Saab Automobile AB announced on December 17 its first sport/utility vehicle, the 2005 Saab 9-7X. Featuring standard all-wheel-drive and two engine choices, the mid-size SUV will fill Saab’s need for an entry is this market segment. The Saab 9-7X will make its world debut at the 2004 New York Auto Show in April 2004, and will go on sale about one year later. Initially, the 9-7X will be produced specifically for the United States and Canadian markets. “Saab is currently the fastest growing European brand in the U.S. market, and the Saab 9-7X will continue our momentum,” said Debra Kelly-Ennis, President and COO of Saab Cars USA. “We have found that as many as 28 percent of customers who left the Saab brand bought an SUV in 2003. We must position ourselves to recapture many of those lost sales and continue to broaden our appeal to new buyers.” The new model marks Saab’s first product collaboration with GM of North America. The new 9-7X will be built at GM’s Moraine Assembly plant in Ohio, beginning in the first quarter of 2005.