mmarshall

Per forum-request, I'm going to do a brief write-up of the 9-2X, although I don't have a lot of experience with the car, and only did one basic inspection and test-drive of a 9-2X itself. However, it is so similar to the Second-Generation Subaru Impreza (essentially a rebadge) that if you get familiar with one of the two, you can pretty much know them both. And I did also sample a couple of different versions of the similar second-generation Impreza.


The story of the 9-2X basically starts with the acquisition of Saab/Scania Automotive by GM in 1989 (the company also had a separate, well-known aircraft division) where GM initially controlled 50%, which went to 100% in 2000. Before GM ownership, Saab had essentially been a niche-manufacturer in the American market, with relatively low sales. While employing some clever marketing phrases like "The Most Intelligent Car Ever Built", Saabs, particularly the 900 and 9000, which were classic Swedish-designed/built at the time, were somewhat quirky FWD vehicles that had a somewhat-overdone stereotype ownership of teachers/professors, librarians, safety-advocates, and same-sex female-couples.....although one of my supervisors at work, of Swedish/Nordic descent, had a 900 for years that he liked, except for its somewhat expensive maintenance.

However, even in its home country of Sweden, Saab's sales at the time were dwindling, defecting to Volvos (also of Sweden), or simply to the ever-growing popularity of Japanese-sourced vehicles, and it became clear that the company could not survive on its own.....hence GM ownership. The acquisition, of course, brought GM's enormous pool of money and resources into the picture...but also GM's (at the time) notoriously inefficient and unresponsive style of management. GM, however, decided to take relatively quick action, scrapping the slow-selling 900 and 9000 series with a new, somewhat more conventional line (to American tastes) of 9-3 and 9-5 sedan/wagon models. I remember sampling/test-driving a Saab 9-3 Combi Wagon. GM also decided to use a Saab designation, 9-7X (the "X" meant AWD) for a mildly-redone version of its own Chevy Trailblazer, a mid-size body-on-frame SUV. And last, the subject of this write-up....the 9-2X. GM, in its plans for the Saab Division, had also decided to give them a new AWD compact by turning to Subaru, which GM also owned a part-stake in.

The result, of course, was the "Saab-aru" 9-2X, which was essentially a redone Second-Generation Impreza with the same body/platform/mechanicals, powertrains, and mechanicals, with some added sound insulation, a Saab-style grille, a few nicer trim pieces here and there, two-tone seats, and a couple of other features to help justify the slightly higher price over an Impreza. As with the Impreza, both turbo and non-turbo versions were offered. The base-level "Linear" version was the equivalent of the standard Impreza, with the normally-aspirated 2.5L boxer-four engine (165 HP, 166 ft-lbs. of torque). The upmarket Aero version (Saab called all of its high-performance models "Aero") used the same turbocharged 2.0L boxer-four as the Impreza WRX (227 HP, 217 ft-lbs. of torque). Both, of course, came standard with Subaru's well-respected Symmetrical AWD system, at that time considered arguably the best car-based AWD system in production.

Even in the huge D.C. area which sells so many new vehicles, there was still only one new-vehicle Saab dealership in Northern Virginia at the time (in Falls Church), so I dropped by one day to check out the 9-2X. A couple of persons, at the time, had asked me about it, including one or two at my office. I had already looked at and sampled the Second-Generation Impreza (my brother had a First-Generation model), and the 9-2X was pretty much what I had expected it to be from the pictures I'd seen and the limited-numbers of reviews I'd read. Not only that, but the dealership itself, and its salespeople, fit the mold of the then-Saab stereotype almost perfectly....the place was as dull and lifeless as a convention of dentists. Not only a lack of customers, but the staff itself seemed to walk and act like zombies.

