Autoblog

The next stab at a Saab SUV is reportedly going to be... a Saab. Word is that the newest hauler will have "Saab-DNA design and technology." Designed by teams in Sweden and Germany, that means an Aero-X-like snout, some combi-type curves in the back, and an ascending shoulder line. No word on engines yet, but there looks to be a full range of options, and dealers who have seen the final car are excited. This is all very good news to Saab mavens who don't want another badge-engineered Tahoe. For the rest of us, our first chance to see it could be as soon as the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

[Source: Next Autos]

Click above for high-res gallery of Saab 9-4X spy shots

What we have here are the first spy shots showing a production prototype of the upcoming Saab 9-4X crossover. This CUV was first revealed as the 9-4X BioPower Concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, and as you can see from the spy shots in our gallery, the production version will be very similar to what we saw on stage in January. The Swedish designers even retained the sloping roof that begins its descent all the way up front at the a-pillars.

The 9-4X is based on a heavily modified version of GM's Theta platform that also incorporates elements of the company's Epsilon 2 platform, effectively making it a unique chassis on which only this CUV and the upcoming Cadillac Provoq CUV will be based. We know the 9-4X will be offered with Saab's new XWD all-wheel-drive system, and engine choices should be similar to the rest of Saab's range and include turbocharged four- and six-cylinder motors. (Yes, the 9-7X SUV is offered with a naturally aspirated six- and eight-cylinder engine, but that doesn't count.) Since the 9-4X will also be sold globally, we're hoping the U.S. market gets a diesel version, as well. Brenda Priddy hints that a 250-horsepower diesel is in the works. Okay, Saab. Now you've got our attention.


[Photos: Brian Williams for Brenda Priddy & Company]