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Autocar staff
http://www.autocar.co.uk
10/10/2008 - 04:05 PM
London, UK
From its 9-X derived front end, the Air is entirely new. (Autocar photo) » More Photos
Six months is a long time in the car industry. Back in March, Saab revealed the striking 9-X hatchback concept, then billed as a new entry-level model to battle the Audi A3. Fast-forward to last month’s Paris motor show and the same 9-X has lost its roof to become this squat and purposeful 9-X Air concept, while at the same time metamorphosing into a slot one rung up Saab’s product ladder as the next-generation 9-3.
So what’s going on? A question best put to Saab AB managing director Jan Åke Jonsson. “We had planned to make the 9-3 as a platform variant of our new premium car, the next 9-5,” says Jonsson, “but we ended up with a car that wasn’t much smaller than the new 9-5.
“This became clear around the start of the year, so we had to find a different solution and the next-generation Astra is much closer to the right size. We’re very comfortable that this is the right decision.” So the next 9-3 will be significantly smaller than the current one.
At 174in. long, the 9-X Air is just shy of a Volvo S40, an obvious competitor for the next 9-3, although the Air’s concept car-tight overhangs result in an unusually long wheelbase of 107in., 2.5in. longer than an S40. If these dimensions carry through to the production 9-3, though, it’ll still mean that Saab’s smallest sedan
Saab's current 9-3 drop-top is due to be replaced in 2012/13. (Autocar photo) » More Photos
A brief passenger ride in the concept, however, proves that it should feel just as roomy as the current 9-3. The Air is wide for its class at a shade under 6ft, and the front cabin feels spacious and well endowed with shoulder room, not cramped or from a class below. It certainly feels roomier than a current 9-3 convertible.
Saab has also latched onto a key green point in downsizing. “Cars can’t keep on getting bigger and heavier,” says Jonsson. “We have to address issues like weight and size if we want to be serious about cutting emissions and improving economy.”
There’s another clue to Saab’s thinking on the next 9-3 in the Air’s powertrain, a 1.4-liter turbocharged four. It’s ethanol-powered, producing 200hp and 207lb ft of torque with 107g/km of CO2 emissions.
Jonsson says small-capacity turbos like this are the future for Saab, delivering power and economy and fitting with Saab’s heritage of gas-powered turbos, technology overwhelmed in Europe in recent years by the emergence of diesel.
The 1.4 also boasts hybrid add-ons such as a starter-generator and lithium battery, borrowed from the GM parts-bin. Saab is accelerating work on hybrids and by the time the next-generation 9-3 is on sale, around 2012/13, a hybrid model will be essential.
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