Well here we go from Geneva. Saab pulled the giant sheet off the 9-X concept car. And not surprisingly, it's really good looking. We can tell that because it looks a lot like the other Saab concepts that they've shown but not built. This one, however, is destined for production in one form or another. It even has a really cool gimmicky integrated power-operated rear spoiler on the roof. A 1.4-liter turbocharged engine makes 170 horses, or 200 if you can find/afford E85 (for the sake of the children, please don't). The 9-X also features a hybrid system, but GM isn't saying how much power it'll contribute. Now the but. But…they're going to build it on the Delta platform that underpins such awesome cars as the Chevy Cobalt, Saturn Ion, Pontiac G5, and Chevy HHR. Oh the horror…
[Pixamo gallery of the now-you-see-it-now-you-won't 9-X here]
It does look good. Definately what the “new Saab” should look like.
But c’mon… The chassis of the Cobalt? Why bother? You might as well put Natalie Portman’s face on Bea Arthur’s body.
Really dumb questions: At what very low numbers can a product like this still make money? I still remember I was maybe 8 years old seeing this very unusual car/Saab in a high line department store in the late 60’s. What caught my attention was the head rests. They were very unusual and very cool.
My point: How many Saabs did they make in 1969? Did they make a profit at those numbers? I would think with tech and platform sharing and sharing more shared things they could make a profit at much less volume.
There is a market for these cars and this is what makes the world go around but….can you make a profit at low , low volume?
Hmm… a Saab, but built from a Cobalt platform. The boys from Trollhattan have fallen a long way from the days of the Saab 900 ‘Silver Ghost’ that James Bond drove in several novels. (Written by Gardiner, not Fleming, if you were wondering.)
My dad has been a Saab 900 Turbo fanatic for about 15 years, after he finally gave up on owning Chevys. After a Citation and a Cavalier, he got burned one time too many and switched to Saabs. He’ll never buy another Saab now. (Especially since the 900 has been out of production for, like, ever.)
What were once some of the safest, most distinctive and innovative cars on the road now share their DNA with, well, the heir to the (also-sucked) Chevy Cavalier. Good call, GM.
Saab. Born from $#&*@
maybe GM will get that delta chassis right one day
Delta is a proword for `previous generation Opel Astra platform.` usually saab concepts are pininfarina tins bolted on ol` german floorpans and exploitng good ol` ecotecs with GM as a portfolio father allowing to stamp a Saab badge on the bastard.
Well the electric motor is supposed to have 19 horses, and the spoiler is not just a gimmick as it works as an airbrake when braking hard from over 100kph and extends the roofline to improve aerodynamics at over 70kph, a diffusor also lowers at the bottom. How much good they do i have no idea. It also has low/high beam lights that switch automatically depending on the light facing the car(i don’t like this one.) And solar panels that charge the battery both when it’s parked and being driven. The platform is the same as the Opel/Vauxhall/Saturn Astra. If you can read swedish, http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1064&a=748524
Is it just me or does it look very similar to the Landrover concept?
Actually, the Landrover concept is a blueprint of the Saab 9-X concept from 2001.
And the one Saab is showing now also quotes that 2001 concept car, in looks and adaptability. (They should have made it then – you could use a hose on the interior of the car after you were finished tooling about outdoors.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_9-X
Im not generally a fan of squarehatch cars but I really think the designers have succeeded here. Its also very Saab from my perspective. The interior is also great, love the simplicity and style. Ive always appreciated Saab for their unusual interiors, and exteriors for a time. Unusual should be the goal for some manufacturers, that have instead chosen “me too” and failed imo. Nice to see them back on path, if they can hold true to concept. Now if they can get Joseph Kosinski for all their ad campaigns.