2011 Saab 9-4X – First Drive Review « New and Used Car Listings

2011 Saab 9-4X – First Drive Review

Here is today’s crossover conundrum: When is a Cadillac SRX not a Cadillac SRX? Answer: When it’s a Saab 9-4X.

Peter Dörrich probably won’t like that answer too much. But he probably wouldn’t argue about it, either, since he was the engineering honcho for both vehicles when they began their gestation in 2005.

Back then, of course, Saab was still a ­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. And like his Cadillac colleagues, he insists that these foundations have nothing to do with GM’s Theta  architecture (read: Chevy Equinox); the official code at Saab is TE.

Since then, GM has severed its financial ties to the Swedish carmaker, and Dörrich is back home at Saab’s historic HQ in Trollhättan, Sweden, where he finds himself in charge of a broader agenda as chief engineer for mid-size vehicles. But he’s happy about the 9-4X because, under his baton—and with GM’s blessing—he was able to instill Saabness as development of  the two vehicles went forward.

But what is Saabness? It was readily definable in the long-ago days of the 900 three-door turbo. In the Late GM Period, Saabness apparently amounted only to an ignition switch relocated to the center console, as on the Chevrolet TrailBlazer–based 9-7X. But it’s a trait the newly independent company is trying to rekindle and reshape. What are the components? Euro character? Sport? Fun to drive? Distinctiveness?

Assessed in terms of those putative goals, the 9-4X might seem to be an unlikely instrument for achieving them. Like the SRX, it’s heavy—as much as 4700 pounds in top-of-the-line Aero trim, our preview sample here. With the Aero’s standard 300-hp, 2.8-liter turbo V-6, it delivers acceleration that’s adequate—maybe a little better than adequate in two-lane passing situations—but a long way from thrilling.

In fact, thrilling isn’t part of  the deal here, another characteristic the 9-4X shares with its Cadillac counterpart. But this is not to say there are no distinctions between the two.

The SRX and the 9-4X may share the same architecture—exemplary in terms of rigidity—but even the most casual observer is unlikely to confuse one with the other. Besides the familiar Saab fascia and wraparound windshield, the roofline slants downward to the hatch with very little arc, à la Land Rover Evoque. And the blacked-out B-pillars lend drama to the profile, reminding us of the new Ford Explorer.

The 9-4X team also suggests that there are hints of the old cult-fave 900 hatchback in the new vehicle’s rear-window design, though it would take a very keen and practiced eye to perceive this. On the other hand, the Saab’s rear window is bigger than the Caddy’s, providing a much better view of whatever’s going on behind.

But there are no significant mechanical distinctions between SRX and 9-4X. They are both powered by  the same standard 3.0-liter V-6 (265 horsepower, 223 pound-feet of torque). 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 2.8T engine is mated to an Aisin-Warner six-speed automatic transmission, operable in manumatic mode via paddle shifters.

Commonality extends inside to some of the switchgear, as well as GM’s OnStar service. Even though GM was once ready to perform last rites for its Swedish subsidiary, the umbilical connection between the two companies includes production at GM’s plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico. The relationship will diminish with future Saabs—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.

Like the SRX, the 9-4X is strictly a two-row proposition, comfortable for four but not so good for five, thanks to the center console. 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. The seats are well shaped, with sporty  bolstering; the instruments and dashboard will look familiar to anyone who’s been in a Saab recently; and the Denso nav system is excellent.

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. In normal operation, the power split is 90/10, front to rear, but it can vary to as much as 10/90, contingent on traction conditions, with side-to-side torque vectoring at the rear.