Saab unveiled its first-ever crossover Tuesday. The 2011 9-4X draws heavily from the Aero X concept the Swedish manufacturer introduced in 2006 to demonstrate the company's design future, including blue-tinged "ice block" headlamps and taillights, a wraparound windscreen with black A pillars and a low-profile roofline.
"The 9-4X is an extremely important new vehicle for Saab," said Anders Svensson, Saab's vehicle line director. Its debut entry into the crossover segment is specifically targeting the U.S. market, he said.
Available in three trims, the 9-4X base model is powered by a 265-horsepower, 3-liter V-6 and will cost about $38,000. An all-wheel-drive version is also available using the same powertrain. The top-of-the-line 9-4X Aero, pictured above, employs a turbocharged 2.8-liter V-6 that cranks 300 horsepower and will cost about $50,000.
A large vehicle designed to handle like a much smaller car, this five-door five-seater incorporates all the traditional Saab touches, including a "hockeystick" side-window trim, an ignition switch between the front seats and a driver-centric cockpit that draws from Saab's aviation heritage.
The 9-4X will be available in U.S. showrooms by May.
-- Susan Carpenter
Photo: The top-of-the-line 2011 Saab 9-4X Aero. Credit: Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times
Full story at http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/MoneyCompany/~3/j3x6q2guEEc/saab-9-4x.html
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