Saab 9-4X Crossover Confirmed for 2010 Release

Now that Saab managed to escape the GM's brand-killing frenzy, the Swedish carmaker can calm down and concentrate, together with its hero Spyker, on the future product launches. And the first in a row to be released is the new 9-4X Crossover which is going to see daylight later this year.

Production of the 9-4X model has been in doubt ever since the company revealed the BioPower concept in 2008 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Despite the positive feedback it received, Saab was more than tight-lipped when it came to the development of the production model and preferred to focus on its financial problems.

Details are not confirmed yet but it appears that the 9-4X will be powered by a 2.8-liter V6 turbo engine that would develop 300 horsepower at 5,300 rpm and mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine range is expected to receive a new member in 2011, in the form of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with around 220 horsepower.

As compared to this rumored production model, the concept was equipped with a 2.0-liter BioPower engine that generated no less than 300 horsepower and a torque of 295 lb-ft.

At the time of the Detroit launch, Saab seemed prepared to start production of the 9-4X, but plans were later shelved due to the financial instability of both the Swedish carmaker and parent company General Motors.

“This concept is a clear statement of what our brand is about,” said Jan Åke Jonsson, who was at that time Saab Automobile Managing Director,. “It is also an important next step in our plans to enter new market segments with distinctive product offerings.”