Autoblog

During yesterday's press briefing, General Motors let its upcoming Saab 9X Air concept out of the bag ahead of its official debut at the Paris Motor Show, and today we finally have official pics and details of the new Swedish open air coupe. Based on last year's 9X BioHybrid concept from Geneva, the 9X Air loses its hard top in favor of a cloth piece and rear glass that pops up from the rear hatch. A concept-worthy interior features four black-and-white seats along with a digital dash.

Power flows to the front wheels via a turbocharged 1.4-liter E85 flex-fuel engine and six-speed dual clutch gearbox. along with an electric motor powered by lithium ion batteries. Acceleration to 60 comes up in around eight seconds and fuel mileage is theoretically in the 40 mpg range. Sounds good so far. We are expecting the Air, along with its 9X forebear, to spawn a production model likely called the 9-1. Just how many of the high-tech features will make it into production? We'll see, though we are pretty sure both the hatchback and convertible body styles will make the transition.


[Source: AutoblogGreen]

Last week's release of a teaser showing the front end of the Saab 9-1 concept has been followed by the shot above procured by our friends at TrollhattanSaab. The cloaked profile pic answers one of the main questions we had, namely how Saab's designers decided to shape the rear hatch. It looks more upright than we would've assumed, which is a plus for both rear-seat headroom and cargo capacity.

The subtle rear wing looks like it integrates nicely into the roofline and, when compared to the 9x concept from way back in 2001, it looks like Saab is taking all the right cues from the Aero X.

Check the gallery below to compare the 9-1 to the 9x concept.



[Source: TrollhattanSaab]

We've got to give GM props on this one, since, unlike other automakers, it's blacked-out teaser isn't nearly as susceptible to Photoshop trickery. Regardless, Saab put up the image above on its media site announcing what we already knew: the Saab 9-1X concept is coming to Geneva and it's going to take all the right cues from its bigger brothers. Although the head-on shot gives us some clues about the concept's wide stance and aggressive snout, what we really want to know is how the designers have shaped the rear hatch. While it's assumed that a sloping rear roofline will terminate into a bulbous back end, we've heard rumors that a large overhang will be fitted at the top of the roof to give a sort of reverse-ducktail. The Geneva Motor Show is fast approaching and we're looking forward to seeing how Saab plans to do battle with the Audi A3 and Volvo C30.

[Source: Saab]