Monday, June 13, 2011

Saab 9-4X review

Saab 9-4X has Had a pretty tough decade. Tight Finances demanded shared platforms, the which made it Difficult to build traditional Saab products. Small budgets Nearly made it impossible to Achieve the Necessary for marketing penetration to attract new Saab customers.Finally, at the 11th hour, Saab was purchased by Dutch Spyker supercar builder. This time, it will from work. Saab Believes this is the first shared-platform vehicle (its mate is the Cadillac SRX) That truly embodies all of Saab's core qualities right from the start.The all-wheel-drive system is Saab's XWD, a front-drive-based Haldex system. In normal driving, the system splits power 90/10 front to rear.
Here is today's crossover conundrum: When is a not a Cadillac SRX Cadillac SRX? Answer: When it's a Saab 9-4X.Back then, of course, was still a ¬ Saab division of General Motors, and Dörrich ¬-a second-generation Saab-lifer ¬ oversaw development of the front-drive architecture that's the foundation for The SRX and the 9-4X. Euro character? Sport? Fun to drive? Distinctiveness? Besides the familiar Saab fascia and wraparound windshield, the roofline slants downward to the hatch with very little arc, à la Land Rover Evoque. The Saab is Also Offered with the 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6 (300 horsepower, 295 pound-feet) That Cadillac has discontinued as the optional unit for the SRX. The relationship with future Saabs will of diminish-for example, the company anticipates acquiring BMW engines for the next-generation 9-3, due for 2012-but for this vehicle, Saab Had little choice.The rear seats fold flat, and there's a nice Little storage well below the floor of the cargo bay. Unlike the SRX, the Saab's interior is subdued, with a Mostly black color scheme, albeit with high-quality materials and soft-touch surfaces. As noted, this is Basically a front-drive design, and it's Offered in front-and four-wheel drive; the latter is standard equipment in the Aero model. Marketing represents yet another distinction Between SRX and 9-4X. Cadillac targets the Lexus RX350, the gold standard for this class. Saab has picked a European opponent-the BMW X3 a pricing ladder-and that's a little lower Than That of the SRX. The base front-drive 3.0i starts at $ 34.205. All-wheel drive adds $ 2,495.
The newly-minted Saab 9-4X makes its debut this year with plenty of standard features and a price that's average for a luxury compact SUV. The Saab 9-4X


is the automaker's first entry into the fast-growing world of luxury compact SUVs. For instance, Saab's trademark push-button ignition is located in. Between the two front seats, Nowhere it would be on a plane. Also, most of Saab's cars have a wraparound interior reminiscent of a cockpit. The Saab 9-4X will from be equipped similarly to other compact luxury SUVs. Although the base model comes with vinyl seats, it has standard push button ignition with keyless entry, adaptive headlights, and Bluetooth connectivity. Higher trim levels offer even more features, like heated rear seats, rear-seat entertainment and standard all-wheel drive. The Volvo XC60 seats five and has Swedish roots like Saab does. It offers only 19 cubic feet with all seats in use and a maximum of 56.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat.It has 54.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the second row folded and 23.3 cubic feet of space with all