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The Premium platform was General Motors's and Fiat Group's high-end automobile platform for front wheel drive and four wheel drive automobiles developed in early 2000s mainly in Sweden by Saab engineers.[2][3]
| GM/Fiat Premium platform | |
|---|---|
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Compact executive car (D) Convertible Coupe |
| Layout | Front engine, Front-wheel drive / Four-wheel drive |
| Body style(s) | Sedan Coupe Roadster Station wagon |
| Vehicles | Alfa Romeo Brera Alfa Romeo Spider Alfa Romeo 159 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon Alfa Romeo Visconti (concept car)[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,525–2,700 mm (99.4–106.3 in) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | FCA Giorgio Platform (for Alfa Romeo) |
The architecture debuted in production form with the Alfa Romeo 159 in 2004, although it was used for the Alfa Romeo Visconti concept car. After the dissolution of the GM/Fiat partnership, both companies retained the rights to continue developing Premium-derived models, though no GM versions were produced as the platform was considered too expensive for Opel cars and a great cost for a small premium manufacturer as Saab.
Saab stopped the development of the platform and therefore of its Premium automobile in late 2002; the Saab models (the 9X sports car and the replacement for the 9-5 sedan) would have used an entirely different suspension[citation needed] than the Alfa Romeo vehicles, which would have proved too expensive. A planned Buick model was also dropped.[citation needed] In the end, only the Alfa Romeo models moved forward to production and Saab's development and introduction of new 9-5 was seriously delayed. Some of the GM models originally set to use the Premium platform eventually were produced using the GM Epsilon II platform.
References
edit- ^ "2004 Alfa Romeo Visconti Concept by Italdesign". seriouswheels.com. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
- ^ "Alfa Poised for U.S. Return". caranddriver.com. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
- ^ "GM's All-New Platform". wardsautoworld.com. 2003. Retrieved 2012-01-02.