Will there be a Saab to build the 2010 9-3X?
What was supposed to be a celebratory moment just might not happen at all. The 2009 Geneva Motor Show was supposed to bring the official unveiling of the new Saab 9-3X, but as a quick perusal of the headlines, here on TheDetroitBureau.com, will reveal, the Swedish subsidiary of troubled General Motors Corp. has just filed for bankruptcy. And it’s now anyone’s guess as to what that means, going forward.
For the moment, we’ll cautiously assume that Saab isn’t simply going to shut its doors and turn out the lights. And if it has any future, at all, it will likely follow through with the Geneva reveal.
What that would mean is the debut of a vehicle that, according to a Saab release, “was designed for people with active lifestyles who don’t want a large crossover or SUV.”
Translation: the Saab 9-3X gets a SportCombi body, a higher stance and the newly-developed Saab all-wheel-drive technology.
More accurately, in Saab-speak, that’s the Cross Wheel Drive, or XWD, system, which debuted, last year, in the limited-production Turbo X. An intelligent, electronically-controlled Torque Transfer Device continuously varies the power delivered to either the front or rear axles. Additionally, a electronic limited slip differential splits power between the rear wheels, further directing torque where it’s needed.
That power is provided by a 210-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine. Buyers will be offered an option of a six-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission.
That’s a big if, right now. But if there is a Saab, going forward, you’ll see the 9-3X appear in U.S. showrooms, later this year.