Is This The Next Saab 9-3?

Is this the next Saab 9-3? And more importantly, shouldit be the next Saab 9-3. That is the question. Saab's most recent concept car, the Pheonix, had a name chosen for what the company hoped would happen - seeing Saab rise from the ashes after being declared dead. Anyone paying attention (and a lot that aren't) know the roller coaster Saab has been through in just the past year.

And boy, it goes back even farther than that. We'll spare you the details though. Chief Executive Officer Victor Mueller and company have pulled every rabbit out of their hat that they can, and their latest deal involves a Chinese buyout. Yes, wholly and completely Chinese owned.

Pang Da and Youngman have submitted a bid, which was accepted by the Saab, that an investment of around $850 million in future product. That's the kind of cash Saab needs to survive, not little lifelines thrown to it every three to six months.

Future product on the drawing board includes the next-generation 9-3, Saab's volume product. This will give Saab a thoroughly modern lineup, hopefully enabling it to reach profitability after these dreadful past few years.

We've always had a soft spot for Saab in our hearts, which is why we are glad to see something regarding new product. A new sketch has been leaked on the internet, which could possibly be the next-generation 9-3. It mixes elements from the 9-5 and past Saabs (check out that roofline), and the result is very good looking; at least as good-looking as a grainy black-and-white sketch can be. The sketch isn't just hearsay either, it has been leaked from a Saab pitch to the Sweden's National Debt Office and the European Investment Bank in January.

Looking good. Saab designer Jason Castriota says the new car will be a bit smaller than the one it replaces, and that it will draw on the company's heritage. It better be an amazing hit product, because that is what Saab needs right now. Whether it hits the road or not will depend on Chinese governmental approval of the Saab deal, and any bumps in the roads in between. We'd like to think the drama is over now, but how many times have we hoped that about Saab.......