Rarefied Air: Saab intros 9-7X Altitude Edition
Saab announced a limited-edition of its 9-7X SUV today that it's calling the Altitude. By "limited," we're not kidding, as only 500 will be produced for model year 2007. The Altitude package includes a set polished 18" alloys, side steps, a rear-seat entertainment system and an Altitude-exclusive metallic finish called "carbon fiber gray."
We still can't believe there's a Trailblazer somewhere under there, because the 9-7X looks light years better than its corporate cousin. As for this Altitude Edition package, its squat stance and step bars give it a nice, low-to-the ground appearance. It's even covered by GM's new-fangled 100,000 mile warranty.
The Altitude Edition will run you $42,130 for the 6-cylinder and $44,130 if you go for the V8. That price range is pretty crowded in the luxo-SUV segment, so this Saab is going to have to slug it out with some pretty stiff competition. None of them offer the Altitude's level of exclusivity, though, and we're pretty sure there are 500 people out there who'll take the plunge.
(Press release after the jump)
[Source: Saab]
PRESS RELEASE:
9-7X Flies to New Heights: Saab Announces Altitude Edition
DETROIT - Saab's first-ever SUV is flying to new heights with the 2007 9-7X Altitude Edition. Only 500 of these specially-outfitted SUVs will be available for the 2007 model year, making it a limited edition with very exclusive appeal.
Beyond the extremely rich standard equipment of the 9-7X, the Altitude Edition includes 18" alloy polished wheels, and side assist steps, a rear DVD player, and an exclusive carbon fiber gray metallic paint. The package will be offered at a savings of nearly $1,000 than if the items were ordered individually. The package is available on the six-cylinder 9-7X 4.2i and the 9-7X 5.3I V8 - which will bring the total vehicle price (MSRP, destination charge and Altitude package) to $42,130 and $44,130, respectively.
For 2007, OnStar-equipped 9-7X models will feature a new service called OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation, the first factory-installed, fully-integrated GPS navigation system from OnStar. Turn-by-Turn allows consumers to talk to a live advisor, who in turn sends complete step-by-step directions to customers' vehicles through their OnStar system. Also in 2007, a Tire Pressure Monitoring System becomes standard equipment on the 9-7X, and one new color, Crystal Blue metallic, has been added.
The Saab 9-7X, which debuted in the summer of 2005, brings unique Saab characteristics to the SUV segment, including sophisticated styling inside and out, premium quality and design features, and sporty and fun-to-drive performance. Additionally, this SUV has a high-level of standard equipment, which is offered to consumers at a surprisingly reasonable price.
Saab is a division of General Motors Corp. Saab USA is the importer and/or distributor of Saab 9-3, 9-5 and 9-7X automobiles for Saab Automobile AB, Sweden. For the 2007 model year, Saab markets seven engines/transmissions that perform at an EPA-rated 30 mpg on the highway. Also, beginning in 2007, Saab offers vehicle warranty coverage for five-years or up to 100,000 miles. Visit www.saabusa.com for more information.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Michael Karesh 9:23PM (9/15/2006)
The only people who'll consider this exclusive are the same one's who buy those dealer-customized "Special Edition" cars. They only see about 500 a month as it is. Totally wrong vehicle for the Saab brand.
My review of the regular 9-7X:
http://www.epinions.com/content_190929014404
The sooner GM replaces this with a real Saab (assuming there will ever again be a real Saab), the better.
Reply
Chivo 9:30PM (9/15/2006)
Some people have nothing better to do than moan. The 9-7x is an extraordinary midsize SUV, yet, no matter how good a vehicle is, there are always losers that will complain.
Reply
That One Person 9:41PM (9/15/2006)
There was a fully loaded 9-7x at a local dealer. I got to peak inside and take a good look at it and its surprisingly nice. While its basically a TB, I would buy one. But I kind of wish Saab itself did some work with the suspension and maybe put its own engine in there. I dont know, just my opinion...
Reply
Bill 9:52PM (9/15/2006)
I was a 9-2x owner, and I hated the 9-7x when it came out. But in many ways, the 9-7x is more convincing than the 9-2x. It has some nice touches and refinements, and I wish Saab/GM had invested a little more time in differentiating the 9-2x as they did with the 9-7x. Especially in the interior. The 9-7x interior is quite attractive, and they even bothered to move the ignition key to the traditional Saab place. Unfortunately the 9-2x, with the exception of the two-toned seats, was pretty much stock Subaru.
