| New High-Performance Derivative | MPH 07 | Saah 9-3 Turbo X |
Evoking memories of turbocharged Saabs of old, the Swedish maker's latest high performance model elevates the Swedish brand's sporting pretensions well above what we've seen from the firm in recent years.
We saw it in the flesh over the weekend at the MPH 07 Show and the X certainly has plenty of visual clout on offer; we hope it has performance in equal measure. On paper it looks to be an exciting prospect, even if it is a fraction short on power in comparison to its similarly turbocharged, all-wheel drive competition from Japan.
The European manufacturer can rightly claim the bragging rights to some extent already; it's celebrating 30 years of turbocharging. However, in spirit it appears more closely matched to the
Mazda6 MPS than the obvious hooligans (the new Evo X and
Impreza WRX STI) emanating from Japan, even if they are all in a fight of one-upmanship to offer the most advanced all-wheel drive system possible. We're not complaining!
With a starting price of £32,495, the new Saab, which is based on the recently facelifted 9-3, is not cheap; however, it'll be a limited-run model - only 500 are destined for the UK market. For your money you get a turbocharged 2.8-litre V6 petrol unit that pushes out 280bhp and the new XWD transmission. Featuring 'active management' that splits torque between the front and rear axles, and between the rear wheels, Saab claims its all-wheel drive system will add a level of driver involvement and chassis control hitherto not seen from the company.
It's quite an exciting prospect when you consider its previous expertise in the art of turbocharging; combine that with the promising looking XWD setup and one might be forgiven for dribbling impatiently in hope that Saab may hit the nail on the head with this one.
It'll be available as either a saloon or Sportwagon and can be ordered as of now. The first customers should expect their Turbo X to arrive early in the New Year.
Richard Tanner - 7 Nov 2007