The return of the Trolls.

Troll: (in Scandinavian folklore) any of a race of supernatural beings, sometimes conceived as giants and sometimes as dwarfs, inhabiting caves or subterranean dwellings.

Most of the times, cars are given identity based on where the company is based. Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW are German and known for luxury and innovation. Toyota, Honda and Nissan are Japanese and known for efficiency and technology. GM, Ford and Chrysler are American and known for comfort and value. But apart from these three there are many other car makers hailing from other countries creating their own image. For e.g. Fiat is Italian and known for raw performance,style and oomph, Hyundai is Korean and known for value and reliability.

Saab has always been known for turbochrged performance and quirky handling. But somehow Swedes who are known to be the most honest crowd in Europe were never able to give their cars the luxury image similar to a BMW, Audi or Mercedes-Benz. But Victor Muller has experience owning a super car outfit (Spyker) and he is heading into the right direction with the new Saab 9-5.  with AWD and engine powered from 160 horses to 300 horses Saab is heading straight into the S80, A6, 5-Series and E-class territory. With all the right bells and whistles, it remains to be seen whether the world takes to this product from Trollhattan.

Here is a short video of what Saab's stand for.

Details and Specifications

2011 Saab 9-5 (now on sale)

Platform:        GM Epsilon II

Drivetrain:       FWD and AWD (XWD) options

Transmission:  6-speed Manual and Automatic options

Diesel, Petrol and Bio powered options

engines:          1.6 turbo Inline 4 making 180 horses

                      2.8 turbo V6 making 300 horses

                      2.0 turbo Inline 4 diesel making 400 nm of torque

                      various other engine options available

 

With Saab already on its way, Geely has made sure it makes news with Volvo too. Fresh off its hook from Ford, Volvo has learnt a lot about car making but shared even more helping Ford survive bankruptcy. Geely's new trump card for the moment is the new Volvo S60. Taking on the rivals such as 9-3, 3 series, A4 and C-class the 2010 Volvo S60 has a lot going for it. Not losing its strength in safety the new S60 boasts of  trendy designs the youth wont be ashamed of being seen in. Sharing Product designs and development for all this years Volvo has learnt to make their cars dynamic and more fun to drive which is a good thing. While not boasting a performance team like Saab, Volvo does have active participation in racing such as TOCA championships.

 

Specs and details

2010 Volvo S60

platform:       Volvo Y20 platform

Drivetrain:     FWD/ AWD

Transmission: 6 speed manual/automatic/ powershift

Petrol and diesel options

engines:         1.6L inline-4 turbo 150bhp

                     3.0L V6 turbo 305 bhp

                     2.5L diesel turbo 5 cyl 420nm torque.

PS: The current CEO of Saab Automobile, Mr. Jan Ake Jonsson, is one of several candidates considered for the CEO position at Volvo Cars.

When asked about the CEO position by the Swedish paper, Jonsson refused to comment. “I have promised [Spyker CEO] Victor Muller to stay at Saab for a while longer,” Jonsson was quoted as saying.