[Swade]

Reports about the 9-6x have come out with good news and bad news.

The good news: how about a body design based on the 9x concept??

The bad news: rumour has it that the plan is for the interior to be a carry over from the B9. :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

Pics and all here, but come back and let GM know what you think of this idea.

 

[aero1116]

The tribeca interior looks kinda nice, but it is the antithesis of a traditional saab interior. Too many curves and gaudiness for a saab. Where's the dash that points towards the driver? One of the reasons why I did not buy the 9-2x is because of the interior- looks too generic and Japanese. If they could freshen up a trailblazers interior, why couldn't they fix up a tribeca's?

 

[Hornet11586]

Am I not seeing it or did they forget to install a place for the key to go?

 

[sethsev7n]

yeah the B9 interior is hideous, and definately does not belong in a saab, not even anything close to that. The 9X is much nicer and much more saab-like.. granted like swade said its probably not the best interior for the 9-6x, but it should look more like that then the B9. I hope they do this vehicle right.. they did the sportcombi right so hopefully they can do this right... hopefully.

 

[squishmann]

why do they have to go half ***** with this car as well. spend a little money to do ship right

 

[TuuSaR]

I find it hard to believe that interior changes would be on the level of 9-2X. Considering how long they worked for 9-6X and that they said that next time they will do it properly.

Anyway, Subaru customer base takes the damage as Saab makes better looking cars.

 

[edusaab]

Saab and Subaru are trying to ad a Diesel engine, and that could delay the 9-6x.

Diesel could delay Saab SUV
DETROIT -- General Motors and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. are trying to fit a diesel engine into the Saab 9-6X SUV, an effort that is likely to delay production, industry sources say.

The 9-6X is based on the same platform as Subaru's recently launched B9 Tribeca, a seven-seat SUV. Saab's version was expected to appear early next year.

Without a diesel option, Saab could find the 9-6X difficult to sell in Europe, where diesels make up nearly one-half of new-vehicle sales.

GM owns Saab and has a 20 percent stake in Fuji Heavy, which owns Subaru.

The Tribeca platform houses only Subaru's horizontally opposed 3.0-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine.

A delay of the 9-6X -- possibly by six months, sources say -- could allow design changes to add a diesel.

GM and Fuji Heavy are likely to make an announcement soon, industry sources say.

The joint vehicle project is the second between the two GM affiliates. Saab recently launched its 9-2X sports compact, which is based on the Subaru Impreza WRX and built by Fuji Heavy in Japan.

Subaru has begun building the B9 Tribeca in Lafayette, Ind. The 9-6X is scheduled to be built next year in Lafayette, plant officials say.

Subaru sees Saab production as a boon to Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. in Lafayette. Last year, Subaru of Indiana built 118,700 units, just 45 percent of its annual capacity of 262,000 units. That was the plant's lowest output since 1991, when it produced 116,299 units.

Subaru spokesman Dominick Infante said at a recent press event here that Subaru may export the B9 Tribeca to Europe, Japan and Australia. "But there is no decision at this time," Infante said.

Subaru would have to be change the Tribeca to meet regulations in other countries, he said. Fuji Heavy is considering a diesel for the Tribeca.

"When you change any engine in a car, you have to make modifications," Infante said. "It's not that it is not doable."

A Saab spokesman declined comment.

source; Automotive news

 

[Guest]

Well finally they are going to do something useful with the 9x concept car. About time Saab released an exciting and drastically shaped car.

Interior doesn't look too bad I guess, but as said previously, it's not Saab interior.

Looking back at Saab interiors over the years, there is undoubtedly a commonality between cars. Even with the 9-5 there are similarities with something as far back as the 99.

Shame that the globalisation of the automotive industry has led to a common gloop look to everything with an engine.

Fortunately the exterior's still retain the Saab character. how long will it be before that disappears too I wonder?

Great looking car still though the 9-6. If I had the cash!

