Saab 9-3 LIVES again – as a new ‘Made in Turkey’ car

The Saab 9-3 is to live again as Turkey buys up the rights to the 9-3 to develop a new national car to be made in Turkey and debut by 2020.

Saab has become the car brand that refuses to die, and now it’s heading in a new direction by delivering the rights to the 9-3 to the Turkish government as the basis for a new car industry in Turkey, with plans to launch by 2020.

A few days ago, Turkey’s Science, Industry and Technology Minister, Fikri Isik, revealed three prototypes for the first Turkish-built cars (photo above) which the Turkish press declared were a mix of the Saab 9-3 and the Cadillac BLS. And now we know why.

Isik has now revealed that Turkey has done a deal with NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden), which owns all that’s left of Saab, to buy up the rights to the Saab 9-3 (although it doesn’t get the rights to the use the Saab name) and use it as a basis for a new car manufacturing industry in Turkey.

The Turks are planning to focus their new venture on range-extended electric cars, which will not only be manufactured in Turkey but will also source at least 85 per cent of parts from home suppliers too.

Isik didn’t revealed what NEVS had been paid for the 9-3 – although he said it was very affordable –  but he said it was a pragmatic decision to use an existing platform rather than spend £1 billion – and five years – developing something new.

With co-operation from NEVS, Turkey plans to launch its new 9-3-based cars by 2020.