Reply
far jr 10:00PM (9/15/2006)
#3 Actually the Trailblazer's I-6 is quite smooth.
The 9-7 does look much better than the TB... but it is still a TB underneath...No thanks GM.
A Theta based vehicle with a DOHC 2.8 turbo would fit Saab much better.
Naturally aspirated V-8 and Saab don't seem to mix well.
Reply
Ryan 10:15PM (9/15/2006)
"Saab announced a limited-edition of its 9-7X SUV today that it's calling the Altitude. By "limited," we're not kidding, as only 500 will be produced for model year 2007."
-Wow, I never even knew they have sold 500 of the regular ones yet!!!
And it's not just a Trailblazer
Its a:
Saab 97x
Chevrolet Trailblazer
Buick Rendezvous
Oldsmobile Bravada
Isuzu Ascender
Wow, some real exclusive treatment!
I'm sure it's probably "pretty nice" but exclusive?! Shit the entire profile of the car is "plug-and-play" with any other GM SUV.
GM does make some nice cars and trucks but this is just plain laziness.
I would be fine with it being based off "a million" other Suvs but it has the same glass and doors as a 12-15k used trailblazer.
Reply
Chien-Ming Wang 10:50PM (9/15/2006)
Toyota put some leather seats in the Highlander, charge $20K more, call it the Lexus RX and nobody says a thing. I don't recall anybody crying foul because Lexus has lost its "character" or that it compromised its "authentic Japanese quirkiness"?
Reply
David Baxtin 11:00PM (9/15/2006)
Woah there tough guy Lexus man. I totall agree with you. The Lexus IS 250 and 350 look like Toyota Camry's. You will not get any complaints from me for that statement or comments about the Highlander.
But that asside, I totally agree. The Saab is GM car underneath. They can keep their limited edition, I rather buy an x3 or x5.
Reply
Ryan 11:21PM (9/15/2006)
". Toyota put some leather seats in the Highlander, charge $20K more, call it the Lexus RX and nobody says a thing. I don't recall anybody crying foul because Lexus has lost its "character" or that it compromised its "authentic Japanese quirkiness"?
Can you take lets say for example:
The back right door from a highlander and it will fit perfectly into the RX with no modification needed? AND the sheetmetal wood look as if nothing ever happned?
Can you take the nose clip from a highlander and paste it DIRECTLY onto the RX?
Is the glass 100% fully interchangeable between the RX and Highlander?
For a prime example of "GM" platform sharing, just look at the 1988-God knows when chevy pickup trucks with circa 1999 Esclade front clips on them.
Reply
Pete 12:10AM (9/16/2006)
Ryan #6 are you sure you don't mean Buick Ranier?
GMT 250
Buick Rendezvous
Pontiac Aztek
GMT 360
2002–2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
2002–2007 GMC Envoy
2002–2004 Oldsmobile Bravada
2003–2007 Isuzu Ascender
2004–2007 Buick Rainier
2005–2007 Saab 9-7X
Not sure why everyone gets so worked up about platform sharing.
Reply
Michael Karesh 12:15AM (9/16/2006)
You cannot tell that the Highlander and RX 350 are related based on its exterior or interior styling. Even if the Highlander in question is a Limited with leather. The RX looks and feels like a Lexus, while the Highlander looks like something sold at Best Buy.
Also, the actual price difference when you adjust for feature differences is about $8,000. Still a lot of money, but nowhere near twenty.
If you must exaggerate to make a point, then it cannot be made.
Reply
Colin 12:30AM (9/16/2006)
#6 It's Also:
Chevrolet TrailBlazer
GMC Envoy
Oldsmobile Bravada
Isuzu Ascender
Buick Rainier (not Rendezvous, that was a Pontiac Aztek)
Saab 9-7X
Reply
Talis 12:47AM (9/16/2006)
#9 those front clips are after market, or highly modified. Although GM has done a lot of platform engineering as of late, when "some-company" produces cars, trucks, SUVs, CUVs and minivans world wide, takes time at the track (and wins) as well as provides paychecks and health care for 335,000 people, it's a little hard to not want to cut costs by taking the basic drive train parts from one vehicle and put them into another vehicle.
What I don’t like, and I think you where getting at, is not when the A-pillar is the same for all GM cars in one class (as it was in the 50's and 60's with [oh my god] interchangeable doors) but when every car has the same bland ride, dashboard, seats, et. al.
