I don’t have time to reproduce everything here as I’m on the road, but why don’t you just go where the bloggers go to get the info.

Here’s all the info you can currently get on the Saab 9-X Air at the GM Media website.

And here’s the full photo gallery.

All GM Media information is now available to the public without need for a password, so go for you life. I’ve got a holiday to enjoy.

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I’m getting more familiar with this car as I get more opportunities to look. Views like this have me very excited. Geez, I hope they get to build this.

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My thanks to Joe O for hooking me up with some official Saab video of the 9-X Air, which I’ve just uploaded to Youtube.

This video was shot during a day when the Swedish motoring press had access to the vehicle, probably a week or two ago.

The video gives you a good impression as to the proportions of the car as it’s driving along next to current Saab vehicles. As this is quite possibly the next generation of Saab convertible (at least in size), it’s a good look as to what’s coming.

Thanks again, Joe. It looks awesome in motion.

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After posting this, I’ve just noted that Etienne at Saabhuy also has the video, so you can check his 9-X Air stuff here.

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Saab Gears Up for Product-led Expansion

In showing what a future convertible from Saab could look like, the 9-X Air is part of a process to define and develop new products that is unprecedented for Saab in its scope and pace, says Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile’s Managing Director.

In the last 10 months, Saab has shown three new concepts. The 9-4X BioPower, unveiled at this year’s Detroit motor show, announced Saab’s imminent entry into the growing Crossover vehicle segment. This was followed in Geneva by the debut of the 9-X BioHybrid, a vision of a future compact car.

Now the 9-X Air, designed in parallel with the 9-X BioHybrid, expresses the same formula for responsible performance – a combination of engine rightsizing, turbocharging, bioethanol and hybrid technology – in an innovative convertible format.

“We are brand on the move.” says Jonsson. These concepts are building blocks in the most intensive product development program we have ever attempted. It is part of strategy that will take Saab into all major segments of the car market. “While we will be launching a number of new models in different market segments, they will all share the core values that go into making a Saab a Saab – progressive, Scandinavian-inspired design, sporty driving with the driver in focus, and efficient, responsible performance.”

“We are determined to grow the brand through expanding our product portfolio while also renewing our current product offerings. The strategy and resources are in place and the execution of our plan has already started with these influential concept cars.”

“The 9-X Air shows our thinking for the next-generation Saab convertible, while the 9-X BioHybrid demonstrates the sort of innovative design Saab can bring to the premium compact segment, where we are not yet represented.”

“The 9-4X Crossover concept is closer to going on sale. The global Crossover segment has trebled in the last seven years, but we have not yet been able to offer customers a Saab alternative. That will now change.”

“Over the next five years, we will be rolling out new products at a rate never seen before from Saab.” The Saab Brand Center in Sweden is playing a key role in formulating new products. A cross-functional group of designers, engineers and marketers, they are custodians of the Saab ‘genes’, tasked with nurturing and developing all the qualities that go into making a Saab a Saab.

It is a unique organization within GM’s global structure, with a unique way of working. Responsibilities range from developing future product proposals to ensuring consistent brand communication on a global basis. The Saab Brand Center works closely with GME’s European Design Center in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and brand center teams also liaise with colleagues around the world, leveraging GM’s huge technology and engineering resources for potential Saab applications.

“Saab’s brand values have never been more relevant than they are today,” adds Jonsson. “Our customers want premium vehicles that satisfy their lifestyle priorities, while also delivering sporty and environmentally responsible performance. It is our intention to offer them much more choice with a broader range of Saab products.”

This is another press release from Saab with regard to the launch of the Saab 9-X Air.

How Saab Raised the Roof with its Canopy Top

The Saab 9-X Air redefines the look of a four-seat convertible by exploiting the distinction between a folding roof and a folding soft-top. “This has allowed us to completely alter the shape of the car,” explains designer Anthony Lo.

Lo and his team set out to bring convertible design closer to the looks of an open sports car or a closed coupé, depending on the configuration. They also wanted to improve open-top comfort for passengers. The result is Saab’s unique Canopy Top concept, an alternative to soft-tops or hoods with rear windows that leave the back of the cabin open when stowed.

A ‘stand alone’ rear screen – separate from the soft-top assembly – is located between the 9-X Air’s raked rear pillars. These support the Canopy Top, a development of the ‘Targa’ top principle. But instead of having a manually detachable roof section, the Saab Canopy Top is fully powered in operation and folds away for stowage in the trunk. Saab has already filed a patent application for this feature.

“Convertibles are traditionally developed from a sedan body and have a flat, open rear deck when the hood is down,” says Lo, Director of Advanced Design at General Motors Europe. “The Canopy Top has allowed us to introduce the rear pillars, which completely change the usual appearance of a convertible, giving it a more dynamic, coupé look. The pillars also anchor a complete wraparound glasshouse, which shelters the occupants from buffeting when the car is open.”

Design Efficiency

The 9-X Air was conceived in parallel with its 9-X BioHybrid sibling and, as a result, it is a design free from compromise or adaptation. The shape of the windshield and frontal styling, for example, was designed to work in both applications. The two cars share a focus on efficiency, with a powertrain that uses engine rightsizing, turbocharging, biofuel and hybrid technology to deliver sporty performance together with a significantly reduced environmental impact.

Improved efficiency is also a major benefit of the Canopy Top. As there is no rear screen and supporting material to fold away, it is smaller and lighter than a conventional soft-top. That means it takes up less trunk space when stowed.

Reduced weight was another consideration and that dictated the choice of fabric instead of metal for the Canopy Top. “It is the best material, as we save about 100 kilos in weight compared to using metal,” explains Lo. “We have chosen the fabric used for the current Saab Convertible. It is extremely durable and provides effective road noise insulation. For good handling and a lower center of gravity, you also don’t want any extra weight high up. All in all, we thought of quite a few drawbacks, and not so many gains, from going with a metal roof.”

As the 9-X Air was designed alongside the 9-X BioHybrid, the team was also able to keep weight down by minimizing the amount of structural reinforcement necessary to compensate for the removal of a fixed roof. The small strengthening members that were required are in aluminum for further weight saving.

With its Canopy Top stowed, the 9-X Air’s ‘surround glass’ cabin offers improved driver and passenger comfort by managing air flow to reduce turbulence and wind buffeting. The rear screen works in tandem with a small wind deflector on the top edge of the windshield header rail. This is actively deployed, rising and falling according to vehicle speed. At the rear, the screen helps prevent back drafts, as the air flow over the car is no longer sucked back in through an open rear deck.

The Canopy Top design also provides another practical benefit. Compared to the ‘stitched in’ screen of a conventional soft-top, the glass area of the 9-X Air’s rear screen is larger, offering the driver a wider field of vision.

Saab Signature

In evolving the 9-X Air and its sibling, Lo and his team worked in co-operation with colleagues from the Saab Brand Center in Sweden. This is a cross-functional group tasked with nurturing and developing all the qualities that go into making a Saab a Saab. It is a unique organization within GM’s global structure, with a unique way of working.

Visually, the 9-X Air carries forward signature features that reflect Saab’s Scandinavian design heritage and its roots in aviation. These include the extended wraparound effect of the windshield and side glazing, the Aero X-inspired frontal styling, the clean body surfaces, ‘ice block’ lighting themes and distinctive 3-D blue/green instrument graphics. Even the raked rear pillars echo the prominent C-pillar line seen in all Saab cars.

“Overall, the 9-X Air maintains our focus on efficiency,” adds Lo. “We have produced a sporty, innovative design that offers the sort of functional benefits you would expect from a Saab. It’s the design direction we’re exploring for a future Saab convertible.”