Saab 9-4x nude and other snippets
In case you haven’t seen this around the various automotive sites yet, the Saab 9-4x has been spotted testing once again.
It seems to be the same photos on all the various websites, so I’ll just recommend one at this point: Tekniken’s Varld.
As you can see, there’s not much masking going on here at all. Saab seem to be quite settled with the notion that this vehicle is now a 95% known entity and people are going to see it out and about. Saab might also consider it a good distraction that stops people hunting so hard for the next generation 9-5.
Anyway, it’s looking pretty good. I like the stance in this photo and the rear view (go to the Tekniken’s link) looks fantastic.
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There’s a subscription-only entry at just-auto.com that I’d love to read. The headline is: SWEDEN: Saab eyes bespoke small car platform and the byline reads as follows:
Saab is exploring a new go-it-alone platform for its proposed entry-level 9-1 model, managing director Jan-Ake Jonsson told just-auto.
If you’ve got access, please let me know.
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I was a little puzzled when my RSS feed for GM’s FYI blog showed that the Photo of the Day was a Saab 9-X Air. They extract the Photo of the Day from Flickr and how could someone post their own photo of the 9-X Air on Flickr when it’s not been showed to the public?
Turns out it’s a photoshop of the 9-X Air, with the Flickr guy applying some of his own color to the vehicle.
He hasn’t done a very good job of it, but it does make for an interesting perspective nonetheless. If anyone has the photoshop skills to do it properly, here’s some source photos of the 9-X Air that you can use.
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Memo to Volvo:
All the horsepower in the world and all the grip you can give it - none of this will change the fact that the rear end of the Volvo C30 is totally impractical and almost useless.
And utility is generally considered to be a trait of Swedish automobiles.
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Thanks to various people for the 9-4x links via email. Too numerous to name.
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More from this category
- Winding Road spot the Saab 9-4x
- Jan-Ake Jonsson: We are finally GM’s European premium brand
- Saab 9-4x nude and other snippets
- Saab 9-4x leaks (as if you didn’t know)
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Yet every time I see the fire engine red C30 in my school parking lot, I want it.
I’m really liking how the 9-4x is looking in these pictures, now its just a matter if they can execute the interior correctly.
I Can’t believe the 9-5 is about to be launched and we STILL don’t have any spy pics!
Surely someone has seen this car?
On a slightly different model-evolution agenda, I learned from my Montreal-area dealer today that all the 2009 9-5s they have ordered are Griffin Edition. So this “farewell model” is earmarked for Canada too. Therefore likely also for the USofA–hence the English-language model name–where the standard equipment package differs slightly but it’s essentially the same car north and south with the gasoline 2.3T being the only available engine.
[And from the small mountain--approx. 600 ft/200 m elevation--in the center of the city I can see the USA! Disappeared briefly yesterday but reappeared today.]
B
kdsaab: I’m guessing Saab are trying to avoid a repeat of when they released pics of the 2008 9-3 refresh and immediately saw a marked decline in 2007 9-3 sales. I chalk it up to coincidence, but I think Saab thinks that people saw the 2008 and were holding-out for it rather than buying the 2007. With this being the last year of the (I guess what will be called) “OG9-5″ and that car’s sales are already pretty abysmal they don’t want to kill all chances whatsoever in selling 2009 9-5s by showing-off the 2010 model too early.
Sorry, I thought of another thought: I think Saab’s belief that 2007 9-3 sales suffered because of buyers holding-out for the 2008 was proven to be incorrect when the 2008 9-3 sales were less than stellar following its launch. If everyone was holding-out for one wouldn’t they have been flying off of dealer lots as soon as they hit? We’re seeing discounts on even the Turbo-X, which I wouldn’t have believed if you’d told me prior to its launch.
Nice try from Volvo´s side to try and pimp up a nearly dead model. The C30 is only half nice looking in one angle and thats directly from the side.. But then again, many cars in the category looks better than the C30 from the side and all over.. The A3, Opel/Vauxhall/Holden/Saturn Astra GTC, Golf, Alfa etc etc. No.. The C30 is one h**k of an ugly car. But this makes it look a bit better.
The 9-4X just looks better and better! Looks realy sharp and if GM markets it properly, sets the right price and people take it for a testdrive many of the big sellers will have to watch out.. This could be a Huge success folks!!! Just make an Aero with either the V6TiD with 300hp or the choice of a 350hp> 2,8V6
In that pic above the front air dam looks so big, maybe because it’s not a contrasting color with the rest of the body. It looks like a big Jay Leno chin to me.
Speaking of Jay Leno, he was approached about hosting Top Gear USA and declined, saying that he was concerned about the impartiality of the reviews. In the UK the BBC (the public) funds the show but in the U.S. on NBC it’s commercially-driven. Car companies are huge advertisers on TV and would they have to make all their reviews positive to avoid losing an advertiser? It’s a good point. Say you give the new Ford Focus a bad review. Does Ford decide not to advertise on NBC anymore?
For the record, I really like the look of the C30. It’s just that small rear hatch that’s the problem with it. If they could re-do it with a big mouth opening at the back, it’d be useful all of a sudden.
