TCC: 9-7X Review

**nadepalma** · 06-13-2005, 07:59 PM

Source: http://www.thecarconnection.com/Vehi...181.A8762.html

2006 Saab 9-7X
A problem of authenticity.
by Marty Padgett (2005-06-13)

Authenticity is a hazy thing. Harleys are authentic Americana -and so are the accountants and caterers that ride them to Sturgis and Daytona.

Likewise, you don't doubt the heritage of an RCA TV. It's Little Nipper, man! The last RCA television was made in the U.S. about two decades ago. Oh, well.

Saab these days is in an authentic funk. Too small to survive on its purely Swedish appeal, the company's had to go foraging in the GM empire for plumper fare. The problem is, during its 50-odd-year history, Saab vehicles have been a little of everything-two-strokes and four-strokes; hatchbacks, sedans and coupes; V-4s and V-6s and in-line fours, turbos and normally aspirated; front- and all-wheel drive. Until recently you pretty much knew a Saab was Swedish, but even that distinction got revoked with the arrival of the Subaru-alike 9-2X sport wagon last year.

The 9-7X, Saab's first true SUV, removes the Swedish aspect another half-turn around the globe in the other direction, plunking the brand down in the middle of Moraine, Ohio, where the 9-7X is built alongside the very similar mid-size SUVs sold by Chevrolet, GMC and Buick. (Now, if you're truly worried that Saab has totally lost its cosmopolitan veneer, know that Trollhattan, Sweden, has never hosted an Olympics or a Super Bowl and from Stockholm looks pretty much like Moraine.)

Origins aside

But enough about its origins. The only real question that matters here is whether Saab's improvements to GM's four-year-old SUV lineup are worthwhile and convincingly different enough to warrant the Saab badge. The 9-7X, like the other GM utes, comes in two flavors. There's an in-line six edition with all-wheel drive; it puts out 290 hp, up from 270 in the original version of GM's utterly charming in-line six. There's also the upline model outfitted with all-wheel drive and a 300-hp, 5.3-liter V-8. Chalk another engine up to Saab history-it's the first eight-cylinder the brand ever has offered. It offers displacement on demand, for an eight-percent fuel economy boost over a similar-sized V-8.

Either powerplant comes with a four-speed automatic that snaps off shifts with the occasionally overzealous authority of a small-town water commissioner. Most of the time it keeps its power-hungry nature under control, but when it does push into lower gears the engine - particularly the V-8 - makes an unhappy noise out back. Up front under the hood it's all dulcet tones and mechanical pleasantries, but in both vehicles we drove, the exhaust tuning was in need of some more final tuning. With the V-8 engine, the 9-7X's towing capacity is 6500 lb.

There's no rear-drive 9-7X offered, and there's also no low-range gear. But all-wheel drive is standard and the crossover-type system is closest to that in the Buick Rainier. The Saab version also gets a standard limited-slip differential, and big 18-inch wheels and tires for lots of grip.

Saab says the 9-7X is tuned to be more of a driver's vehicle than its American cousins. It uses a uniquely tuned double A-arm front suspension with coil springs and a multi-link, electronically controlled rear air suspension, a low ride height, thick front stabilizer and stiff upper control arm bushings in the rear. Together with a stiffened front section of the frame, a quicker 18.5:1 steering gear ratio is designed to help improve steering precision and responsiveness.

The unchallenging roads we tackled northeast of Quebec City couldn't show off the decently supple ride motions we know from the Rainier and the GMC Envoy. We did notice some impact harshness but a marked improvement in steering from other GM utes we've tried recently. The big Saab's brakes are appropriately large-they're also four-wheel vented discs with front aluminum dual-piston calipers and four-wheel ABS. In all, the 9-7X felt so closely akin to the other GM platform-mates, it might not pass a blindfold taste test.

Nosey where it needs to be

In matters of styling, the Saab version of the GMT360 platform gets the cleanest nose and the sharpest rear-end styling. The wagon back is lifted from the departed Olds Bravada, with different blackout plastic for a similar pleasing effect. It is surprising just how Saab-like the front end could be made, and the silhouette is just fine.

Inside, the 9-7X wears handsome dark leather with contrasting stitching, wood dash inserts, and the sideways, flippy-outy Saab cupholder. It's a nicely detailed treatment, with typically Saab shapes. Interior room is fine, and the seating is state of the art-for 2002, which means no third row, no foldaway option, no legendary Swedish cleverness at all. (How else do they get us to buy melamine bookshelves and convince us they're fabulous?)

