Saab 9-X BioHybrid - live shots
UPDATED
Auto Motor and Sport in Sweden have video, which I presume is of the unveiling (it’s taking a while to load). They also have a wide-angle shot of the interior, which gives a much better overview.
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Trollhattan Saab’s men on the scene, Marcel and Gian-Luca, have just sent some shots through from the reveal.
It all started with this…..click to enlarge
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ha the cover in the first picture doesn’t really do a good job of hiding the car.
that interior looks alot better in that pic
I still can not stand that back end. That Mitsu sportback had a better rear end. To bad they didn’t take any real design chances and make it a sport back instead of that of a generic hatch. It also looks to long, mini clubman awkward. I’m as big a saab fan as any of you and I’m not gonna like it cause of the badge. The designers did not meet my expectations.
I personally think the back is tremendous. The amount of storage space truely appears to be class leading, which goes along with Saab’s “practical” roots, especially for a two door.
Silver Aero, I can see why it is not for everyone, but keep in mind this could be quite different than the production version.
That back gets my vote too! I really love it. It screams Saab. Not like in previous Saabs, but its odd enough to be very Saabish. There is huge space considering that its a relatively small car.
Unfortunately there is no pics from the inside (back).
Matt, totally agree. If this is meant to be a 9-1, then a straight back is the only way to preserve the space and practicality required.
I think a lot of the guys on here (mostly USA I think) regard the 900 as having been a cute small car, whereas in its day it competed against 5-series and Audi 100. In Europe the 900 was a large car in its day, the 9-3 actually was a bit smaller.
This is NOT a 900 replacement, never was meant to be. Is much closer in spirit to the 95 actually and it had the same profile rear.
This is a brave design, truly progressive and all the better if it is controversial. The 9-4x looked almost familiar it was soo conservative. This is leading edge stuff, LOVE IT!
The top part of the front headlights seems to be like the current 9-3’s ‘eyebrow’ but it looks like it runs through the whole front. In the closeup pic of the headlight it looks like it is all glass/perspex, wonder if the whole thing lights up from left to right
forgot to mention the centre piece of what looks like the climate control. in the CGIs it looked quite nice, but looking at these pictures it seems lie it’s a bit out of place compared to the rest of the interior. After all this though, i still would love to have one
even with that dodgy rear end
Good pickup, Joe. You’re correct. Light pipe right across the front.
Saw that Joe and wondered the same thing….and yet ti’s more thatn that - the whole grille actually appeats to be ice-plastic-coated? Hmm, not sure about that.
Interesting against the 9-4x the SUV is styled ‘backwards’ and the 9x ‘forwards’ - check the angles of the fog housings and air intake under the grille.
9x also inherits Aero-X bonnet bulge where 9-4x was plain.
Don’t know if anybody mentioned it, but those missing side mirrors, makes the car look like a clipped bird.
Overall, it looks better, each time I look at it, and I was sold from the get go.
SilverAero, one point of the designer is that they push the boundaries of what the company they are designing for has done in the past, I don’t think that it looks that it looks like a Mitsubishi, it looks like the rear tail plane of a plane, which keeps the Saab aircraft heritage going (i’m talking about the rear pillar here). I also think that the rear lights, and front lights with the subtle light strip looks good, the rear makes it look different to most other cars, but harks back to the NG900 and 900 with the full across lights, but in a modern way. Also the car does look a bit long, however because of the short overhangs and the lowness of the car it looks agressive, and to the point.
If they had gone with the sportback look which you were talking about of the og9-3 and 900’s then this would have been a big step back for saab, they need to move forward, whilst having a look at their past, not basing the whole of their rear end on a basically over 20 year design, this would upset saab purists, but after 3 generations of cars looking like this, then other people outside of the group might begin to call saab boring for not changing the design of their cars.
So actually for saab this is taking chances, its moving away from the norm of the past 20 years of their cars, even this is not that much and makes it slightly less “quirky” in one way but it brings in a new age of saab, times move on, companies cant keep the same designs forever, they need to move. I think your being a bit harsh on the designers, Anthony Lo is not someone who I know but I would like to meet him and learn from him, as i think he is a brilliant designer, some parts of his designs may need to be improved, but I think that this design will bring more young people to the brand, the playstation generation, of which I am one (im 17) and its nice to see which kind of caters for this, its saabish without being too old-a design.
but thats just my opinion… and im not an expert by no means
Am I the only one who thinks the “mirrors” are ridiculous? Did they just design ordinary ones and then shrink them because someone thought that cameras would be neat?
But as a whole: like it. Build it.
beautiful interpertation of modern automobile design, love the exterior, the jury however is still out on the interior!!! not a big fan of the the two tier instrument panel seems to busy, just ask honda with the civic design!!!
