Saab 9-4X SUV draws closer

Saab's 9-4X Concept, which was first seen at the 2008 Detroit motor show, is now -- as indicated by these shots recently snapped by the Carparazzi team -- a virtual reality.

The large Saab SUV shares its platform with Cadillac's upcoming 2010 SRX and sits at a similar level to the likes of BMW's X5 and the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class.

The production 9-4X is expected to hit the international market some time in 2010, offering compatibility with a wide range of fuel options varying from straight petrol or ethanol to E85 bioethanol that mixes 85 per cent ethanol with 15 per cent unleaded.

In the 9-4X Concept, the engine was a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo with outputs of 221kW on more efficient E85 fuel, or 182kW on straight petrol. A 1.4-litre 147kW BioPower hybrid engine with emissions as low as 105g/km on E85 fuel was also showcased with the 9-4X Concept.

According to Carparazzi, the 9-4X will also be available with a turbodiesel engine developed in a joint project by General Motors and Italian diesel engine specialist VM Motori that produces 186kW and a massive 550Nm for seriously grunty performance.

The 9-4X will also use Saab's XWD on-demand all-wheel-drive system with an electronically controlled rear limited-slip differential. Early reports suggest the 9-4X's driveability will challenge that of high-credibility rivals such as the BMW X5.

The new Saab will be built at the GM plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, with production due to start at the end of 2009 -- although sources are saying the startup date may now be delayed by several months as GM sorts out its financial woes.

The 9-4X is to be paraded as a sort of rebirth for the Swedish brand, which has been bogged down in an identity crisis for some years, particularly in the USA where various products -- such as a now-defunct Saab-badged Subaru (Saabaru) -- have muddied its identity.

Australia? Considering the 9-4X isn't on the market anywhere right now, there's little we can do but speculate however, if the car makes it to an international launch in 2010 then maybe 2011 is on the cards. With the Saab brand still enjoying a certain credibility here, the 9-4X could only be a good thing.