Saab PhoeniX Concept at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

• Looks like: The Saab Aero X concept, now featuring more “Tron” 
• Defining characteristics: Hybrid all-wheel-drive capability, Android-powered multimedia system 
• Ridiculous features: Two roof-mounted “winglets” 
• Chance of being mass-produced: The undercarriage will be applied to the next 9-3 

Historically, Saab has been known for its fuel-efficient and quirky-styled cars, though under General Motors’ stewardship many Saab models lost a lot of their luster. The just-unveiled Saab PhoeniX concept illustrates a potential push by Saab’s new owners to return the company to its founding ethos.

Let’s be clear: The PhoeniX concept isn’t a thinly veiled production car. It’s more of a statement by Saab of what it wants to be. The PhoeniX is a 2+2 coupe, featuring all the common staples you’d expect on a concept vehicle: butterfly doors, abstract interior, humongous wheels and little side-mirror camera replacements.

More Saab 9-5 SportCombi Photos and Video

The 2011 Geneva International Motor Show is shaping up to be a promising stage for vehicles that will eventually show up in the States. One of those cars is the 2012 Saab 9-5 SportCombi.

We’ve shown you a teaser shot before, but the wagon’s profile was fully revealed today in both photos and a promotional video.

There aren’t too many surprises in the front. Of course, it’s the tailgate that’ll catch your eye with its wraparound greenhouse. It's accomplished with blacked-out D-pillars, integrated rear spoiler and a full-width rear light bar.

2012 Saab 9-3 at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

• Competes with: Audi A4, Infiniti G37, Lexus IS, Buick Regal
• Looks like: We’ll have to wait a long time for a truly new 9-3
• Drivetrain: 210-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder, front- or all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Late 2011

If you were hoping Saab would roll out a significantly upgraded 9-3 to sell besides its revamped 9-5, you’re in for a bit of a letdown. The independently owned company may have distanced itself from General Motors on the corporate side of things, but the 2012 9-3 being rolled out at the 2011 Geneva International Motor Show is barely changed from the 2011 model you can buy in the U.S. today. And that car is barely altered from when it was last overhauled as a 2003 model.

That’s a long time for any vehicle, especially one at luxury prices. The power plant remains the same as the current model. U.S. buyers will get a 210-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder in front- or all-wheel drive. It’s a fun package with lots of turbo boost pressing you back in the seat, but it isn’t as refined as more modern turbos.
 
The exterior gets some significant stylistic changes in terms of headlight and taillight treatments and lower bumpers, but otherwise it looks similar to the 2011. Inside, there are some new trim pieces, but we can tell from the early photos that it, too, maintains the dated GM feel of the current model.
 
Saab does have the new 9-4X crossover going on sale in the U.S. this spring. The 9-4X is based on one of GM’s more modern designs that is also the basis of the Cadillac SRX. The new 9-5 sedan is also a step forward for the brand, but not a huge one, according to our full review.
 
A completely redesigned 9-3 will be vital to the brand’s resurgence, and we hope one will get to market soon.

Preorder a Saab 9-4X and Get a Free iPad

As Saab prepares to launch its new crossover, the 9-4x, the automaker is trying to drum up consumer awareness by giving away Apple iPads with the first 500 preorders.

Preordering a 9-4x doesn’t require any cash down. Simply go to the automaker’s registration site and submit the form.

Once you do that, you can either pick up your iPad at your local Saab dealership and pay the $500, plus tax, for the Apple tablet before your CUV arrives or wait until after the vehicle’s delivery and get the computer for free.

For the tech nerds amongst us — this is a 16-gigabyte iPad with Wi-Fi only.

The Saab 9-4x has a starting price of $34,205, excluding a destination fee. The first Saab crossover rolled off the production line yesterday in Mexico. Expect sales to begin in May here.

Recall Alert: 2010-11 Saab 9-3

Saab is recalling about 4,400 9-3 sedans from the 2010 and 2011 model years over a defective fuel pump, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, the fuel pump may seize and fail, causing the engine to stall and increasing the risk of a crash. The vehicles affected by the recall were built between June and October 2010. There have been no reported accidents or injuries because of the defect, Saab says.

Saab will begin notifying owners Feb. 18 and replace the fuel pumps at no charge. For more info, owners can call Saab at 800-955-9007 or NHTSA’s safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

New Saab 9-5 SportCombi Coming to U.S.

Station wagon fans in the U.S. haven’t had much to cheer about lately. For every Acura TSX Sport Wagon we gain, we lose a Mazda6 or Volvo V70. That’s why it’s good news to learn that the redesigned Saab 9-5 will not only get a SportCombi wagon variant, it will also go on sale in the U.S. this fall.
 
The SportCombi debuts in March at the Geneva International Motor Show, but we’ve got images aplenty below. Trim details and powertrain information weren’t available today, but Saab says it will have a turbo engine and XWD all-wheel drive. We’d hazard a guess that the wagon may only come with all-wheel drive in the U.S.
 
The cargo area will feature a multifold floor and a sealed wet storage compartment underneath the cargo floor. The cargo area is 18.6 cubic feet with the rear seats in place and expands up to 56 cubic feet when they’re folded down. Those figures are much more in line with BMW’s old 5 Series wagon at 17.7 and 58.3 cubic feet, respectively, versus the current Volvo XC70, which has a huge cargo area at 33.3 and 72.0 cubic feet.

2012 Saab 9-4X Video

Many people thought Saab was on its way out last year, joining the now-deceased Hummer, Saturn and Pontiac. Saab is a survivor, though. And with the new 2012 9-4X, along with the 2010 9-5, the brand is experiencing a vehicle renaissance. Cars.com editor Kelsey Mays believes the 9-4X is promising overall, so long as Saab corrected the sloppy handling and the sluggishness of the 3.0-liter V-6 we found on its sibling, the 2010 Cadillac SRX.

2012 Saab 9-4X: Up Close

Yesterday, Saab unveiled its small luxury crossover, the long-awaited 9-4X. Roughly the same size as its platform sibling, the Cadillac SRX — and a mite smaller than Saab’s last SUV, the Chevy Trailblazer-based 9-7X — the 9-4X goes on sale next spring. At the L.A. auto show, we checked out a top-of-the-line 9-4X Aero.

 More L.A. Auto Show Coverage

 I’m not sold on the styling. Saab differentiated the 9-4X well enough from the SRX, but both cars share an abundance of gray plastic cladding around their base. It’s functionally rugged, but cheap-looking for a premium vehicle.

2012 Saab 9-4X Gets YouTube Reveal

Yes, it’s 5:23 a.m. here in Los Angeles, but that seems to be the perfect time for Saab to Tweet that it has launched the above video, revealing the production version of the 9-4X Crossover.

We’ll have more photos and information later today, but at this stage of our coffee consumption we just hope we get the embed code pasted properly.

More L.A. Auto Show Coverage

Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Saab 9-5

The 2010 Saab 9-5 is the first vehicle from the newly independent and reanimated Swedish automaker. To survive in the short-term, Saab needs the 9-5 to be a hit with car buyers, but that’s not exactly a surefire bet, says Cars.com senior editor David Thomas. On the outside, the 9-5 exudes style, with just the right amount of retro cues to tug at the heartstrings of Saab loyalists. Unfortunately, the 9-5 already looks and feels outdated on the inside. Despite the so-so interior, is there enough worth bragging about on the new 9-5 besides its quirkiness? Continue reading to find out.

2010 Saab 9-5 Review

2010|Saab|9-5