This car is fabulous!!!!!
So well proportioned, and it looks almost production ready too!!
And it you know what, it has LOADS of character!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24332454@N07/2307803665/
Is that better?
NO, looks ridiculous now.
This is not a replacement for the classic 900 guys!! Get over it. This is a new model in a market segment Saab has not occupied since the 96 and 95 (you know, the one with teh straight up-and-down tailgate?
)
Where’s the sagging headliner ?
See, now that flickr image just gave it a whole different look, love it
I’m not done fixing it yet…
I agree, I’m all for cutting edge design, forward thinking, etc….but I think the main issue we all have with that back end is its proportion. If we look at the way the spoiler is done, it’s clear that the styling will never make it to production, it’s all part of the aerodynamic package. I’ll keep updating later with images trying to make this all make sense.
In response to the 95/96 stuff, go take a look at the rears of them…all slope forward. It’s a saab trademark, since the beginning. While I’m all for starting new trends, this just looks bad.
I love the straight rear end, and the proportions
it’s quite refreshing and not forced at all, to my eyes…
Do only thing I’m not completely happy about is the front: it’s too derivative from the Aero-x, and a car with this amount of personality could use something more unique…
But, since the Aero-x isn’t going to production and this hopefully will, I’m quite happy: I see this as, potentially, my next car.
Jeff, slope yes, but never a hatchback in the sense of the 99/900. Why can’t we consider the 900 good for its time but out of step with modern car design? The 9-5, 9-3 and now 9-x are the recent and future profile of Saabs.
In their day each was bold and different to what had gone before, don’t be so resistant to change?
It looks good, but I think a production version might differ significantly? It appears to be ‘pillarless’, will this make it into production? What would a 5 door version look like? Being practical, I’d like to see the hatch open and how much it can carry. What are it’s dimensions?
Unfortunately it seems a bit further from a production reality than was the 9-4x concept?
Saab needs to produce a car quickly even if it can’t initially deliver on all the technical highlights of the concept vehicle. They can come later. Potential buyers won’t wait years and neither will the opposition!
I want it! Much better than I expected when we were talking about a ‘revived’ 9x-concept. IMO this is better looking than anything else in the segment at the moment (1-series, C30, A3), hope it still does when we finally get the real thing, than we’ve finally got a serious contender. Also I think it’s a whole lot better than the 9-4X concept, hopefully they can still quickly improve that one (but I doubt they will). Upside; I would never buy a 9-4X anyway, while this is an interesting segment!
(Yes, I’m relieved)
haha ive just noticed the wingmirrors make it look like shrek!!
this was the ugliest saab ever. They just copied aero x are we saab entustiast going blind.
My problem is the greenhouse is almost too big for the rest of car. It towers over the hood and just looks odd. Sadly, I’m not impressed. The design needs some major tweaking.
I pray when the 9-5 finally shows up its not a “concept”. Saab has had a concept almost every year with no actual models coming forth. This needs to change.
The design is great, fabulous, modern, refreshing, astonishing.
Radical on the one hand & blessed with some good saab-DNA material of different era’s, without on the other hand being too retro (maybe a bit to much retro-Aero-X …. ).
Personally i prefer some real mirrors on both sides instead of one tiny roadcam.
Saab should get it in production fast, get the weight down a bit and surely give us the best they can in terms of safety (and drop those silly alloys, something more triangular is in its place down there).
Let’s hope the production model is being presented soon.
The production version should get a clamshell bonnet (hood), no excuses. This should be mandatory on all Saab designs. It just seems to come and go and that’s stupid.
I agree with Charles, the only concept car that seems to have made it into production was the Sport Hatch and that was just a somewhat overdue wagon version of the 9-3SS.
There is much to like in the 9-X BioHybrid as there was with the 9X and the 9-3X, but what will actually be produced? Like before, it could all amount to nothing.
I’d like to see it with a little more contrast in the background. That expansive roof glass get lost in the black background and the roof line looks scooped out.
Side mounted rear view cameras that project on the upper dash or in the rear view mirror would be pretty kewl, hardly rocket science. In fact I would like to see several small cameras mounted on the car that display but also record to a black box. If your in an accident you could review the stored data.
I don’t mind the color so much but the interior color is off putting. I’d like to see warmer rich browns, reds and black. Imagine the Turbo-x with a deep red interior.
I hope eventually Saab includes the OLED dashes as shown in their renderings. IMO, it is the most standout interior feature.
Oddly it has exactly the same power and torque figures as my 1999 OG9-3 Monte Carlo (B204R HOT), but lower performance figures. I’m guessing it’s a heavy little bugger!
My reaction is still fairly positive. I still think that the C pillar design obstructs the driver’s rear vision too much, though.
