| Make
|
Saab |
| Model |
9-X
Air |
| Concept
year |
2009 |
| Production
year |
- |
| Engine |
Hybrid,
flex-fuel/electric |
|
The Saab 9-X Air concept is effectively
a four seat speedster |
 |
 |
The Saab 9X Air concept is a four seat convertible which
was revealed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. The 9X Air
is a preview of a future premium hatchback model from
Saab. Something to compete against the likes of BMW's
MINI and the Volvo C30.
The Saab 9X Air displays the same exterior styling features
of other models in Saab's lineup. The neat and uncluttered
front end suits the car very well. However the most striking
feature of the 9X Air is the unusual convertible roof
and sloping tail section. In another unorthodox step Saab
have integrated the rear window into the rear body work
(instead of being part of the roof), the window can be
raised or lowered electronically.
The interior of the Saab 9X Air concept is characterized
by clean styling lines, and a clearly defined driver zone
highlighted by white trim. The passenger zones, both front
and back, are surrounded by black trim. The advanced digital
dash display wraps around the driver and offers up information
in a striking luminescent green hue.
Powering the Saab 9X Air concept is a front mounted 1.4
litre turbocharged engine which is E85 biofuel capable.
This works in conjunction with an electric motor powered
by Li-ion batteries. Sending the power to the front wheels
is a six-speed transmission.
Similar and related vehicles:
Saab Aero X 
Saab 9-X Air Concept press release:
The 9-X Air concept 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 four-seat accommodation.
In breaking the mould of conventional convertible design,
the bodywork of the 9-X Air incorporates prominent rear
pillars which curve upwards to mount the flat folding
Canopy Top. They also anchor a distinctive, wraparound
glasshouse, including a separate, recessed rear screen.
Designer Anthony Lo and his team have achieved this execution
while still offering the four season, four seater practicality
pioneered by Saab when its first convertible concept was
premiered at the Frankfurt Show exactly 25 years ago.
Top down or up, the 9-X Air cuts a distinctive silhouette.
With the canopy stowed away 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 coupé, with
a cohesive design that eschews the looks of a conventional,
four-seater 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% bioethanol/ 15% gasoline), the
engine delivers a sporty 200 hp (147 kW), giving zero
to 100 kph acceleration in 8.1 seconds and projected CO2
tailpipe emissions of just 107 g/km over the combined
cycle. Compared to gasoline, the overall environmental
impact on a source-to-wheel basis 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 developed
from a Targa top principle. 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 in 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 deck.
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 then 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 nomadic devices, both
first seen in the 9-X BioHybrid.
The driver information zone encompasses the top of the
door moulding. 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 multiple
nomadic 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 could also be programmed to remotely lock
/unlock the car, raise or lower the Canopy Top, and even
remotely change in-car pre-sets. The 9-X Air makes a separate
car key fob or remote controller redundant
Efficiency in Design and Performance:
The 9-X Air has been created by a team under Anthony Lo,
Director of Advanced Design at General Motors Europe,
working in co-operation 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.” says 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 Saabish
way. “ |
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