SAABaru ever happen?

[steptoe]

I recall recently reading of badge engineering and thought i saw a ref to SAAB and Subaru and thought it was canned. Then seen the newish SAAB and thought it was a Subie, seen the new Liberty and thought it was a SAAB.

Did it happen?

Or is that how 4 door design is going?

[maxxair]

Definately DID happen. WRX wagon body with saab front sheetmetal. claerly still a REX.

[sublime]

Wikipedia entry for SAAB 9-2X http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_9-2X

[Alex]

that is the most horrid thing ive seen for a while.

Saabaru...WTF next!!??

Maybe this is where subaru are getting their dog ugly designs from at the moment.

Im still cleaning the spew off my keyboard.

[steptoe]

Nah, things look a little newer than 5 years ago. Must just be similar influences on the designers. I can imagine some SAAB dudes sprayed their coffee across the table when discovering the saki flavour added to their beloved SAAB. It has to be an improvement on the Triumph style engines in the SAAB, or was it SAAB in the Triumphs, like the Dolomite 1850, Dolly Sprint 2000 16valver, or the twinbank thing called a V8 3.0 in the Stag



OooHh,....SHUDDER

[El_Freddo]

Yeah, I couldn't believe it when I saw this (the older version):



They even put the steering wheel on the wrong side



I haven't noticed these new ones... Will keep an eye out, not that it matters anymore because it is not going to happen again right?

Cheers

Bennie

[maxxair]

Bring on the Toyo-baru retro sprinter.... It still happens. Ford BT50's ect.
>>>http://toyobaru.net/forums/<<<

[d_generate]

There are awd Suzuki GTI shaped cars in Poland? with Subaru badges on them too.

[1111giles]

There are awd Suzuki GTI shaped cars in Poland? with Subaru badges on them too.

The Suzuki Swift and the very last generation Subaru Justy's were produced on the same production line at the Suzuki Factory in Hungary.

(The project is now dead. Suzuki make the SX4 and its Fiat equivalent there now).

You may not have had the pleasure of this little car in AUS. (not really a pleasure though)

A friend who ran justys hated her Hungarian Scoob - saying it wasnt a patch on her older Japanese Justy. Put here off for life and now runs Hondas!

Cheers
Giles.

[steptoe]

Had a few English bods tell me about farmers and their Justys over there, they love them like our guys do their Brumby or any old 4WD subie

[thatsgoodsquishy]

Now this is an impressive old 4WD Subie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Subar ... 1988_1.jpg

[1111giles]

Now this is an impressive old 4WD Subie http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Subar ... 1988_1.jpg

WOW! Wikipedia come up info trumps again ! Enough bedtime reading here for a decade!

[1111giles]

Hey Guys -
here are a couple of snaps taken on my blackberry (crap picture qual soz) of one of those Hungarian built Justy's I spotted earlier today. Quite a rare thing here. (Lots more of the Suzuki version though) This one is a 2 door. They had AWD with a hi/lo box.
This one is a P reg so that makes it a 1996 MY.
It wasnt in bad condition at all, and belonged to a young girl. Bet she was puzzled by me snapping it!

Cheers
Giles.

[steptoe]

Aw poop, those badges would throw the average Aussie used to seeing Suzuki Swift (1.3 litre) or Holden Barina nameplates. AWD with hi/lo !!?? Now that would be something to shove in our Suzuki GTi (1.6 twin cam 16V?) pocket rockets of the same shape!! Just badge engineering not Subie motors at all I take it? Imagine a BYB liftkit in one of these buzzing around Fraser island - so light, AWD - the Toyota boys would give up drinking or other recreational past times seeing that !

[d_generate]

Probably got the box & running gear out of the Sierra in it.

[Gannon]

That Subaru Bighorn is just a Isuzu Trooper/ Holden Jackaroo with a Subaru badge.

That and the above Subaru Justy/ Suzuki Swift/ Holden Barina are from the times when Subaru was a part of GM

[1111giles]

So what actually is the worst ever case of badge engineering then??
Here are a few for starters........

Land Rover Discovery sold as a Honda in Japan
Any of the Latter (RIP) MG's that were simply tweaked Rovers.
Renault to Nissan Vans!
OR HORROR OF ALL HORRORS Nissan Sunnys sold as Alfa's AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!!

(after that one I could get to like the Saabaru!!)

Not forgetting Isuzu pick ups sold as bloody anything that suits.
In the UK were sold as Vauxhall's (but not now) (also sold as Isuzu's here in UK - very political and law suits happened apparently)
In Europe as some sort of Opel.
In AUS as Holden's
In USA as Chevys
In Cyprus as Chevys
Can anyone else add to this??

Cheers
Giles.

[1111giles]

Aw poop, those badges would throw the average Aussie used to seeing Suzuki Swift (1.3 litre) or Holden Barina nameplates. AWD with hi/lo !!?? Now that would be something to shove in our Suzuki GTi (1.6 twin cam 16V?) pocket rockets of the same shape!! Just badge engineering not Subie motors at all I take it? Imagine a BYB liftkit in one of these buzzing around Fraser island - so light, AWD - the Toyota boys would give up drinking or other recreational past times seeing that !

Pretty sure they used a common engine but fixed onto the AWD from Scoob.
They did make a later version based on the Suzuki IGNIS but only ever seen a couple of em here. Suzuki have more dealers here in UK than Subaru plus the Suzuki was imported as a 4Grip 4x4 version anyway.
But as I said the Scoob/Suzuki thing has ended and Suzuki are cuddling upto Fiat now plus they make the Suzuki ALTO and Vauxhall/Opel AGUILA compact cars in the Hungarian Plant. - Cheap Euro Zone labour is the reason they build in Hungary so they can stuff the rest of us here on price! However the £ to Euro is now not the advantage it once was so its kinda not working for them as well as it used to. HAHAHA teach em!
Cheers
Giles.
ps If you want one of these down there just let me know and I can help out - anything to wee on the TOYBOYS!

[steptoe]

It'd be an expensive thing to prepare to be registered here in Oz as an import, though the over 15 year old rule may help and apply.Stick with real Subarus me thinks.

We have had badge engineering here with Mazda 323 known as Ford Laser and the Ford Meteor (sold as a Laser with a boot, and sold not so well) Mazda 626 as Ford Telstar, Hondas passed off as Rovers, Holden Commodore as Toyota Lexcen ( after Ben ) and in exchange got Toy Corollas badged as Holden Nova, Nissan Pulsars also came as Holden Astra in the late 80's, ay yeah the Ignis came with a Holden badge too - Cruze, now the Cruze is a smooth looking sedan just a few years later , they must have run out of names to use

[d_generate]

Don't forget the Falcon ute with the big Nissan sticker on the tailgate, the Vauxhall Viva of the late 60's/early 70's with the Holden Brabham/Torana badges that then turned into the incredible 6 cly GTR XU1.
And the MG/Rovers are being made here in China and they are doing a bloody good job of it too.
Then of course in Pommy Land there was the badge engineered Mini/Morris 1100 that was an MG/Wolsley/Morris/Austin/Riley.........any others??