Why not take the greenhouse all the way around, 360 degrees? (Obviously with internal supports as needed on the inside).
I know white is all the fashion, but it’s not for me. No way I would buy a white car. So I would love to see the car in some dark colour. It could do interesting things with the design.
ctm, it’s a polar-ising design after all.
I hope the 21″ wheel/tyre combination is only an option. You’d need to take out a 2nd mortgage to buy new rubber for the damned thing!
Well Maximum Bob looks happy at least
No worries- I’d bet the farm the interior will come in line a bit more with the past themes (Aero-X, 9-4X)- it’s more cost-effective that way and just makes sense. So don’t get too rabid if you don’t like it.
For about 30 seconds I thought “what the heck- that’s the rear? Ohhh man, that’ll take some getting used to.”
After those 30 seconds, I gave it another look and realized it’s a SWEET FRIGGIN’ DESIGN. Just my humble opinion.
turbin: I think it will polarize some people. Reading what’s above, it already has! I must admit, I’m neither dissapointed or really excited. Saab needs to show us some production ready examples by the end of the year and have a 9-1 (or whatever they call it) on the production line for MY2010. Then I might start getting excited!
The C-pillar is indeed very large (good rigid structural item but as Gregg stated above not good at all in terms of rear visions, does it have more roadcams than the one on the left door ?).
I think the designers share my fascination with the unfortunate lotus elite II.
It’s breathtakingly amazing!
Actually, my first impression is: I like it more, than the Aero-X!
Saab definitely needs this car to produce!
From the a-pillar forward and the roofline and side windows, beautiful. The rest of it is quite hideous escpecially the rear end which looks like a complete afterthought. If this is the best Mr Lo can come up with…….
I can’t quite make up my mind about this baby. I’m liking many aspects of it, but I don’t agree with comments that Saab should have abandoned the “fastback” for this profile. Keep in mind, this shape is very similar to the Volkswagen GTI/Rabbit/Golf, which has also been around for decades and offers less usable space than the 900. It has nothing to do with resisting change-the classic 900 made the best use of its interior space in a relatively small footprint and also had many unique and practical features which deserved to be revisited. If it had to be Mini-Cooper sized, then I guess the proportions had to be changed. I was hoping Saab would build a car that was “just-right” in terms of size, like the 900. The Mini and cars like it are practically (useless) two-seaters, and in that case you might as well get an Audi TT, which seems to have many classic 900 elements in its shape. Don’t get me wrong…I’m happy the hatch is making a comeback, but I’m going to digest this a bit more before making any final judgments.
Sorry MarkS, but you’re in the same group with the others who think the 900 was a ‘golf’ sized car. It was the 5-series/Audi100 size competitor of its day, several classesa bove a golf!
This concept car is MUCH smaller. Hence, if you adopt a fastback roofline, you will have no boot space and limited rear headroom.
Brilliant work from Mr Lo in my opinion. The design screams Scandinavian simplicity and will age very well. Saab…BUILD THIS CAR…I will buy two of them.
You know, guys, I’m the fan of classic 900 and I have many concerns regarding the Sport Sedan design.
But this small Saab is a different class and it’s good as it is!
I believe that Saab needs some fresh and bold design, and it makes no sense to always try to force the shape of the C900, even it’s my favourite.
go to http://www.automotorsport.se/ to watch a VIDEO of the car!
I LOVE the photo-shopped version given to us in response 16. I took a look at the interior and thats pretty cool as well!
Hi Mark_Belfast-I realize the 900 was not the same size as the golf… it was just enough larger to make it more useful than the Golf. I agree with your point about adopting that roofline with a smaller car…it wouldn’t work. The 900’s shape was, in my opinion, much sexier than the Golf, and is a signature model for Saab. It’s a design that still seems modern today, and I would have loved to see something a little more in that tradition from an aesthetic point of view. Now guys, don’t go gunning for me! I’m not trying to say this concept is a failure or that I don’t like it. I’m just expressing my initial impressions and like all of you, I want Saab to bring this model to production as soon as possible and to succeed with it! Skål!!
MarkS: They could have made a 99 Combi shaped/sized hatch about 4500mm long. This would have been shorter than a C900 or OG9-3. I suspect this one is approx 4300mm? The classic Golf shape dates back even further than the VW, to the original Honda Civic in fact.
sorry SAAB but VW beat you to the punchline.They included your Turbine style wheels and a lot of your design which came out better than yours.Lets just see who can bring it out 1st!
ps-go to the gym and work on your bum,it’s a train wreck!
It “looks” big and havey. Needs someone standing next to it for scale and real proportion. I dunno, I guess I kinda like it. I like the front, and the rear 3/4 views…the side view, not so much. The slope down and back kills it for me I think.