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General Motors/Fiat Premium platform

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GM/Fiat Premium platform
Body and chassis
ClassCompact executive car (D)
Convertible
Coupe
LayoutFront engine, Front-wheel drive / Four-wheel drive
Body style(s)Sedan
Coupe
Roadster
Station wagon
VehiclesAlfa Romeo Brera
Alfa Romeo Spider
Alfa Romeo 159
Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon
Alfa Romeo Visconti (concept car)[1]
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,525–2,700 mm (99.4–106.3 in)
Chronology
SuccessorFCA Giorgio Platform (for Alfa Romeo)

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]

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]
  1. ^ "2004 Alfa Romeo Visconti Concept by Italdesign". seriouswheels.com. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
  2. ^ "Alfa Poised for U.S. Return". caranddriver.com. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
  3. ^ "GM's All-New Platform". wardsautoworld.com. 2003. Retrieved 2012-01-02.