2006 Saab 9-7x
By Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 1/16/2006
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LE MALBAIE, Quebec -- A sprint from Quebec City to Le Malbaie on route 138 along
the St. Lawrence River in Canada's French-flavored province of Quebec shows off the
exuberant personality and four-wheeling traction capacity of the first SUV to sport
the badge of Saab.
Yes, you read that right: Sweden's unique automaker, long-standing advocate of
small cars with turbo-charged engines directing all torque to the front wheels for
steering as well as gripping in order to plow steadily through arctic snow and ice, has
a large new non-turbo SUV with the up-front engine sending all power to all of the
wheels through an all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction system.
The new Saab is called 9-7x, with the 'x' denoting the AWD traction mode.
Conformed as a shapely mid-size SUV with four cabin doors and cushy leather-clad
seats for five passengers, Saab's newest product is packaged as a luxurious AWD
wagon with options for two naturally-aspirated engines including the first V8 for
Saab.
But before assuming that Saab's factories in Trollhattan, Sweden, have converted
assembly lines to produce AWD mechanisms and big V8 engines, you should
understand that the new 9-7x SUV is built to Saab's standards at a plant in Ohio
owned by General Motors.
With Saab organized now beneath the corporate umbrella of General Motors, it
seems that products and technologies from companies linked to GM may be leverage
through joint ventures for economic efficiency.
To develop a bona fide SUV for the Swedish brand, Saab's product planners jump-
started the design process by selecting as a foundation the GMT360 truck platform
and powertrains used to build the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Buick
Rainier wagons.
Then Saab's stylists and engineers applied Swedish design traits to the sleek
aerodynamic package plus premium appointments in the passenger compartment
and taut tuning for the suspension.
The result is a dashing design with knife-edge-keen lines and contours that diminish
the squareness of a SUV.
Actually, the 9-7x looks sleek because a wagon's rear bay is disguised due to
blacked-out center roof pillars and a forward tilt of back pillars plus wrap-around
black glass at rear corners.
Also, the curvy face features Saab's signature three-port grille sandwiched between
corner wrap-around multi-lens headlamps in a style that resembles Saab cars.
Inspiration for the layout of the 9-7x cabin came from the pilot-oriented cockpit of an
airplane.
Keep in mind that Saab is so steeped in aviation design that its name is an acronym
for "Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget," which translates into English as "Swedish
Airplane Company."
Plan for the cabin shows a pair of bucket seats on the front row and a bench for
three on the second row.
From the driver's bucket, all controls as well as the dashboard center stack tip
toward the driver.
Round analog gauges in the instruments cluster include a large tachometer to the
left of the centered speedometer, with all dials rimmed in chrome and displaying
faces in black and needles contrasted in white.
Saab aficionados will also find familiar Saab touches, such as sliding-plate air vents
in the dash and the ignition key switch planted on the center console.
Due to the long 113-inch wheelbase, legroom for the rear three-person bench is
ample. The seatback splits into sections and folds down to fashion a flat floor in the
cargo bay with double the space at 80 cubic feet.
Saab's SUV comes with a high content of standard equipment like power windows
and locks and mirrors, dual zone automatic climate system, adjustable floor pedals,
the leather upholstery with front seats adding heat elements and power controls plus
memory settings, a Bose sound system with six-disc CD changer and XM satellite
radio service.
Options range from a moonroof to a DVD-based video entertainment system for
backseat riders plus OnStar telecommunications with a DVD-based navigation
system.
We select the base issue 9-7x for our trek north on twisty two-lane route 170
traveling across fir-covered mountains to La Baie on the Saguenay River.
Saab's work on the GMT360 chassis includes a one-inch drop in the ride height, to
lower the vehicle's center of gravity, and reinforcements at the front end of the
frame to support the stiffer suspension.
Dunlop all-season tires -- P255/55R18 -- were specified for road-gripping capability
and they mount on 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels.
Also, a quick steering gear ratio for the rack and pinion steering system in concert
with stiff mounts conspire to produce tight and responsive sensations for the steering
with a good on-center feel.
As a result, the 9-7x handles all of the kinks and curves of the convoluted road to La
Baie with confidence-inspiring agility as a sophisticated and smart AWD system
keeps the four tread patches planted firmly on pavement.
The AWD device operates automatically and requires no input from the driver.
For stopping, four large vented disc brakes with front aluminum dual piston calipers
connect to an intelligent four-wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS) with electronic
stability control (ESC).
Passive safety equipment extends to dual-stage frontal air bags for both front seats
plus curtain-style side air bags for outboard seats in front and back as keyed to a
rollover sensing system (RSS).
And within the five-place cabin, Saab's SUV reveals an impressive quality of
quietness in terms of reducing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).
For locomotion, 9-7x presents two choices.
Standard engine is the in-line-six powerplant developed by GM to generate the high
horsepower of a V8 but the fuel efficiency of a V6. The 4.2-liter six, with dual
overhead cams and four valves for every cylinder, delivers 290 hp at 6000 rpm and a
flat band of torque to 277 lb-ft at 3600 rpm.
Optional power comes from a 5.3-liter V8 with GM's Displacement on Demand (DOD)
technology to pare by half the number of cylinders engaged in the combustion
process to conserve fuel when boosted power is not needed. It makes as much as
300 hp at 5200 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm.
A smooth-shifting GM Hydra-Matic 4L60-E four-speed automatic transmission mates
with either engine.
Saab whittles price points for the 9-7x as low as $38,270.
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| 2006 SAAB 9-7X VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Mid-size 4-door SUV wagon |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size 4-door SUV wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
113.0 inches |
| Overall Length: |
193.2 inches |
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 4.2-L I6, OHV 5.3-L V8 DOD |
| Transmission: |
Auto/4/4L60-E |
| Drive: |
AWD/Autotrac |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc, ABS/ESC/RSS |
| Airbags: |
2 (front), 4 (side curtain) |
| Gross Weight: |
I6: 6001 pounds, V8: 6001 pounds, Maximum trailer towing I6: 5500 pounds, V8: 6500 pounds |
| Gas Mileage: |
I6: 15/21 mpg, V8: 15/19 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
I6: $ 38,270, V8: $ 40,270 |
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