Saab isn’t letting the economy take the wind out of their…convertibles. Having already introduced a special edition 9-3 2.0T a few days ago, Saab is reinforcing its convertible heritage with a new concept car based off the 9-X BioHybrid.
Highlights
- “A design vision exploring what a future open-air Saab could look like”
- Innovative glass canopy
- Powered by Saab’s 1.4L BioPower Engine (E85)
- 200-horsepower & estimated 0-60 of 8.1 seconds
- Driver information zone uses five embedded display screens
- Features Sony Erikson technology for bluetooth integration from multiple sources
- Bluetooth devices can be programed to lock or unlock the car and/or even open the canopy top.
The Pics
The Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Convertible Concept, which makes its North American debut today at the Los Angeles Auto Show, is a design vision exploring what a future open-air Saab could look like. It features a unique Canopy Top (patent pending) and the close-coupled proportions of a sports car, as well as seating for four.In breaking the mold of conventional convertible design, the bodywork of the 9-X Air incorporates prominent rear pillars that curve upward to mount the flat-folding Canopy Top. They also anchor a distinctive, wraparound glasshouse, including a separate, recessed rear screen.
Lead designer Anthony Lo and his team executed this design while still offering the four-season, four-seat practicality pioneered by Saab when it premiered its first convertible concept 25 years ago at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
Top down or up, the 9-X Air cuts a distinctive silhouette. With the canopy stowed and the rear screen up, occupants can enjoy open-top motoring free from buffeting. Top up, the 9-X Air assumes the appearance of a true coupe, with a cohesive design that eschews the looks of a conventional, four-seat convertible.
Designed in parallel with the Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept, the 9-X Air shares its distinctive frontal styling, together with its highly efficient powertrain. The small, 1.4-liter Saab BioPower engine combines a series of steps for more responsible performance: engine rightsizing, turbocharging, the use of biofuels and hybrid technology.
Running on E85 fuel (85 percent bioethanol and 15 percent gasoline), the engine delivers a sporty 200 horsepower (147 kW), providing 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) acceleration in 8.1 seconds and projected carbon dioxide tailpipe emissions of just 107 g/km over the combined cycle. Compared to gasoline, the overall source-to-wheel environmental impact of using E85 is even more beneficial.
Progressive design
The clean, sculpted body contours of the 9-X Air give fresh expression to Saab’s Scandinavian-inspired design ethos and its aircraft heritage. The purposeful stance, with minimal overhangs front and rear, is complemented by a single, wraparound window graphic, smooth uncluttered body surfaces and “ice block” lighting themes.
The exterior look is defined by the prominent C-pillars, or buttresses, that provide the rear mounting for the unique Canopy Top – a powered, flat-folding roof. This innovation in convertible design, which distinguishes between a folding roof and a complete folding soft-top or hood assembly, is subject to a Saab patent application.
The Canopy Top is fabric, rather than metal, to save weight and provide more efficient packaging. It is fully automatic in operation and folds neatly in three small sections under a rear tonneau cover in the trunk. The rear screen between the buttresses retracts automatically into the underside of the raised tonneau cover to allow stowage of the Canopy Top. The screen moves back into position to provide a complete glass surround for the cabin in open-top mode.
This “surround glass” feature, together with an active wind deflector on top of the windshield header rail, provides enhanced occupant comfort. It minimizes buffeting, reduces back drafts and eliminates the need for a wind deflector net. Separating the rear screen from the folding top also enables a glass area larger than feasible with a soft top and integral screen.
In a further break with design convention, the 9-X Air dispenses with a trunk lid. Instead, a large storage compartment, big enough to accommodate two golf bags, slides out from underneath the rear light bar. To save weight, it is spring-loaded, without any power assistance, and slides effortlessly on rollers. Revealed underneath the sliding drawer is a separate compartment for stowing smaller items.
Driver focus
Inside, the 9-X Air features innovative developments in its driver-focused cockpit design and the provision of seamless connectivity for personal electronic devices, both first seen in the 9-X BioHybrid.
The driver information zone encompasses the top of the door molding. It is a fresh execution of Saab’s traditional, driver-focused cockpit layout and dispenses with a central, floor-mounted console. The zone is a flat, arc-shaped surface, within which a row of five display screens is embedded and illuminated in green 3-D graphics, including an “infotainment” screen and control panel in the driver’s door.
In co-operation with Sony Ericsson, the 9-X Air and its hatchback sibling also showcase the potential for seamless, wireless connectivity (Bluetooth) with one or more multiple devices (mobile phones, PDAs, etc.). The in-car interface enables streaming of data, entertainment and satellite navigation functions, which are transferred automatically to the car while the device remains in the user’s pocket.
The smarter the device, the more functions in the car. The same unit can also be programmed to remotely lock or unlock the car, raise or lower the Canopy Top, and even remotely change in-car presets. The 9-X Air eliminates the need for a separate car key fob or remote controller.
Efficiency in design and performance
The 9-X Air was created by a team headed by Lo, director of advanced design at General Motors Europe, working in cooperation with the Saab Brand Center in Sweden.
“Like the 9-X BioHybrid, this car is all about efficiency in design and performance, and that includes the Canopy Top.” said Lo. “It offers important benefits in weight-saving and packaging, as well as giving us the freedom to take convertible design forward in a very Saab way.”
The 9-X Air underlines Saab’s leading role in convertible design, and will be revealed 25 years after the first convertible from Saab was shown at the international Frankfurt Auto Show.
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Published November 20, 2008 by Zane Merva
Filed Under: Auto Shows, Concept Cars, News