The Saab 9-3X will be a soft-roading version of the Swedish brand's bread-and-butter sedan and wagon, a.k.a. SportCombi, and word has it that the all-wheel-drive wonders will be making their debut at the Paris Motor Show in October. Unlike the performance-oriented Turbo X, the 9-3X will use its Haldex AWD system for tackling particularly deep potholes, traversing heavily packed snow and otherwise offering its owners the sure footedness that comes with all four wheels turning at once. Based on our previous spy photos, we expect the 9-3X to look the part with fender flares, a lifted suspension and faux skid plates. Seriously though, adding AWD to the 9-3 in a mini-SUV package is a smart move right now and one that's been paying Subaru dividends for some time. Also on the docket for a Paris debut is a new 9-3 concept that should preview what the next iteration of the sedan and wagon will look like. Our flights are booked, hotel rooms reserved and appetite for pasta at a fever pitch, so we'll bring you live coverage of these two reveals as they happen from Italy in early October.
[Source: Channel4]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jay @ Aug 5th 2008 9:41AM
So, is it paris or italy?
You might want to double check your bookings?
or just send me!
el dorko @ Aug 5th 2008 9:58AM
appetite for pasta? are you going to italy after? how about some croissants???
Alex @ Aug 5th 2008 10:04AM
pasta? I thought you guys would be downing the escargot.
At any rate, the 9-3 doesn't need an update as badly as the 9-5 does. Seriously, what were they thinking with those awful eyelashes?
UH2L @ Aug 5th 2008 10:30AM
Sometimes, I kind of like the 9-5 grill, sometimes I don't. But the new Audis have what look like string of pearls LED eyelashes. I don't like that new design direction. On the new 9-3, there is a single band of light which looks better to me.
What is the deal with all these eye lashes anyway? Or are they eyebrows?
Alex @ Aug 5th 2008 11:11AM
From what I have read the 9-5 will actually be the first to be released in '09 as a '10 model despite the fact that we have already seen the 9-4x & will soon be seeing the 9-3. I think Saab sees the 9-5 as the symbol of their revival (hopefully) and they want it to make a big splash and hit the market immediately with a string of new models to follow it up.
Brian Smith @ Aug 5th 2008 10:13AM
Pasta, Italy, isn't this the PARIS motor show in which case its frogs legs and France !!!
Dazza @ Aug 5th 2008 10:17AM
Autoblog - geographical note: Paris is the capital of France.
BGJ @ Aug 5th 2008 11:26AM
FWIW the next 9-3 has been moved to global delta platform which does not have AWD enabled.
New 9-5 will be here first though on global epsilon which does have AWD available.
PhilP10 @ Aug 5th 2008 4:53PM
The next 9-3 will continue to offer AWD and won't lose any features. People forget that the new Epsilon and new Delta platforms grew quite a bit since the current 9-3 debuted so that's why they can change the platform to smaller one. It's going to be about the same size inside and only a few inches smaller outside.
I'm surprised the new 9-3 concept is coming so soon. I can't wait to see it.
Rick @ Aug 5th 2008 7:20PM
Here's hoping it falls off the transport truck and rolls over a few times softening that roof line.