Saab 9-X BioHybrid voted Best Concept Car at the Geneva Motor Show
Our Corporate Bureau
14 March 2008
Saab's latest car, the 9-X BioHybrid concept was named Best Concept by AutoWeek magazine at the Geneva Motor Show last week.
With this award, the General Motors-owned Saab 9-X BioHybrid premium compact joins the successful Saab Aero X coupe concept which also received AutoWeek's 'Best in Show' honours in Geneva, two years ago.
The 9-X BioHybrid is powered by a a 200bhp (147 kW), 1.4-litre BioPower turbo engine backed by GM's next-generation hybrid system. The development team explored design themes from Saab's award winning Aero X and earlier 9X concepts to design the new ultra-efficient powerful car.
Anthony Lo, director of Advanced Design at General Motors Europe, who led the 9-X BioHybrid design team in co-operation with the Saab Brand Centre in Sweden, stated, ''This car is all about efficiency in design and performance,''
Projected combined cycle CO2 emissions of just 105g/km on E85 fuel (ethanol blended, which contains 85 per cent ethanol by volume) are testimony to the promise of this package.
The interior displays an entirely new expression of Saab's driver-focused cockpit design, together with innovative, seamless connectivity for personal nomadic devices and a rear cargo deck with a 'low friction' loading system.
Other exterior features include turbine wheels placed at all four corners, minimal bodywork overhangs and an extended roof line, with compact hatchback looks.