Rendezvous spin-off in Saab's future

Saab Automobile will expand its lineup with a new car-based sport/utility vehicle (SUV) culled from the upcoming Buick Rendezvous/Pontiac Aztek platform, company sources say. The new crossover vehicle is part of a recently announced $3.38 billion product initiative parent General Motors Corp. has planned for Saab between now and 2004. Peter Augustsson, Saab's new president and chief executive, says that in the end, Saab's product lineup will expand from five models today to "more (than five) but below eight." The crossover SUV, dubbed the Country King, is slated to hit the market in late 2002 and will be one of the first GM cars to be developed in just 18 months from design freeze to start of production. Engines will include Saab-engineered low- and high-pressure turbo versions of GM's new 2.2L 4-cyl., plus Saab's own 3L turbo V-6. Look for Saab to whet the public's appetite with a concept version of the vehicle at either the Detroit or Geneva auto shows in 2001.