<p>Swedish carmaker Saab is moving its U.S. headquarters from outside Atlanta to Detroit, a move that will place it in the same location as parent General Motors Corp.</p><p>Saab Cars USA, a subsidiary of GM-owned Saab Automobile AB, expects to be settled into GM's world headquarters at Detroit's Renaissance Center by Sept. 7, Saab said Thursday.</p><p>Saab Cars USA has 80 employees at its offices in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross, where it's now based.</p><p>Saab spokesman Kevin Smith said the company had offered positions in Detroit "to a good number" of the employees, but he declined to give an exact number.</p><p>"We'll know around June 1 how many are coming," Smith said.</p><p>Saab said the move will allow it to make better use of numerous GM resources such as employee benefits, dealer training, vehicle distribution and legal counsel.</p><p>Once the relocation takes place, all GM divisions _ Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Hummer, Oldsmobile, Pontiac/GMC, Saab and Saturn _ will be in Detroit.</p><p>"This move will allow us to save a significant amount in facilities and other structural costs and redirect those resources to areas that support the growth of the Saab brand in the U.S. market," said Debra Kelly-Ennis, Saab Car USA's president and chief operating officer. "As is true for Cadillac or Hummer, Saab will retain its unique brand identity and heritage."</p><p>In similar moves, Saab and GM have consolidated sales, marketing and engineering operations over the past several months in Europe.</p><p>The Swedish company, which has posted an annual profit only twice since GM acquired a stake in 1990, is in the midst of an aggressive product expansion in the United States, where it offers only two models, the 9-3 sedan and bigger 9-5.</p><p>In addition to different versions of the 9-3 and 9-5, Saab is adding the 9-2X, an entry in the emerging premium small car segment. The 9-2X is scheduled to reach showrooms in the coming weeks.</p><p>At the New York Auto Show last month, Saab also introduced the 9-7X midsize sport utility vehicle, which is scheduled to go on sale next year. Initially, the 9-7X is expected to be produced specifically for the United States and Canadian markets.</p><p>Through April, Saab's U.S. sales were off 27.3 percent from the year-ago period, according to Autodata Corp.</p><p>In afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, GM shares were down 14 cents to $43.50.</p><p>___</p><p>On the Net:</p><p>HASH(0x28598d4)</p>