AS far as the engine is concerned... the platform is just TOO HEAVY for a Saab I-4. I don’t care how nice a Saab engine might be, it is just too small for the 9-7x. Truck engines are made differently from car engines for a reason.
And lastly, #7 and 8 are right. when the SUV market boomed in the mid 90's the Japs and Germans where caught with their pants down and no market share at all. With a few exceptions (the Land Cruiser for example) there was only GM Ford and Dodge to buy from. Then Cadillac and Lincoln came out with SUVs, then BMW, now Audi and for a while we all thought you would be able to walk into your local BENTLEY dealer and buy a new SUV.
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/27/bentley-building-an-suv/
Other than that I don’t see how Saab freaks can complain. The key is in the center console, the cup holders suck and do the spinney thing, it has Saab HVAC vents, and aside from the A, B, C, and D pillars it looks nothing like the TB it is based from.
Reply
Andy 1:07AM (9/16/2006)
People have put down the 9-7X as nothing more than a rebadged Trailblazer, but I happen to like it. It is nothing extraordinary, but it's strong and handsome. I am one of the few folks here who happens to like Saabs. I will agree that this is nothing more than a shoddy marketing gimmick by Saab to link itself with the Swedish aeronautics division. The only Saab I have seen worthy of that comparison is the Aero X.
Reply
risingsun 3:04AM (9/16/2006)
At least they LOOK better than a TB... that's reason enough for this vehicle's existence.
Reply
dakota 3:04AM (9/16/2006)
Ryan,
So what about the Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer?
How about the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator?
Heck it even happens in Fords cars too, Lincoln MKZ, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and now with the D3 platform: Five Hundred, Montego, and the upcoming MKS.
People act as if this DOESN'T happen.
Reply
DPC car videos 10:20AM (9/16/2006)
There is a great lease going on right now on these Saab SUV's.
Reply
Richard Warren 10:22AM (9/16/2006)
Platform sharing, rebadge,combinations, a little this a little that. Heard all the whining ever since it started, you know since the start of the car business and guess what, it's sold a hell of a lot of vehicles.
In the end the only person it matters to is the person buying the actual vehicle.
If they think it's great, then it's great. If they want to pay a premium, then that's up to them.
A Saab has not been a Saab for some time, it's a badge name with some harking back to it's history, they never sold many anyway, time to get over it.
Reply
Ryan 10:22AM (9/16/2006)
"16. Ryan,
So what about the Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer?
How about the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator?
Heck it even happens in Fords cars too, Lincoln MKZ, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and now with the D3 platform: Five Hundred, Montego, and the upcoming MKS.
People act as if this DOESN'T happen.
Posted at 11:44PM on Sep 15th 2006 by dakota"
-Domestics do seem to do this the worse, and to potentially slam me as a "domestic hater" I think is a little unfair if you look at any of my previous posts on domestics you will find that when accolades are in order I state it.
-Ford is NO BETTER
"17. Platform sharing, rebadge,combinations, a little this a little that. Heard all the whining ever since it started, you know since the start of the car business and guess what, it's sold a hell of a lot of vehicles."
-It HAS sold them a lot of vehicles, the 9-7x is not a good example of it "selling a lot of vehicles"
"In the end the only person it matters to is the person buying the actual vehicle.
If they think it's great, then it's great. If they want to pay a premium, then that's up to them."
-Richard, I mean this is the most sarcastic way possible, but no shit, really??? :-) I know that is the case.
I just don't like "plug-and-play" pieces from something as "low-end" as a "Chevrolet". -That is not necessarily my opinion, but I imagine anyone doing research on their 42k+ SUV is going to find out it's no secret is based of a Chevrolet and in the traditional way of GM, Chevy is the low-end of their lineup.
I do like domestic cars, and like I said they build good cars and trucks, I'm sure this one is probably built pretty nice. But it's a "lazy" reincarnation of a Chevy.
Reply
Ryan 10:28AM (9/16/2006)
Okay,
Maybe some common ground is in order, after looking up everything Asian.
I can say also, everything I mean about this Saab/Trailblazer/Rainier/Bravada/Ascender thing also applies to the TOYOTA Land Cruiser and the LEXUS version of it.
From what I can tell almost everything looks like a straight across the board "swappable". This is ALSO unacceptable.
But ironically that Lexus I would say is the one you see the LEAST of.
That is just as bad, but there is nothing else I can find that is Asian that dilutes its brands as much as GM & FORD do this.
Reply