Basato sul TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy, e' chiaramente destinato al mercato Americano il nuovo SUV by SAAB. Come confermano pure le motorizzazioni annunciate: un 4.2 6 cilindri in linea da 275cv e un V8 5.7 da 300cv. I prezzi varieranno tra $37'000 e $45'000.

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Saab at last has the vehicle it hopes will keep some of its buyers from defecting to SUVs of their own. It's Saab's own mid-size SUV, the 2005 9-7X, which bows at the New York Auto Show this week and will be available exclusively in North America.

With the 9-7X Saab is expanding its model lines to four. The Swedish brand is the fastest growing European premium nameplate on the American market, but has been missing the light-truck segment's booming sales. With its own mid-luxury SUV Saab hopes to grab its fair share of that market, which is predicted to be as big as 470,000 units by the end of 2005.

The driving force behind adding the sport-ute was market research that revealed that 39 percent of Saab drivers in the U.S. have a SUV in the household, whereas nearly 30 percent of the Saab customers have left the brand to purchase a four-door SUV.

For the 9-7X Saab had to turn to Chevrolet. The new Saab is technically based on the TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy and will be built in Ohio, becoming the second Saab with the 9-2X that is not assembled in Sweden and will not (yet) be marketed in Europe.

In December, Saab unveiled its 9-2X sports compact, based on the 4WD platform of the Subaru Impreza and built by Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan. Critics, mainly in Europe, thought Saab was going into the wrong direction, by rebadging models from other GM-divisions. But after the presentation of the 9-2X they were not so outspoken anymore. The same applies to the 9-7X, as the Swedes have brought its unique characteristics into the design of its model, both on the exterior as on the interior - for example, the center console ignition key and the distinctive air vents. The cockpit, too, is driver oriented with the instrument panel's center stack and controls angled toward the driver.

The 9-7X has a wheelbase of 113 inches and is 193.4 inches long. The luggage compartment holds up to 41 cubic feet and with the seatback folded down, 80.1 cubic feet. The 60/40 split rear seat is standard, as well as a trailer hitch receiver and cover. The V-8 model is estimated to have a maximum towing capacity of 6500 lb.

The 9-7X is tuned to be more of a driver's vehicle than its American cousins. It uses a uniquely tuned double A-arm front suspension with coil springs and a multi-link, electronically controlled rear air suspension, a low ride height, thick front stabilizer and stiff upper control arm bushings in the rear. Together with a stiffened front section of the frame, a quicker 18.5:1 steering gear ratio is designed to help improve steering precision and responsiveness.

Saab offers the 9-7X with a choice of two engines: the 4.2-liter in-line six with 275 hp and a maximum torque of 275 lb-ft and the 5.3-liter V-8 with 300 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are teamed to a four-speed automatic transmission. On demand all-wheel drive is standard on both models, while traction is enhanced by standard preloaded-clutch limited-slip differential at the rear. Four ventilated disc brakes, with aluminium dual-piston callipers up front and ABS, provide stopping power. Eighteen-inch aluminum wheels are standard (with P255/55 high performance all-season Dunlops), as well as leather trimmed seats, an advanced sound system and dual stage front airbags, head curtain side airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners with load limiters and a rollover sensing system.

Production is scheduled to start in January 2005, at GM's Ohio assembly plant. The price of the Saab 9-7X will be between $37,000 and $45,000.

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Bleahhh.. si vede che gli interventi sono posticci, a me non piace, per niente..

io segnalo solo i 45.000 $ , che al cambio attuale (1.22 circa) sono 36.900 euro..per un 5.7 V8....

36'000 euro ? Dovrebbe scapparci il Sorento 3.5 V6 (quando arriva)  

cosi di primo impatto e con una sola foto non è male...(forse perchè non conosco l'originale? ;-) )

certo che con quei motori ha ben poco del sapore Saab....un bel V6 turbo no?

ma bene, di questo passo "Saab" rischia di diventare un etichetta per auto pre-confezionate sul mercato USA...non bastava la Saab Impreza (9-2X).  
Chissà che il futuro non sia veramente questo: lanciare un'Alfa in Giappone? si fa una joint venture con la Toyota e si piazza il marchio sul cofano....bah....
trovo tutto questo sempre più discutibile

caro il mio leader dell'opposizione , sarebbe una grandissima figata ! una Alfa  Skyline Gt  Quadrifoglio Verde la vedrei benissimo !! magari in allestimento luxury ........

Oltretutto mi chiedo se gli Americani possano davvero essere interessanti ad una Chevrolet travestita da saab piuttosto che l'originale trailblazer. E sappiamo che rimangono piuttosto nazionalisti.

Mah... mi sembra un'operazione un po' campata in aria. Volendo capisco di piu' la 9-2X... almeno e' basata su una giapponese....

Niente contro la Skyline ma.. non bestemmiamo per favore! Già vogliono montare sulle Alfa i motori Gm.. ci manca solo l'Alfa giapponese

Ti dirò, meglio su base skyline che su base opel...  

Spero che arrivi anche da noi con un bel diesel.
COme spero che inizino ad importare direttamente i veri pick up!!

Pick-up?? Scherzi... le città non sono già abbastanza sature così?? Ci mancano solo i bestioni da 5x2 metri!! Da me ne girano un paio.. cavolo occupano lo spazio di due macchine! Senza contare quello che inquinano, nell'altro thread parli di rinnovo del parco circolante per ridurre le emissioni e poi scrivi che vorresti che importassero bestioni da 25 quintali e mossi da V8 over 5 litri??

Sai ognuno ha i suoi controsensi... per un Hummer o un mega Dodge RAm... potrei chiudere un occhio...  

Ma da 1 a 10 quanto è orribile?! 250 milioni di miliardi?!

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