If nothing else, the 9-7X is the best-equipped of GM's mid-size utes. The 9-7X comes with stability control, leather seats, curtain airbags, a 275-watt Bose sound system with XM and a six-CD changer, and a choice of a power moonroof or a rear-seat DVD entertainment system.

But the 9-7X really needs to be more than just another GM ute. In fact, it needs to be something wholly closer to the Subaru Tribeca that, in fact, is supposed to spawn a 9-6X version for Saab in about a year. This is a step off the authenticity trail, not a step forward.

But then, Saab itself needs to be more than just another GM product to have a fighting chance among the brand clutter. There's the airplane heritage-so why not build them like airplanes out of aluminum, like Jaguar? Why isn't this "intellectual" brand, with all its highly educated buyers, at the cutting edge of hybrid and diesel technology? And why can't every Saab be faster than the 9-7X is?

The 9-7X stumbles in its quest to be more Saab than GM. It's simply too American SUV underneath to be Eurofied into something nimbler. The formula has worked-the 9-2X fits seamlessly in the Saab portfolio because it's small, five-doored, swift and sure-footed. But the 9-7X is far less convincing. It's a Saab truck, after all. And while it may sell, it too visibly sells out-something Saab really cannot afford at all.

2006 Saab 9-7X
Base price: $40,000-$42,000 (est.)
Engine: 4.2-liter in-line six, 290 hp/277 lb-ft; 5.3-liter V-8, 300 hp/330 lb-ft
Drivetrain: Four-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Length x width x height: 193.2 x 75.4 x 68.5 in
Wheelbase: 113.0 in
Curb weight: 4770-4781 lb
Fuel economy (EPA city/hwy): 15/21 mpg (in-line six); 15/19 mpg (V-8)
Safety equipment: All-wheel drive, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, stability control, dual front and side curtain airbags
Major standard equipment: Power windows/locks/mirrors; keyless entry; air conditioning; AM/FM/CD player w/ six speakers; power seats; cruise control; 18-inch wheels; leather trim; power front seats; XM satellite radio; OnStar
Warranty: Four years/50,000 miles

surferdude00711 · 06-13-2005, 08:18 PM

DOD, V8, nice interior; whats not to like? It is priced very competitivley.

**mgescuro** · 06-13-2005, 09:14 PM

Yes. It's a Saab truck. And it really is competent with what it's designed to be. A Saab truck.

I have no dobut that it could be done better. But driving it briefly as I have, it really wasn't that bad.

Should it have a turbo? Yes.
Should it be more European? Yes.
Does Saab really need an SUV? Yes.
Does Saab need a hybrid? Yes.

There's a whole lotta things that Saab "needs." A new 9-5 for that matter.

I'm confident GM will get there.

At least the interior of the 9-7 isn't a rebadge of a TBlazer or Envoy. It's more Saab-like. And the interior materials are SRX-level.

5,000 pre-sold already isn't bad. Tha'ts more than the 9-2X's sold its first year.

giagastormer · 06-13-2005, 09:19 PM

I had no idea they upped the I6 power to 290 horses for the 9-7x.

RWD60 · 06-13-2005, 09:20 PM

should saab have a BOF SUV with a big american V-8??? no!!
but given that it does for now, this is a very nice truck, and easily the best GMT-360. i think a properly done lambda/tribeca based 9-6X will be great, but this is one case where a stop-gap can work. IMO this should be the first vehicle to get a turbo 3.5 or 4.2 engine... a turbo I-5 with 280-350hp/trq would just seem so much more right than a V-8.

giagastormer · 06-13-2005, 09:23 PM

It has been said the 9-6x will just be a rebagded B9 Tribeca, same story as WRX to 9-2x. In other words, don't get too excited.

AdmiralViscen · 06-13-2005, 09:26 PM

The Saab Tribeca will be far more individualized than the Saab Impreza.

giagastormer · 06-13-2005, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdmiralViscen

The Saab Tribeca will be far more individualized than the Saab Impreza.

Nope. Every piece of information I have gathered about the 9-6x says it will have a new nose, and that's it. The interior will be about 99% the same as the Tribeca, expect only color differences. Same shape, layout, materials, etc.

goblue · 06-13-2005, 09:28 PM

Saab just turboed the 2.8HF - imagine the fun if they did it to the 3.6HF (or even bored it to 3.8 ) and dropped it in this thing, in aero form. The HF series was designed for turbocharging right from the start. I hope to see that engine in the 9-6x aero.

