Saab 9-X BioHybrid
by: William Ford
Posted on: Wednesday, March 26th, 2008 at 1:59 am by: William Ford
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The next generation hybrid drive system Saab 9-X is truly a salacious green vehicle, and its ultra sleek 3-door hatchback design will make it a serious competitor in the luxury compact market.
In this case one can judge a book by its cover; the 9-X BioHybrid is just as sexy on the inside as it is on the exterior. The bio-fueled 1.4 liter turbocharged four produces 200bhp but don’t worry about the fuel consumption or drag, this new oddity has a rear roof spoiler that extends when the vehicle exceeds 43 mph. (An underbody diffuser also emerges at this speed to handle the airflow under the car.) Adding to the streamlined design of the 9-X is the lack of rearview mirrors and even exterior door handles. To reduce overhangs the wheels are pushed out all the way to corners on this long-roof hatchback.
The lustrous 9-X has revolutionized not only the silky body style but also created an ultra-efficient center console. So efficient in fact, that they design team over at Saab entirely dispensed of the traditional console for a new large panel design in front of the driver. All displays and controls are conveniently located between the top of the door molding over to where the old-style console was previously positioned. To increase room in the cargo area Saab tests out a disappearing floor feature. When one lowers the bottom half of the split tailgate the electrically powered slide-out floor is activated. We think this may be a direct rip-off of a James Bond design but we’ll let it slide, literally, because it’s so cool.
When you’re headed to the ski hill, or for a bike ride, the rear seats fold down presenting a new, grippy rubber material. This will hold in place any of those loose items banging around in back, preventing pesky scratches to the fine upholstery. It looks like the Mini has some new competition from General Motors innovative hybrid drive system in the viral Saab 9-X.
