Saab 9-4X Biopower Concept SUV
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This is a little late as it is a Detroit concept, but since the Saab 9-4X Biopower Concept will be one of the two concepts shown by the boys from Trollhattan at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, and it will be the concept’s first public European debut.
On the outside you have a rather sleek SUV that carries all of Saab’s styling cues, especially the three section grille at the front, also seen on the new Saab 9-3 and the Saab Aero X Concept. On the interior, you have a typical Saab interior, with a black dash and driver-oriented instrumentation which lights up in a signature Saab green.
The all-wheel drive underpining the Saab 9-4X Biopower Concept is Saab’s Cross Wheel Drive system from Haldex, which features torque vectoring to channel power to the wheel with the most traction without cutting off engine power or applying the brakes. It also automatically adjusts torque bias to help the vehicle follow the course set by the driver. The chassis rides on MacPherson struts at the front couple with aluminium control arm and knuckle, and an anti-roll bar, while the rear suspension uses a multi-link setup with aluminium H-arm and knuckle, and an anti-roll bar.
Under the hood is a bioethanol capable engine, a Saab speciality since two thirds of all car sales in Saab’s home ground of Sweden come with flex fuel engines. The Saab 9-4X Biopower’s 2.0 liter turbocharged direct injection all-aluminium engine with variable valve timing is E85 bioethanol capable, and produces 300 horsepower at 5,400rpm and 400Nm of torque between 2,600rpm and 5,100rpm, if fueled with E85. Using regular gasoline, the BioPower engine puts out 245 horses at 5,300rpm and 353Nm of torque between 2,500rpm to 5,250rpm.
The turbocharger is a single twin-scroll unit, blowing a 1.2 bar boost pressure. Thanks to direct injection, this boost pressure can be used together with a high compression ratio of 10.5:1. The engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic with manual shifting via steering wheel controls.
Preliminary testing shows a 0 to 100km/h time of 8 seconds, and a top speed of 235km/h. Look at more photos of the Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept SUV after the jump.
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February 27, 2008 @ 9:13 pm
This is handsome, but is it based on the Chevrolet Trailblazer platform?
February 28, 2008 @ 12:02 am
wonder why the rear exterior design is very familiar to me…copy from toyota mayb???
February 28, 2008 @ 12:38 am
It actually looks more like an Audi rather than a Saab. Maybe rear lights of Savvy?
February 28, 2008 @ 8:46 am
Those front and rear lights are wicked! Sweet… the grille too… I wonder how the Swedish are so good at designing simple but good-looking exteriors… Gotta love the evolution of their trademark jet-inspired dash
February 28, 2008 @ 8:58 am
its no longer trailblazer based. it is actually a new development with cadillac. the old 9-7x was the trailblazer. saab took a different direction by planning greater differentiation with the 9-4x after severe criticism on the styling of the 9-7x.