L.A. Auto Show: Saab 9X Air BioHybrid Concept

Saab is one of the world’s most charismatic brands and has the potential to be a huge hit for GM in the U.S. It's the four-wheeled delivery system for Euro chic, minimalistic style, green consciousness, all that good stuff.

It’s just too bad that the Trollhattan, Sweden-based firm is being starved of development dollars -– or krona –- and is actually on the block due to GM’s current cash worries. It doesn't help that Saab sales are down 31% for the first 10 months of 2008.

As a Saab fan, I feel the loss most keenly when I look at the Saab 9X Air BioHybrid Concept, the glitzy show-car version of a B-platform Saab 9-1 (Around the size of a BMW 1-series). The BioHybrid powertrain -– that is, a dual-mode gas-electric with flex-fuel capacity –- is already in GM’s pipeline. But the likelihood that the 9-1 will get built is small, and the possibility that it might include this gorgeous, hard-to-build canopy top is slim-to-none. But ooftah, is that cool.

-- Dan Neil

Comments

[Swade]

Actually, Dan, if Saab can survive GM's current woes, you'll see that sort of canopy top on the next 9-3 convertible.

The reason they're not going with a 9-1 is that they're going to build the next generation of the Saab 9-3 on a smaller architecture (moving from Epsilon to Delta, the compact premium platform).

Nice movement across the screen, too. Didn't look awkward at all. :-)

SW

[Ted Y]

Yes, that move across the screen was very innovative, loved it. Go SAAB!