IAMCANADIAN · 06-13-2005, 09:35 PM

I love the 9-7x, it's so nice

Buick61 · 06-13-2005, 09:53 PM

So much for the State of Independence. This is as mainstream as you can get. Where's the innovation? What does it bring to the market that you can't get elsewhere? Can the trouble-prone GMT-360 platform really compete in the near-luxury segment? Maybe. Hopefully.

And the fact that it's only offered in 3 colors and no drivetrain choices really shows how much freedom you have in that particular independent state.

AdmiralViscen · 06-13-2005, 09:59 PM

You can choose between I-6 and V8....

surferdude00711 · 06-13-2005, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buick61

And the fact that it's only offered in 3 colors and no drivetrain choices really shows how much freedom you have in that particular independent state.

The government has preselected the colors it knows you will like ;-)

Buick61 · 06-13-2005, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdmiralViscen

You can choose between I-6 and V8....

Oh yeah, you have a choice of powertrains, but you can't do anything about the drivetrain. Just AWD. I'd never buy a body on frame SUV unless I could get it with low range. Otherwise, what's the point?

**ChevroletRevived** · 06-13-2005, 11:01 PM

I have a freind who really likes the Saab 9-7x. He just bought a new Jeep Grand Cherokee a few months ago but is already planning his next buy. :=) I am recomending it to him. It looks very European from the front and the back is nice. The interior is significantly nicer then the other SUV's on the GMT360 platform. Like someone said, 5000 pre-orders is very good. What is Saab's expected sales for this again?