 

[AnF_Saab]

I kind of like the interior but I'm not to crazy about the climate controls, least the front end of the Saab can't look worse than the Subaru version.
Quick retouch for Saabiness:

 

[Guest]

If they don't redo the interior, they're going to have the same exact problem as with the 9-2x: there's not enough different from the Subaru. From the outside, you're hard-pressed to find a lot simmilar with the Impreza. Apparantly that's how the 9-6 will be, but that's not even half the battle. The whole thing needs to feel like a Saab. They're setting themselves up for trouble again, or worse, INCENTIVES!!!:cheesy:

 

[saab9x]

i'm not sure how gm plans to turn the 9-x into an suv. i can't see that the good, 9-x lines would scale like that.

and the proposed interior is hideous. ...too many things exposed, giving it a cluttered, confusing look. the 9-x interior is clean, crisp, and open.

the 9-6x rear-view mirror is cliche and cheap, as in glued to the glass instead of being integrated into the roof, like the 9-x's mirror, which has a pleasingly-designed shape.

the 9-6x seats don't look good, either.

 

[1985 Gripen]

9-6X Design Cues from 9-X Concept!?!?

The good news: how about a body design based on the 9x concept??

This has been confounding me for days. The proposed 9-6X and 9-X concept are two completely different cars. The Subaru B9 Tribeca is a medium-sized SUV/minivan whereas the 9-X would have been a small versatile car for outdoors enthusiasts. The B9 Tribeca is a tall station wagon or short SUV and the 9-X was a low-slung sports car looking thing.

I think I may have figured it out. Maybe what the author of that article meant was that when SAAB modifies the B9 Tribeca they'll use design cues from the 9-3X concept, not the 9-X. See the 9-3X pictures below. That body is a LOT closer to the shape of the B9 Tribeca.

 

[20Ted]

9-6X Exterior

P'Shopped - most definitely yes - but at least they remembered to get the SAAB logos on the wheels! And the front end looks MUCH, MUCH better than the Tribeca's - so, the question now - will the SAAB version outsell the Subie version in this round of rebadging, unlike the last?

 

[sethsev7n]

I dont understand this 7-seater business. That looks like a minivan to me.

 

[saab9x]

resulting in digitally voyeuring and stalking a tribeca, i followed one yesterday into a parking lot (and then observed the driver and passenger change positions). i have to say that the proposed 9-6 looks inbred ('heinz 57'). the beltline is the tribeca's, which reminds me of the bmw x3 beltline. also, the c-pillar should have saab's 'hockey-stick' line. so, basically,...too much subaru, not enough saab. (*ducks*)

p.s. oh, and how could i forget the wrap-around windshield.

 

[Raven18940]

Why doesn't GM understand that people don't wanna pay more for a car that feels the same when they're sitting in it. I think an interior is probably the biggest selling point on a car cause it's what you deal with every day. The subaru interior, while very functional, isn't very nice. Sure it's nice to look at, but all the plastic is hard and cheap feeling, the buttons feel weak, and you just know the switches will break. I get in my car and there's wood, fake wood but it's nice, and leather. All the buttons feel like I could hit them with a hammer and not break them and the switches move with very statisfying clicks. It's no more functional than the subarus interior, but it's just a much nicer place to be. You can't market a subaru as a luxury car, I'm sorry, it just won't work.

 

[fabric]

P'Shopped - most definitely yes - but at least they remembered to get the SAAB logos on the wheels! And the front end looks MUCH, MUCH better than the Tribeca's - so, the question now - will the SAAB version outsell the Subie version in this round of rebadging, unlike the last?

Lights from the new Caddy Art and Science design, the grill is from the old Chrysler 300M, and back windows are from either a Mazda 3 or BMW X3. Although the hood has a definite 9-3SS look to it, the kinks near the windshield look like Bangle had a hand. The front air damn is off the TL, with an Audi/VW curve and foglights thrown on the ends.

It looks nice, but it's very derivative.

 

[Thad]

9-6x

here is my crappy version of the same image. I went with the more traditional front grille...

 

[1985 Gripen]

It's the Tonight Show!

here is my crappy version of the same image. I went with the more traditional front grille...

Why do I think of Jay Leno when I see this image?

I think that 20Ted (who Photoshopped the Tribeca with the SAAB grill) used the grill from the SAAB 9-3X concept (see pictures I posted earlier in this thread).

I still think that if you throw a sliding door on the passenger side of this thing it looks like a minivan.

 

[SaabKen]

I wonder what his coefficient of friction is ? :lol:

Why do I think of Jay Leno when I see this image?