GENEVA — Saab is adding a new model to its 9-3 range called the 9-3X. The crossover-style Saab 9-3X wagon will debut at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show next month. It will go on sale during the 2010 model year.
Other than a slightly higher stance, the Saab 9-3X doesn't differ dramatically from the existing 9-3 SportCombi wagon. Saab says the car's extra 1.4 inches of ground clearance are enough to give it light off-road ability, though. Basically, the 9-3X will be Saab's version of the Subaru Outback or Volvo XC70.
In keeping with its slightly more rugged mission, the Saab 9-3X comes standard with Saab's Cross Wheel Drive (XWD) all-wheel-drive system that debuted in the 2008 Saab Turbo X. For efficiency's sake, though, the 9-3X will not use that model's turbocharged V6, instead adopting the company's 210-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Both a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic transmission will be available.
European buyers will be able to order a front-wheel-drive version of the Saab 9-3X with a 180-hp 1.9-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder.
To help the Saab 9-3X look the part, General Motors' Swedish subsidiary has added such crossover cues as dark gray bumpers, side sills and wheel arches (à la Audi Allroad), as well as matte-aluminum skid plates, lower door strips and roof rails. The 9-3X also gets foglamps and unique five-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, the 9-3X features black leather upholstery with gray fabric seat inserts, as well as dark metallic trim. Maximum cargo capacity is 72.3 cubic feet, and D-pillar-mounted lamps make it easy to move stuff in and out in low-light conditions.
Inside Line says: Think of the Saab 9-3X as a 9-3 wagon with REI attitude. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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