Saab 9-7X
by Matthew de Paula

Saab's 9-7X is the latest plug in the Swedish automaker's line-up, which executive director of design Michael Mauer concedes has holes. It's based on GM's Chevy Trailblazer/ GMC Envoy and is Saab's response to the 30 percent of customers leaving to buy another brand's four-door SUV.

Saab shirked ruggedness for "sporty refinement" with a sleek exterior that's cladding-free and smooth on both ends, lacking big bumper offsets. A lower stance paired with 18-inch alloys and blacked out D-pillars that seem to extend the rear quarter windows around the back also help. Mauer is particularly proud of the fluid one-piece front fascia incorporating a typical Saab grille.

The upscale, stylized interior is also key. "I think that will be most important to distinguish it from the other entries in this class," he says. Even though the sweeping instrument panel, distinctive air vents and center-console ignition key are signature Saab, the steering wheel screams GM. And despite a softened exterior, creases above rear wheel wells belie the Chevy sheetmetal Saab designers started with. Whether owners will notice or even care is another matter.

The all-wheel-drive 9-7X goes on sale in the US early 2005, priced between $37,000 and $45,000. It follows the recent launch of Saab's Subaru Impreza-based 9-2X, also aimed at augmenting the line-up. The company will be focusing on redesigning its aging 9-5 and further fleshing out the product portfolio with new entries, says Mauer, who tries to spend at least two days a week in the studio working on the models: "I still like to smell the clay."

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