06-13-2005, 07:59 PM	#1 (permalink)
nadepalma GMI Staff Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 5,646	TCC: 9-7X Review Source: http://www.thecarconnection.com/Vehi...181.A8762.html 2006 Saab 9-7X A problem of authenticity. by Marty Padgett (2005-06-13) Authenticity is a hazy thing. Harleys are authentic Americana -and so are the accountants and caterers that ride them to Sturgis and Daytona. Likewise, you don't doubt the heritage of an RCA TV. It's Little Nipper, man! The last RCA television was made in the U.S. about two decades ago. Oh, well. Saab these days is in an authentic funk. Too small to survive on its purely Swedish appeal, the company's had to go foraging in the GM empire for plumper fare. The problem is, during its 50-odd-year history, Saab vehicles have been a little of everything-two-strokes and four-strokes; hatchbacks, sedans and coupes; V-4s and V-6s and in-line fours, turbos and normally aspirated; front- and all-wheel drive. Until recently you pretty much knew a Saab was Swedish, but even that distinction got revoked with the arrival of the Subaru-alike 9-2X sport wagon last year. The 9-7X, Saab's first true SUV, removes the Swedish aspect another half-turn around the globe in the other direction, plunking the brand down in the middle of Moraine, Ohio, where the 9-7X is built alongside the very similar mid-size SUVs sold by Chevrolet, GMC and Buick. (Now, if you're truly worried that Saab has totally lost its cosmopolitan veneer, know that Trollhattan, Sweden, has never hosted an Olympics or a Super Bowl and from Stockholm looks pretty much like Moraine.) Origins aside But enough about its origins. The only real question that matters here is whether Saab's improvements to GM's four-year-old SUV lineup are worthwhile and convincingly different enough to warrant the Saab badge. The 9-7X, like the other GM utes, comes in two flavors. There's an in-line six edition with all-wheel drive; it puts out 290 hp, up from 270 in the original version of GM's utterly charming in-line six. There's also the upline model outfitted with all-wheel drive and a 300-hp, 5.3-liter V-8. Chalk another engine up to Saab history-it's the first eight-cylinder the brand ever has offered. It offers displacement on demand, for an eight-percent fuel economy boost over a similar-sized V-8. Either powerplant comes with a four-speed automatic that snaps off shifts with the occasionally overzealous authority of a small-town water commissioner. Most of the time it keeps its power-hungry nature under control, but when it does push into lower gears the engine - particularly the V-8 - makes an unhappy noise out back. Up front under the hood it's all dulcet tones and mechanical pleasantries, but in both vehicles we drove, the exhaust tuning was in need of some more final tuning. With the V-8 engine, the 9-7X's towing capacity is 6500 lb. There's no rear-drive 9-7X offered, and there's also no low-range gear. But all-wheel drive is standard and the crossover-type system is closest to that in the Buick Rainier. The Saab version also gets a standard limited-slip differential, and big 18-inch wheels and tires for lots of grip. Saab says the 9-7X is tuned to be more of a driver's vehicle than its American cousins. It uses a uniquely tuned double A-arm front suspension with coil springs and a multi-link, electronically controlled rear air suspension, a low ride height, thick front stabilizer and stiff upper control arm bushings in the rear. Together with a stiffened front section of the frame, a quicker 18.5:1 steering gear ratio is designed to help improve steering precision and responsiveness. The unchallenging roads we tackled northeast of Quebec City couldn't show off the decently supple ride motions we know from the Rainier and the GMC Envoy. We did notice some impact harshness but a marked improvement in steering from other GM utes we've tried recently. The big Saab's brakes are appropriately large-they're also four-wheel vented discs with front aluminum dual-piston calipers and four-wheel ABS. In all, the 9-7X felt so closely akin to the other GM platform-mates, it might not pass a blindfold taste test. Nosey where it needs to be In matters of styling, the Saab version of the GMT360 platform gets the cleanest nose and the sharpest rear-end styling. The wagon back is lifted from the departed Olds Bravada, with different blackout plastic for a similar pleasing effect. It is surprising just how Saab-like the front end could be made, and the silhouette is just fine. Inside, the 9-7X wears handsome dark leather with contrasting stitching, wood dash inserts, and the sideways, flippy-outy Saab cupholder. It's a nicely detailed treatment, with typically Saab shapes. Interior room is fine, and the seating is state of the art-for 2002, which means no third row, no foldaway option, no legendary Swedish cleverness at all. (How else do they get us to buy melamine bookshelves and convince us they're fabulous?) If nothing else, the 9-7X is the best-equipped of GM's mid-size utes. The 9-7X comes with stability control, leather seats, curtain airbags, a 275-watt Bose sound system with XM and a six-CD changer, and a choice of a power moonroof or a rear-seat DVD entertainment system. But the 9-7X really needs to be more than just another GM ute. In fact, it needs to be something wholly closer to the Subaru Tribeca that, in fact, is supposed to spawn a 9-6X version for Saab in about a year. This is a step off the authenticity trail, not a step forward. But then, Saab itself needs to be more than just another GM product to have a fighting chance among the brand clutter. There's the airplane heritage-so why not build them like airplanes out of aluminum, like Jaguar? Why isn't this "intellectual" brand, with all its highly educated buyers, at the cutting edge of hybrid and diesel technology? And why can't every Saab be faster than the 9-7X is? The 9-7X stumbles in its quest to be more Saab than GM. It's simply too American SUV underneath to be Eurofied into something nimbler. The formula has worked-the 9-2X fits seamlessly in the Saab portfolio because it's small, five-doored, swift and sure-footed. But the 9-7X is far less convincing. It's a Saab truck, after all. And while it may sell, it too visibly sells out-something Saab really cannot afford at all. 2006 Saab 9-7X Base price: $40,000-$42,000 (est.) Engine: 4.2-liter in-line six, 290 hp/277 lb-ft; 5.3-liter V-8, 300 hp/330 lb-ft Drivetrain: Four-speed automatic, all-wheel drive Length x width x height: 193.2 x 75.4 x 68.5 in Wheelbase: 113.0 in Curb weight: 4770-4781 lb Fuel economy (EPA city/hwy): 15/21 mpg (in-line six); 15/19 mpg (V-8) Safety equipment: All-wheel drive, anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, stability control, dual front and side curtain airbags Major standard equipment: Power windows/locks/mirrors; keyless entry; air conditioning; AM/FM/CD player w/ six speakers; power seats; cruise control; 18-inch wheels; leather trim; power front seats; XM satellite radio; OnStar Warranty: Four years/50,000 miles

06-13-2005, 08:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
surferdude00711 5.3 Liter LS4 V8 Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 3,703	Re: TCC: 9-7X Review DOD, V8, nice interior; whats not to like? It is priced very competitivley.

06-13-2005, 09:14 PM	#3 (permalink)
mgescuro GMI Staff Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Posts: 24,405	Re: TCC: 9-7X Review Yes. It's a Saab truck. And it really is competent with what it's designed to be. A Saab truck. I have no dobut that it could be done better. But driving it briefly as I have, it really wasn't that bad. Should it have a turbo? Yes. Should it be more European? Yes. Does Saab really need an SUV? Yes. Does Saab need a hybrid? Yes. There's a whole lotta things that Saab "needs." A new 9-5 for that matter. I'm confident GM will get there. At least the interior of the 9-7 isn't a rebadge of a TBlazer or Envoy. It's more Saab-like. And the interior materials are SRX-level. 5,000 pre-sold already isn't bad. Tha'ts more than the 9-2X's sold its first year. __________________ 2000 Saab 9-5 Aero 1995 Mercedes C280 1994 Jaguar XJ6 ...when all hope is gone, you know sad songs say so much... My Vision of Cadillac My Vision of Cadillac (REDUX)

06-13-2005, 09:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
giagastormer 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 6,170	Re: TCC: 9-7X Review I had no idea they upped the I6 power to 290 horses for the 9-7x. __________________ -Your Type-R has never beaten JL W7 in any contest. -Your eD is not louder than a Stroker -You dont know what 160.0dB is like -You wont bully a multi-million dollar company via Internet -No one cares who You are, how many amp's You've installed, nor what "Your Buddy" can hit "in the kick". -You are a consumer. Shut the up and gobble up the products that You think are worth Your meager funds.

