Battling Stiff European Competition
The Saab 9-4X will be up against stiff competition when it debuts. The Volvo XC60 occupies the same segment and offers a long list of safety features including City Safety where the crossover is able to automatically come to a complete stop when it "senses" that it is about to hit the car in front of it. Saab doesn't have a similar safety feature to offer buyers, instead it will be relying on its competitive price point to help it battle Volvo, Audi, Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes for customers. Expect the front wheel drive Saab 9-4X to retail in the low 30s with the all wheel drive version priced from the mid 30s.
Even well before the Saab 9-4X is released, its new owners will need to develop a comprehensive strategy to ensure that Saab remains a viable player for many years to come. Hybrid and alternative fuel technology are options for Saab as are alliances with GM, Opel and others to help the Swedish automaker offer an expanded line up in order to maintain a viable market presence for the long term.
Detail INterior Saab 9-4X
Detail audio Saab 9-4X
The Saab 9-4X has been the vehicle which the Saab 9-7X replaced. The latter has been built to be a mid sized luxury sport utility vehicle and it found competition with the likes of the Lexus GX, Volvo XC90, BMW X5, and the Porsche Cayenne. It has been built in only one body style which is the wagon that holds four doors. During its creation, the company decided on using the 4WD GMT360 platform. And when it was sent out to the market, this luxury SUV bore with it two engine types: the 4.2 liter Vortec I6 and the 5.3 liter Vortec V8. And to further boost the performance of the vehicle, Saab used a four speed automatic overdrive transmission.