The C30 reminds me of the AMC Gremlin for some reason. I would worry that this Haldex AWD system to make its way into the C30 might be the very same XWD system as in the 9-3 (but with a different name, obviously) as I believe Saab only has exclusive rights to the system until 2009, then it can be sold to anyone. 300 bhp out of a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5? That’s pretty impressive since Saab can’t even seem to eek that much out of a 2.8-liter dual-scroll turbocharged V6.
That interior better be good! Hopefully that is why they haven’t showed it yet. Otherwise, it’s growing on me more and more.
I too like the look of the C30. Very individual!
“Saab is exploring a new go-it-alone platform for its proposed entry-level 9-1 model, managing director Jan-Ake Jonsson told just-auto.”
Could it be they are fattening up the pig? It would give Saab the chance to show what they are really made of instead of working around the constraints of a platform that needs to work across multiple brands. Then if it appears that even this will not work it would make it easier to separate Saab and GM. And for this reason also I believe it will be produced in Trollhattan. One has to admit they have to be thinking about what they would do if after this product blitz Saab is still not making a profit. I think this is exactly what is going through their(GM’s GMs) heads. But I think if they actually do it they will be blown away by what Saab can accomplish.
At least the C30 didn’t look 5 years old from the start, like all Saabs for the last two decades.
If 9-4x is a sign of “new” Saab design I’m really worried. It’s like a huge Mazda 323 - from 1980! But he interior is, as always, contemporary (albeit covered in strange slabs of plastic).
I’m beginning to suspect that the progressive exterior design of old Saabs (ending with the old 900) was just sheer luck.
And please, Saab, don’t waste your money on an own small platform. Other car makers can make distinctly different cars with shared platforms, and so should GM.
(Nag, nag, nag - i know. But Saab has needed to shape up their products for 20 years now, and failed to deliver again and again. It’s time to impress us!)
Hello, there is 9-5 spypics scanned at saabhistory site. At least claimed to be 9-5 spypics.
Talking about the C30- I also like to looks of it, but when I drove it a few times as a rental car I really dislike the concept. The car to drive is OK, but the fact that there is no real backseat and NO-bagage space I don’t get, extremely unpractical as a rental car. If you are singel and live in the city and only shop a six pack of beer and some saucages it works but anything else the concept fails.
9-4X, I really like it and it might be my wife’s next car if we move from Amsterdam.
“Hello, there is 9-5 spypics scanned at saabhistory site.”
What? Where?
I’ve only seen general concept renderings (for marketing), disguised Buicks and guesswork drawings.
http://www.saabhistory.com/2008/09/10/next-generation-saab-9-5-spy-photos/
Pekko,
I didn’t cover that story because, seriously, what can anyone tell from those images? There’s absolutely nothing given away there, I’m afraid.
Move along. Nothing to see here….
Yeah, and cannot be said for sure that those are spyshots of 9-5… Could be some other car also.
Swade, Pekko,
I thought we’d already agreed a year ago that car is a 2010 Buick LaCrosse
But it could of course share some sheet metal with the new 9-5.
XWD is Saab owned technology, no one else will use it besides another brand in GM.
Now the halfex 4.0 system is another thing .
But just not the Saab version!
Ck1X: from what I understand “XWD” is just Saab’s trademarked name (so nobody else can use the name) for the Haldex 4 system. Saab has an exclusive on this system until 2009 at which time Haldex can sell the system to any manufacturer who wants to buy it (including ovloV). They just can’t call it “XWD”. I’m sure if AUDI buys it they’ll call it “Quattro”.
Gripen is correct, I read that too. I believe Opel is slated to benefit from Haldex 4.0 (possibly with eLSD as option) starting in 2009 but won’t be calling it XWD obviously.
SaabKen: This is part of the reason why I think GM needs to boost Saab’s advertising funding in coming months. Saab USA would best use that money to advertise regionally where car buyers actually experience “weather”. Here in SoCal there’s really no need for XWD unless you’re a Saabophile and spend a lot of time at the track. But Saab USA should advertise heavily regionally where Saabs have a traditionally-strong foothold, such as the Northeast, Rocky Mountain states (Colorado specifically), and Pacific Northwest. Advertise the heck out of both the 9-3 Aero as well as the 2.0T 9-3 w/ AWD as a solution for winter. The XWD system was not available last winter, so this winter is the time to try to sell the heck out of these cars while Saab still has an exclusive on the Haldex 4 system. They have an advantage for a short time here. As soon as ovloV and/or AUDI get this system Saab loses its advantage and again has to compete on price.
Saab USA: don’t waste your limited advertising funds advertising Saabs in areas that don’t experience “weather” (snow, rain, sleet, etc.). Don’t buy expensive national television spots. Purchase regional airtime. While California has been a traditionally strong market for Saab, I think that the XWD system is a hard sell here. California buyers figure “why spend the money?” on XWD, especially since the 2.0T 9-3 w/ XWD will sell for $6K more than the non-XWD equipped version.
Saab only advertises in selected markets as it is…. no such thing as a national spot! The Californians don’t seem to be buying very many MDX’s, X3/X5’s, A4’s, etc, cause they’re AWD (most A4’s are Quattro…looks like all ‘09 A4’s are for the time being). Actually, it’s quite amazing how many Californians need AWD for that quick trip to Big Bear, Tahoe, etc.