term strategic cooperation National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (Nevs) and Dongfeng Motor Corporation (Dongfeng) signed a strategic cooperation agreement on August 17, 2015 to achieve global industrial synergies. Since July 2015, Nevs has started working with Dongfeng on complete vehicle development projects to enhance Dongfeng's technical strength and improve Nevs' own development capability. Now both parties have agreed to expand their cooperation from technical development to further business areas such as global purchasing and distribution network. Dongfeng has formed several strategic long term partnerships with other international major car manufacturers including AB Volvo and as a 14 percent shareholder of PSA.

Rare 9-5 SportCombi, 9-4X models being sold off in Saab asset auction

Saab lovers take notice. Swedish auction house KVD has some ultra rare Saab products on the block, and we're not talking about a 1950s Saab 92. Up for auction are a bunch of low-mileage Saab models being sold off as part of the bankrupted automaker's assets. Included in the lot of cars are models like the 2012 9-5 SportCombi (above), the 2012 9-4X (shown below) and even a 9-5 sedan driven by Victor Muller himself.
Discovered by PistonHeads, this Saab auction has numerous 9-5 SportCombi and 9-4X models, which should prove to be very rare cars. Only a small number of 9-4Xs were ever sold, and Saab closed up shop before the 9-5 SportCombi could even go on sale here. In addition to the rarity, many of the cars have fewer than 10 miles on their odometers and seemingly low reserve prices; a 9-4X 3.0 XWD Premium with just six miles has a current bid of 180,000 Swedish Krona (just over $27,000 USD) that has already met the reserve price. Some of the cars still have the protective factory shipping tape covering up the interior and exterior.
Other than the rare SportCombis and 9-4Xs being auctioned off, there's also a sharp 2012 9-3 Cabriolet with 11 miles on the clock and a V8-powered 2006 Saab 9-7X with just 3,003 miles.

Ultra-rare 2011 Saab 9-4X up for grabs on Cars & Bids

Saab's sad saga is full of might-have-beens and missed opportunities. As the 21st century dawned, it became clear that the Saab brand could not survive without an SUV in its lineup. In 2005, the 9-2X, a badge-engineered Subaru Impreza Outback Sport, was rushed into production (GM being a part-owner of Subaru parent company Fuji Heavy Industries at the time). That same year same GM also put a new nose on the distinctly mediocre Chevrolet TrailBlazer and peddle that as the Saab 9-7X. The last of the GM-based Saab SUVs was the 9-4X, which was mechanically twinned with the second-generation Cadillac SRX and built alongside it in Mexico. By the time the model was introduced for 2011, GM had already off-loaded Saab. But the new ownership would be short-lived, and production of the 9-4X ended after only a handful of 2012 models had rolled down the line. It's believed that a total of only 803 9-4Xs were built, of which 622 were sold in the United States, which explains why you haven't seen one lately. Or, perhaps, ever. But now you can buy one, as this 2011 example is available right now on Cars & Bids. This is a top-spec Aero version, which means it gets a turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 and the Saab-developed X-drive all-wheel drive, rather than the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6 in the base and Premium trims. That gives you 300 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque, although this one sports a VTuner Stage 0 tune, so it could have more. With five days still to go, bidding stands at $8,500. For the Saab fans out there, don't let this be another missed opportunity. Related Video: Saab 9-4X concept introduced at Detroit Auto Show