Saab has set a price on its new Turbo X, the range-topping version of its 9-3 which was shown in Frankfurt earlier this year, and this week is making its North American debut at the New England auto show inBoston.
The 9-3 Turbo X will be the first model to make use of the automaker's all-new, all-wheel-drive technology, or as Saab prefers to call it, Cross-Wheel-Drive. (Saab will now take the development lead for all AWD technology used on GM's transverse engine vehicles worldwide.)
The intelligent system will also deliver a nice boost of power, the Turbo X pumping out 280 hp from its blown 2.8-liter engine, compared with just 255 hp for a standard 9-3 2.8T. That should yield 0-60 times in the range of 5.7 seconds, making the Turbo X among the fastest Saabs ever.
Saab insists the system is more than just a new name for old technology. By mating its version of all-wheel-drive to an electronic, limited-slip differential, the Turbo X and subsequent production models will be able to shift torque not only from front to back, but also between the rear wheels. It's not as sophisticated a system as Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive, Saab officials acknowledge, but it will also be markedly lighter and, they promise, less expensive. Look for an option price of around $2000 or less as it's integrated into the rest of the 9-3 lineup.
The Turbo X package will be offered in both four-door and five-door wagon body styles, with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. Only 600 copies will be offered in the U.S., split between the body styles. Pricing starts at $42,510 for the sedan and at $43,310 for the wagon. It arrives in showrooms in the spring.
;)
