The new 9-4X crossover, revealed in mid-September and headed for its official debut in Los Angeles next month, could be delayed for U.S. sale until early 2010, according to an inside source. The waiting game appears to be as much a gamble on improved market conditions as it is related to the car's development, since it's already very near production status.
Underlying the comments from the 'deep throat' source from within Saab, uncovered by Trollhattan Saab is a current of patience and planning. Many models are being pushed back, not the least of which is the new and hotly anticipated 9-4X crossover.
While details on the equipment and features of the production 9-4X will have to wait until the Los Angeles Auto Show, expectations for the car include a 2.0L turbocharged petrol engine developing 245hp (183kW) and 295lb-ft (400Nm) of torque. Drive will be sent to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission, and at full tilt the 9-4X will accelerate from 0-72mph (0-100km/h) in 6.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 155mph (250km/h). Those are impressive figures for what amounts to a small-to-midsize SUV.
North American versions of the car could feature a 284hp (209kW) petrol V6 engine also mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. There’s also the possibility that Saab could also offer General Motors’ upcoming 250hp (184kW) and 550Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque V6 turbodiesel. Either engine would offer even better performance than the small turbo, though only the diesel would compete on efficiency.
A concept version of the 9-4X was shown at the Detroit Auto Show in January. At that time, the car had been speculatively assigned to GM's Theta architecture, shared with Cadillac's SRX crossover, and that appears to still be the case. The car will be built alongside the SRX in a GM plant in Ramos, Mexico.
Other delays noted by the source include a late-2010 launch for the 9-3x and a 2011 facelift for the 9-3 range. The 9-3x is a seemingly easy product to turn out, so again, the delay could be rooted in market strategy rather than technical necessity, but simply sitting on new models as the market worsens could prove to be as bad a plan as releasing new cars into the worst sales atmosphere in years.
source:motorauthority
