Paris Preview: Saab officially unveils 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept
by John Neff on Sep 18th 2008 at 12:24AM 
Click above for high-res gallery of the Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept
Saab unveiled the 9-X BioHybrid Concept hatchback last March at the Geneva Motor Show, and it will be joined next month at the Paris Motor Show by this: the 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept. Both vehicles are said to herald the coming of a production Saab 9-1 small car, but the 9-X Air goes a step further and replaces the original concept's closed roof with a flat-folding canopy top that's said to celebrate the brand's history in the convertible building business. Aside from that, the concepts appear to be almost identical right down to sharing the same turbocharged 1.4L Saab BioPower engine producing 197bhp. We'll bring you more pics and info of the Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept straight from the show floor in Paris next month.
UPDATE: Many more high-res images added to gallery.
Gallery: Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept
[Source: GM]
PRESS RELEASE
Saab 9-X "Air" BioHybrid Concept Redefines Convertible Design
Detroit -- The 9-X Air BioHybrid concept, to be revealed at next month's Paris Motor Show, is an innovative design study exploring what a future open-air Saab could look like.
Featuring a unique Canopy Top and a wraparound glasshouse that includes the rear screen, the 9-X Air breaks the mould of conventional convertible design by offering four-seat accommodation within the close-coupled proportions of a sports car.
Its distinctive silhouette is defined by prominent rear pillars that mount the flat-folding Canopy Top and also anchor the separate, recessed rear screen. Top down, the 9-X Air is designed to offer fresh air motoring free from buffeting. Top up, it assumes the look of a true coupe.
Designed in parallel with the 9-X BioHybrid concept, the 9-X Air shares its highly efficient powertrain. The small, 1.4-liter Saab BioPower engine offers responsible performance by combining engine rightsizing with turbocharging, the use of E85 bioethanol fuel and hybrid technology.
The 9-X Air underlines Saab's leading role in convertible design and will be revealed 25 years after the first convertible from Saab was shown at the international Frankfurt Show. Full details and more images are available at HYPERLINK "http://www.media.saab.com" www.media.saab.com
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
k.w.a 12:55AM (9/18/2008)
haha yeah right Saab I dare you to come out with something that looks that cool. Actually as someone else on AB said its really GM thats killing Saab. The good news is that now that GM knows it can bring cool cars into production(Camaro,CTS, Malibu, etc.) they can start giving Saab the hook-up too.
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Typesbad 12:57AM (9/18/2008)
Gee. A convertible with massive vision-blocking C-pillars....when the top is down! Now there is an idea!
Little wonder why they photographed it with the windows up. The rear visibility of my 9-3 convertible with the top up is akin to a panel van as well but at least there is something I can do about it.
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220v 12:58AM (9/18/2008)
Hot.
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Torrent 2:24AM (9/18/2008)
I love Saab's designs, but their actual products are a lil bit bland- besides the 9-3 and the 9-4.
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linnas 2:09AM (11/13/2008)
Awesome :) That is Hyundai Veloster (the one to replace Tiburon)
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Richard 7:13AM (9/18/2008)
BioHybrid?
I was behind a diesel Benz running bio-lard the other morning. It took a minute to realize that the McDonald's I smelled was emanating from the Benz' hind quarters.
That $#!t's not good for my heart, how can it be good for the environment?
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Swede 12:28PM (9/18/2008)
The kind of biodiesel you describe only works in old cars like that Benz, in modern common rail engines it clogs the injectors.
Richard 12:59PM (9/18/2008)
Well, that makes sense because doctor's say that kind of fuel (McDonald's) can certainly clog carbon life form injectors as well!
Atomicbri 7:48AM (9/18/2008)
Hot car, but probably just more teasing from GM. Saab's latest concepts have been really great, but itis about time GM puts some of these into some kind of production form. I mean Saab used to be neat and quirky. Their 900 used to be so neat in my eyes when I was young because when you saw it, there was no doubt what it was, you knew it was a Saab. Now with travesties like the 9-7X and all sedans and wagons (where are the hatches Saab made so famous for itself??) Saab is bland and nondescript. Sad really cause obviously by the look of these concepts, the styling and design is there....now it is time for GM to let Saab have some of the spotlight
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Alex 9:41AM (9/18/2008)
This and previous Saab prototypes compared to their actual product shows that Saab has the design team to build sexy cars and GM has the bean-counters to kill their plans.
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Alex 12:10PM (9/18/2008)
This is the time SAAB could be making a killing, small turbo 4s packed into a relatively smaller European package is exactly what people are shopping for right now and will be in the foreseeable future. If they can get these kinds of cars to the market fast they could see a huge resurgence.
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