So, I static-inspected a Linear model and took it out for a test-drive. More or less as expected, it was pretty much like driving a non-turbo Impreza, although the seats were a little nicer, and the interior just maybe borderline more attractive. There wasn't much difference in the general road-manners, although the engine, I think, was a little quieter than the Impreza's, perhaps because of the added sound-insulation in the 9-2X....the Subaru flat-fours had a reputation of a low, if muted, thrashing sound. The road-noise level in the 9-2X also seemed a little lower, although I wasn't sure if it was sound insulation or simply different tires. Ride comfort and steering-response in both the Impreza and 9-2X were generally good for a compact of this class, and the base 2.5L engine, as with the Impreza, had enough power, even with the AWD, to get out of its own way, although, of course, it could not compare to the Aero/WRX versions and the turbo engine.

The 9-2X was in American-market production for only two model years, 2005 and 2006. In 2006, Saab changed the designation of the Linear version to "2.5i", and upped the standard engine to 173 HP. Only 5-door hatchback versions were offered....they did not do a rebadge of the Impreza sedan. GM, after completely redoing the original Swedish-designed lineup they inherited and/or substituting Chevy and Subaru rebadged vehicles, sold off the whole Saab Division altogether, in 2010, to Spyker N.V., a Dutch company specializing in high-end sports-cars. The firm's history after that is quite a complex one, involving bankruptcies/near-bankrupcies, court-hearings, and dealings with various Chinese firms...I won't go onto all of those complex details here.

So...the verdict on the 9-2X? Nice compact car, but, aside from perhaps a little bit more refinement in trim and road-manners, not a whole lot more than what Subaru offered for a lower price, Subaru's more widespread dealer-network for sales/service convenience, better resale-value, and, of course, customers not having to be concerned about the company going out of business.

And, as Always........Happy Car-Memories.

MM

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I always thought the ignition location was unique on some Saabs

jwong77

I found the last gen 9-5 to be nicely styled, too bad they went belly up before many were sold.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Yeah the 2011 9-5 was pretty unique

mmarshall

Yes, thanks for bringing that up. I had forgotten about the console-mounted ignition switch being one of the Saab quirks. Believe it or not, on the 9-7X, which was a redone Chevy Trailblazer, they actually re-wired the system to put in a Saab-style console-switch. From what I remember, though, they did not do that on the 9-2X...it was straight-Impreza on all of its mechanicals.

Yes, the poor 9-5 (and, to a lesser extent, the 9-3) was caught in a quandry. As somewhat Americanized products still with a few of the Saab quirks, they appealed to neither the former niche-groups who had taken to the 99 / 900 / 9000, nor the newer American-market customers that GM was aiming for. GM's ownership of Saab will go down in history as one of the significant automotive failures.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Yeah it was very unique. Rewiring the ignition on the 9-7X probably made that vehicle the most differentiated of GM's five, yes FIVE, badge engineered SUVs on the GMT360 platform. The Buick Rainier, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender, Oldsmobile Bravada, and Saab 9-7X were all nearly identical. Yeah from the picture you posted of the 9-2X, you can see the ignition is in the standard location. I forgot this car was essentially an Impreza.

Yeah they were certainly quirky but I liked the look of the final 9-5 and 9-3 (MY2011's). There's a few nameplates like Saab, but I would add Pontiac too which became so diluted (Pontiac Montana SV sold alongside GTO's.. com'on GM) rather than making it a special bespoke performance niche, drove it into the ground. Same with Ford's Mercury just a bunch of watered down products at the end , but it is what it is. Back to Saab. I've only driven one Saab before which was a 2003 9-3 Convertible with the cool ignition.

tex2670

Someone drives one at my office building. Still looks good

tex2670

Just shows what a lame effort this car was.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Nice. What color is their 9-5?

mmarshall

Agree it was lame....but still interesting.

tex2670

This is not the car, but this is the closest color I could find on the internet: Oak Beige

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Oh ok neat. Yeah I think the overall vehicle is handsome. Has a quirky charm to it similar to say an Alfa Romeo 159 had a quirky charm