Swedish automaker unveils its new crossover wagon, says Alastair Sloane
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Saab is banking on its new all-wheel-drive crossover wagon to rekindle its one-time reputation as an innovative carmaker now that it has taken the first step in divorce proceedings from General Motors.
The Swedish company has won protection from creditors while trying to find a new partner and raise fresh funds. GM, which itself faces an uncertain future, refuses to continue funding Saab's losses.
In a survival plan submitted to the US Treasury last week, GM said the Swedish firm would become an independent business as of January 1, next year after 20 years of GM control.
A Swedish court soon after approved Saab's official request for a re-organisation and re-structuring. The decision "is the beginning of a new chapter in Saab's history", said Janke Jonsson, managing director of Saab Automobile.
"We are now recreating Saab Automobile as an independent unit. The road ahead will not be easy ... but after a period of tough decisions we will have laid the foundations for a new beginning.
"Saab has a trademark which is well established both in Sweden and internationally. We have a documented efficient production and we have a strong range of models in development. That is why we have chosen this road."
The new crossover, called the 9-3X, is based on the standard SportCombi wagon. It will be officially unveiled at the Geneva motor show next month.
For the first time it combines Saab's XWD all-wheel drive with an E85-compatible BioPower engine, a 2-litre 155kW/300Nm turbocharged unit already available in front-drive Saab models.
An existing 132kW/400Nm 1.9-litre turbodiesel will also be available in the 9-3X. So will the six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.
Saab says the 9-3X is designed to handle rugged terrain, thanks in part to its 35mm higher ride height.
Saab is aiming it at buyers who don't want a big crossover. It features chunkier matt-grey front and rear bumper designs with aluminium-look skid plates and a grained finish similar to that applied to the side sills and wheel-arch claddings.
Standard black roof-rails, oversized front foglights, twin round exhaust outlets for all variants, new 17-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels and alloy-look lower door strips complete the rugged new 9-3 look.
Saab describes its XWD as an intelligent AWD system that continuously distributes engine torque between the front and rear axles.