06-13-2005, 09:20 PM	#5 (permalink)
RWD60 6.0 Liter Vortec V8 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Clemson SC or Irmo SC Drives: 2 legs and feet... sometimes the bus... Posts: 1,682	Re: TCC: 9-7X Review should saab have a BOF SUV with a big american V-8??? no!! but given that it does for now, this is a very nice truck, and easily the best GMT-360. i think a properly done lambda/tribeca based 9-6X will be great, but this is one case where a stop-gap can work. IMO this should be the first vehicle to get a turbo 3.5 or 4.2 engine... a turbo I-5 with 280-350hp/trq would just seem so much more right than a V-8.

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06-13-2005, 09:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
giagastormer 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 6,170	Re: TCC: 9-7X Review It has been said the 9-6x will just be a rebagded B9 Tribeca, same story as WRX to 9-2x. In other words, don't get too excited. __________________ -Your Type-R has never beaten JL W7 in any contest. -Your eD is not louder than a Stroker -You dont know what 160.0dB is like -You wont bully a multi-million dollar company via Internet -No one cares who You are, how many amp's You've installed, nor what "Your Buddy" can hit "in the kick". -You are a consumer. Shut the up and gobble up the products that You think are worth Your meager funds.

06-13-2005, 09:26 PM	#7 (permalink)
AdmiralViscen 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: New York Posts: 7,501	Re: TCC: 9-7X Review The Saab Tribeca will be far more individualized than the Saab Impreza. __________________ God Bless the Blue Bullet.

06-13-2005, 09:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
goblue 5.3 Liter LS4 V8 Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 3,497	Re: TCC: 9-7X Review Saab just turboed the 2.8HF - imagine the fun if they did it to the 3.6HF (or even bored it to 3.8 ) and dropped it in this thing, in aero form. The HF series was designed for turbocharging right from the start. I hope to see that engine in the 9-6x aero.

06-13-2005, 09:35 PM	#10 (permalink)
IAMCANADIAN 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 5,979	Re: TCC: 9-7X Review I love the 9-7x, it's so nice

06-13-2005, 09:53 PM	#11 (permalink)
Buick61 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: DC Metro Area Drives: 58 Belvedere; 61 LeSabre; 96 Fleetwood; 07 SRX Posts: 8,495	Re: TCC: 9-7X Review So much for the State of Independence. This is as mainstream as you can get. Where's the innovation? What does it bring to the market that you can't get elsewhere? Can the trouble-prone GMT-360 platform really compete in the near-luxury segment? Maybe. Hopefully. And the fact that it's only offered in 3 colors and no drivetrain choices really shows how much freedom you have in that particular independent state. __________________ Used to own: 1959 Cadillac Series 62, 1960 AMC Rambler Six, 1998 Chevrolet Malibu, 2000 Saturn LS2, 2005 Chrysler 300C, 2006 Pontiac G6 GTP Last edited by Buick61 : 06-13-2005 at 09:55 PM.

06-13-2005, 09:59 PM	#12 (permalink)
AdmiralViscen 7.0 Liter LS7 V8 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: New York Posts: 7,501	Re: TCC: 9-7X Review You can choose between I-6 and V8.... __________________ God Bless the Blue Bullet.

06-13-2005, 11:01 PM	#15 (permalink)
ChevroletRevived GMI Staff Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: The Good Ol United States of America Posts: 8,863	Re: TCC: 9-7X Review I have a freind who really likes the Saab 9-7x. He just bought a new Jeep Grand Cherokee a few months ago but is already planning his next buy. :=) I am recomending it to him. It looks very European from the front and the back is nice. The interior is significantly nicer then the other SUV's on the GMT360 platform. Like someone said, 5000 pre-orders is very good. What is Saab's expected sales for this again? __________________ GMI's Revitalization in Action Director Check out our latest lineup by Clicking Here If you've got inside news and would like to be a GMInsider, send me a private message or email me HERE.

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