MGJohn

Saab-aru 92X

What's that all about then ..... what do the pure-bred Subaru enthusiasts think ...

Patt@firstime

tallsteve

I didn't think they were going to make it now..

For the mock-up shots I saw I thought it looked quite good, dare I say better than the current blobeye... Wonder if they'd consider doing an Aero or Viggen spec one, or would that be stepping on the STi's toes?

chris's scooby

Probably better made...

Wonder Wagon

Impreza floor pan, 4x4 drivetrain and engine (inc turbo model) saab styling

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

You can buy it in the US today - it was never meant to be sold here.

What do the 'pure-bred Subaru enthusiasts think'? Well, this one thinks all Saabs are ugly and that the 9-2X is no exception. The 2005 Impreza gets the same interior, which was the only area in which the Saab was actually a better car, so it seems pretty pointless to me. I guess it's all down to marketing at the end of the day, maybe Saab fans would never buy a Subaru and vice versa.

Senior_AP

A Subaru looking car thats built properly, and has an element of class about it.

Sounds good to me.

MGJohn

...av a butcher's:

http://www.forbescars.com/92x.html

Extract from above:

>>Low centre of gravity and reduced vibration. 4 cylinder box engine.<<

Box engine? Years ago, when I first lifted the bonnet/hood of an Impreza, I was surprised to see that that flat four was mounted SO high! Thus partially negating the advantages of a 'low slung' flat four or six

Neilo

hehe, if you look at the power output apparently the 2.0 turbo has 227bhp and 1217lbft!!!!! that aint bad torque then

Neil.

oreA

Evo Mag Report

"Saab 9-2X Aero

It may be an Impreza in drag, but Saab has thoroughly reworked this Subaru for the US

By the time you read this, I'll probably be no more. Tied up, flung into the boot of the Fast Fleet Volvo V70R and dumped in the middle of nowhere by the notoriously strict-but-fair evo Standards Committee. My crime? I'm about to praise a Saab as being a serious driver's car. Impossible, of course. So it looks like motoring editor Barker (in black cap) will sentence me to evo oblivion. But in the spirit of truthful journalism... here goes.

The new Saab 9-2X Aero is a better car than the stock Subaru Impreza WRX wagon on which it's based. Quite a lot better, in fact. Not only is it sharper, it's also more refined and less wearing to drive thanks to chassis modifications carried out by Saab engineers.

The changes were so admired by Subaru that Saab's suspension chief stayed on in Japan after the 9-2X project was finished to help out and it's expected some of his mods will find their way onto a facelifted Impreza later this year.

Still not convinced? I can see your point. After all, this looks like nothing more than an Impreza estate with a Saab nose. It's a cynical move, but the 9-2X exists because Saab's owners, General Motors, wanted to stop the tiny Swedish company from sliding into the North Sea. The only way to stop the rot was more product lines, and fast. GM encouraged Subaru to donate the Impreza wagon to help Saab get a jump on the premium compact market sector bandwagon, the newest American market niche. There are two 9-2X models for the US and Canada, a 165bhp 2.5-litre Linear and the 227bhp 2-litre turbo Aero.

The exterior changes are extensive. The 9-2X's nose is new from the windscreen forward, with new lights, bonnet and bumpers. The rear tailgate (complete with integrated spoiler) is also new, as are the tail lights and rear bumper.

Inside, there's been a big leap forward. Saab has given the car new door panels, centre console and instrument binnacle. The instrument faces have also been redesigned, while the seats are new and are trimmed in more luxurious materials. What can't be seen is the extensive sound deadening and detail refinement work. But it adds up, in more ways than one. One US magazine reckons the 9-2X is 82kg heavier than the stock Impreza.

The most important changes are to the chassis. The Impreza's spring settings have been left alone but tweaks have been made elsewhere. Up front, the turbocharged Aero gets modified dampers and the steering rack is now quicker. At the back there are modified dampers and 10mm shorter bump- stops. One of the suspension's lateral links has been swapped from steel to aluminium and the anti-roll bar linkage from steel to plastic. The 9-2X gets bespoke tyres, which are claimed to improve not only handling and steering but also ride comfort. New 16in alloys are standard, but there's a 17in option on the turbocharged Aero.

While the higher power model is more of an evo car, the 2.5-litre version was a real surprise. The engine is willing and enthusiastic and had the legs of the turbo model lower down the rev-range. Running on 16in wheels it was amazingly refined on rough concrete motorways where there was little of the Impreza's constant chuckachucka tyre roar.

Even though this Linear does without the new steering rack, the front wishbones are six-times stiffer than the Subaru's, which has improved the turn-in and steering response no end. Driven hard, the Linear does roll noticeably and there's more than a whiff of understeer in hard cornering. But on a fast cruise the Linear felt like it would be a fine tourer. We need this engine in the UK.

Saab's test cars had very few miles on the clock, so the 2-litre turbo engines were tight and unwilling. But the Aero felt like quite a different beast from the 2.5. The 17in wheels and low-profile tyres sharpen the car up further but also re-introduce road noise and constant background gruffness. The Aero's quicker steering and less roll-prone chassis give it a much more focused character. The razor-sharp front-end responses are highly impressive. It also stops well, with good pedal feel, and the whole car felt rigid and rattle-free.

But as fast as it is, this engine needs to be really stoked up, and driving the two versions back-to-back left me in no doubt that Subaru should junk the peaky 2-litre unit in the WRX and consider a turbocharged 2.5-litre engine. It would help the Saab's long-legged character, too.

So this is probably the best mainstream Impreza yet, although Subaru is poised with its own refreshed model. This is also probably the first performance Saab road test in history that didn't include the phrase 'torque steer'... Well, not until now, anyway."

MGJohn

Don't know how accurate it is, but, apparently it was SAAB who first introduced the average Joe Public car buyer to the benefits of Turbocharged production cars.... so they are not breaking any new ground really with the SAABaru ..

carl

Indeed it was. Although the BMW 2002 Turbo came first, it was designed to go round racetracks so the boost came on like a switch, and pretty high up the revs (I don't think it had a wastegate, so they had to prevent it from overspinning). The Saab 99 Turbo was the first "normal" production car with a turbo -- IIRC it was in 1977?

Dream Weaver

Looks good IMHO

martyrobertsdj

iTrader: (1)

Sorry.......but..........

I quite like it!!!!!!

I've always liked the look of the 9- series Sabb front ends, so to combine this with the superb chassis and running gear of the Impreza seems quite a good marketing ploy for Saab (and I suppose Subaru)

I'm not saying I'd buy one though!! LOL

Who knows.....maybe we'll see Solberg in a Saab in a few years eh???

After all......Saab are Scandinavian and we all know how THEY can drive rally cars!!!

Marty

turbotroll

The 99 turbo was the first mass produced turbocharged car, although Saab had previously experimented with turbochargers in some of their earlier rally cars. The 99 turbo is extremely usable (I have one - a red 2 door!) with the turbo kicking in at around 3000 rpm. In standard form they kick out around 145 bhp and 175 lb/ft of torque - you could also get the Saab water injection kit which, if I'm not mistaken, allowed power to be boosted to 175bhp/200lbft! The 99 turbo was THE car that paved the way for modern turbocharged cars!!