What was the last car made by Saab?
The last car Saab built was the Saab 9-4X, completed in December 2011. This SUV is widely regarded as the final new model produced under the Saab Automobile banner before the company entered bankruptcy and its assets were sold off.
Saab’s decline culminated after its 2010 sale to Spyker, with mounting financial troubles and ultimately administration in December 2011. The 9-4X, Saab’s first SUV, was assembled in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, using a GM platform, and its limited production effectively closed the chapter on Saab’s independent carmaking—even as the brand’s assets changed hands in the following years.
The final model: Saab 9-4X
The 9-4X was Saab’s first entry into the SUV segment and, due to the brand’s financial collapse, became the last new Saab vehicle produced. It was built at GM’s Ramos Arizpe, Mexico plant and rolled out in 2011, with limited units sold in select markets.
Before listing the key points, here is a quick overview of the main facts that define the car and its production run.
- Saab 9-4X was produced in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.
- It marked Saab’s foray into the SUV segment.
- Production ceased in December 2011 as Saab entered administration and the brand’s automotive assets were liquidated.
- It used GM’s Theta Premium platform shared with certain Cadillac and Buick models.
- Only a limited number of 9-4X models were built, making it Saab’s rarest post-2010 car.
These points illustrate why the 9-4X is commonly cited as Saab’s last 'new' car under its own brand, completed just as the company’s automotive operations were unraveling.
What happened after the end of production
Following Saab’s bankruptcy in 2011, its assets were sold to National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) in 2012. NEVS aimed to restart production with a focus on electric propulsion, and attempted to revive the Saab name in various markets, though the brand’s status remained contested and its production footprint limited. This period cemented the end of Saab’s era as a mainstream carmaker, with historians and enthusiasts frequently pointing to the 9-4X as the final chapter of Saab’s manufacturing legacy.
There is some debate about whether any other vehicles could be counted as the last Saab built—particularly models produced after 2011 under different corporate arrangements. For most automotive historians, the definitive last Saab-branded car produced in a Saab factory remains the 9-4X in 2011.
Different views on what counts as the last Saab car
Some sources note that select pre-owned, prototype, or post-2011 vehicles produced under different ownership may exist, but these are not widely recognized as Saab Automobile production. The clearest, widely cited answer remains: the last Saab Automobile-branded car produced was the 9-4X in 2011.
Summary
In the end, Saab’s final production car under its own banner was the 9-4X, assembled in Mexico in 2011. This SUV marked the end of Saab’s era as a standalone carmaker, a milestone echoed in automotive history as the closing chapter of Saab’s original manufacturing lineage. The brand later lingered in various forms under different ownership, but the 9-4X stands as the last car Saab built as a new vehicle within its traditional factory network.
