Saab's 9-4x Crossover Is on the Way
Following the launch of the redesigned 9-3 with its brand new Haldex-developed
XWD drivetrain, the brand is well on its way to launching an all-new product. Saab will announce its first crossover, which will be a five-seat medium-sized vehicle designed to compete with the likes of the Acura RDX, BMW X3, Land Rover LR2, and the upcoming Audi Q5, Infiniti EX35 and Volvo XC60.
The vehicle, dubbed the 9-4X, will be slotted above the 9-3, but below the 9-5 luxury sedan. It will be based on a combination of GM architectures including the latest versions of the Theta and the Epsilon. This means that it will share DNA with some very impressive crossover vehicles, most notably the new Saturn Vue, as well as the General's new breed of midsize sedans, which will include the next-gen Saab 9-3 and 9-5. This doesn't necessarily mean that the 9-4X will be a quick restyling job of the Vue, as was done with the 9-7x versus the GMT-360 architecture (i.e. Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy, etc); the relation will be more like what occurred with the Epsilon-based 9-3, which while related to the likes of the Chevrolet
Malibu, Pontiac G6, Saturn Aura and others, is at the very same time nothing like its domestic counterparts in character or design.
In Europe, Saab and Cadillac have already teamed up, with the American luxury brand piggybacking on the Saab 9-3 for a compact luxury sedan, a size of vehicle that the crested wreath currently does not have in North America. The Cadillac BLS is built at the same Swedish plant as the 9-3.
To save developmental costs, it has been noted by insiders that Cadillac will also receive a version of the 9-4x to sell in North America and Europe called the BRX. It won't be the replacement to the SRX, but rather a vehicle under it to bolster Cadillac's product range. One notable feature that will be exclusive to the 9-4x, however, is the torque-vectoring XWD all-wheel drive system.
A variety of different engines will be made available to the 9-4x. Gasoline engines will be primarily offered in North America while diesel will be pushed for Europe. The engine we're hearing plenty of talk about is the turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 which is in use in the 9-3 Aero. With a rating of 250 horsepower it should be more than adequate to move around this smallish vehicle. The entry-level 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four from the base 9-3 would be an agreeable base engine, and provide comparable levels of acceleration to entry-level six-cylinder powered rivals. Meanwhile, for Europe, the 9-4x will feature a brand new diesel engine designed by VM Motori, which is said to produce in excess of 250 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque.
Saab will launch the 9-4x at this year's Detroit auto show, a fact confirmed by boss Jan Ake Jonsson. The production version isn't expected to arrive until late 2009.