BAIC Wants to Purchase Old 9-5 Rights

Chinese manufacturer BAIC is trying a different approach to the Chinese market and aims to buy the rights of building and selling the old Saab 9-5. In a report issued today, autocar.co.uk informed that the 9-5 could this way arrive in China but there's still no confirmation whether the company wants to refresh the model or sell it as is, only with a BAIC badge.

BAIC recently became a minority shareholder in Koenigsegg Group that would allow the Chinese carmaker move some part of Saab's production process in the domestic market.

"This is an important step on the road to a new SAAB Automobile. We have a solid business plan, an important partnership and we are now in a position to go ahead without any governmental financing," said Christian von Koenigsegg, CEO of Koenigsegg Group AB.

Koenigsegg and BAIC are already talking on the possibility to shift a part of Saab's production in China but it's still unclear what are the models to be assembled in BAIC's factories.

"Beijing Automotive is an opportunity for us to establish ourselves in the Chinese market with their experience," Saab CEO Jan-Ake Jonsson said at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

Saab unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show the new 9-5, a model that will go on sale later this year. It will be offered in several engine configurations, starting with a 1.6-liter turbo option and going as high as 2.8-liter units. The all-wheel drive system is offered with the 2.0-liter gasoline configuration, BioPower and 2.8 V6 turbo engines, according to official information provided by Saab.