GM's brand makeover

Saab 9-3X SportCombi

Earlier this year, GM put its Hummer brand up for "strategic review." Hummer's market share, last month, was just 0.21%.

One GM brand had even lower market share, and that's Saab. And now it finds itself in the same position. GM announced Tuesday that Saab is also under "strategic review." Of all the brands in the GM portfolio, its fate seems clearest, said J.D. Power analyst Tom Libby.

"It's not an issue," he said. "You just drop it."

That might mean that Saab exits the U.S. market but is still sold in Europe, but no decisions have been made yet. Even including Europe, Saab sales are small for a company the size of GM. Its best year, worldwide, was 2006 when about 130,000 were sold in the U.S. and Europe, a Saab spokesman said.. By contrast, GM sold more than 300,000 Buicks in the U.S. alone that year.

Saab certainly won't disappear in the near term, though. Several new products have already been designed and engineered, including a new small crossover for the 2010 model year.

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