Saab gets a ray of hope from China

Victor Muller sees a glimpse of sunshine from China The saga that is the long and painful demise of Saab seemed to reach its nadir last week when courts in Sweden refused to offer the beleaguered car maker sanctuary in its protection. We thought that would be the end for Saab – despite a never-say-die appeal of the decision by Victor Muller, due to be heard tomorrow – with nowhere left to hide from trade supplier debts of €150 million, and the wrath of Sweden’s unions ready to file for Saab’s bankruptcy over unpaid wages for Saab employees. The nadir for Saab should reasonably be followed by its rapid consignment to the annuls of motoring history, but a tiny glimmer of hope has risen from Saab’s putative investors in China.

Hyundai Genesis, Ford F-150 win awards at the Detroit auto show

On Sunday of the Detroit Auto Show, Hyundai Genesis won the 2009 North American Car of the Year award, nipping the Ford Flex by a miniscule nine-point margin. The redesigned Ford F-150 pickup, the odds-on favorite in the truck category, was named 2009 North American Truck of the Year. Genesis beat out the Flex and the third-place finisher, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, despite being the first Korean car ever nominated for the award.

Nissan to revive Datsun name in emerging markets, eyes increased sales

Nissan is reviving the Datsun name to increase sales in India, Russia and Indonesia, the company said during a visit to Jakarta. Nissan will invest $400 million in Indonesia over the next two years, doubling hiring and tripling the number of dealerships in the region to 90,000. The Datsun name will begin appearing on cars in 2014.