Dec 12, 2015, 4:56pm ET

Saab to debut new sedan in 2017, four models to follow

The president of Saab\'s parent company outlined plans for its 5-car lineup.

Saab is returning to the automotive fray in 2017 with an all-electric vehicle based on a "heavily upgraded" 9-3 sedan.

Speaking at Stora Bildagen — billed as Sweden's largest automotive conference — Mattias Bergman, president of Saab's parent company NEVS outlined a five-model lineup to be rolled out by 2018. According to Saab Blog, these cars will be made available in Sweden and China first.

The report further notes that the 9-3-based EV will be built in Saab's old factory in Trollhattan and assembled in a new plant in Tianjin, China. Bergman says the yet-unnamed pilot model will serve as a proof of concept before the next four all-new models are launched.

The four 2018 models will consist of a midsize family SUV, an "active all-rounder" midsize fastback, a midsize crossover with styling similar to the fastback, and a compact sporty urban SUV. All of them will share an electric powertrain built on the common Phoenix architecture. Apparently, an earlier report about a return of SportCombi is no longer valid. There are no names for any of the models yet, and even the Saab brand name itself is not a certainty (though it is likely, says Saab Blog).

Bergman called the project "one of the largest industrial industrial projects in Sweden."