Saab officially unveiled the 9-X Air concept car today at the Paris Motor Show. Following in Saab’s long tradition of droptops, the 9-X Air previews the upcoming 9-1 small cars, though we were unable to confirm whether that line will contain a convertible production model. The concept is based on last year’s 9-X BioHybrid concept that we saw in Geneva.
Saab has had a long history with convertibles since Saab USA contracted ASC to chop the top off of a 900 coupe in 1986 to create the then-limited 900 convertible (a 1986 900 convertible is pictured in one of GM’s official photos). Ever since, the Saab lineup has not been without a convertible. The 9-X Air concept features a cloth roof with a glass backlight and a stark black-and-white interior with greenish digital gauges.
A 200 horsepower, 1.4-liter BioPower E85 turbocharged engine will be under the concept car’s hood, the same motor that was under the hood of the 9-X BioPower concept. In droptop form, Saab says the concept hits 62 miles per hour in 8.1 seconds and emits just 107 g/km in the European combined cycle. GM says that both the coupe concept from Geneva and the Paris open-top car were designed at the same time.
The 9-X’s cloth top is what Saab calls a “Canopy Top,” featuring a stand-alone rear section between the large, raked pillars aft of the seats. Similar to a targa top, though considerably larger, the Canopy Top gives the 9-X a unique coupe-like look.
Electronics in the 9-X were developed with Sony Ericsson and they’ll include multiple device Bluetooth and five display screens illuminated with green 3D graphics. Saab says the icy style both inside and out was inspired by Sweden’s winter climate.
