Saab To Reveal New Hatch Concept At Geneva

Saab will move one step closer to adding a small hatch to its new line-up next month when it unveils an all-new concept at the Geneva Motor Show.

While Saab has not confirmed that the concept will be a hatch, invitations sent to the media this week reveal a series of vehicles draped in white sheets - and the very front features a distinctive hatch shape. 

Saab CEO Victor Muller, the man behind Spyker's purchase of Saab from GM, has been pushing for a small car in the Saab line-up for some time, although details of the plan have been thin on the ground.

Early last year, Muller said that Saab would look to develop a new small car with another carmaker, splitting costs while sharing the platform and new technologies.

"We need to find separate financing, or we have to perform so well, we can do it out of our own means, or find a partner who we can share a platform with who has deeper pockets, so we can share it on their balance sheet, Mr Muller said in an interview with US magazine Motor Trend.

Saab has also confirmed debuts for the 9-5 SportCombi wagon at Geneva, along with the 9-4X crossover and updates to the ageing 9-3 range.

The 9-5 SportCombi is expected to go on sale in Europe toward the middle of this year, with deliveries beginning in September. An Australian debut for the wagon has yet to be confirmed, although the 9-5 sedan is expected to arrive in April.

The production version of the 9-4X crossover, developed alongside the Cadillac SRX, made its international debut at last year's LA Auto Show. Like the 9-5 SportCombi, an Australian debut for this model remains unclear.