Saab unveiled the 9-X BioHybrid Concept hatchback last March at the Geneva Motor Show, and it will be joined next month at the Paris Motor Show by this: the 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept. Both vehicles are said to herald the coming of a production Saab 9-1 small car, but the 9-X Air goes a step further and replaces the original concept’s closed roof with a flat-folding canopy top that’s said to celebrate the brand’s history in the convertible building business. Aside from that, the concepts appear to be almost identical right down to sharing the same turbocharged 1.4L Saab BioPower engine producing 197bhp. We’ll bring you more pics and info of the Saab 9-X Air BioHybrid Concept straight from the show floor in Paris next month. Continued

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The Saab 9-X BioHybrid has been voted Specialty Concept Car of the Year by a panel of North American journalists. The concept is said to foreshadow the baby Saab 9-1X hatchback that is expected to debut in 2010.

The prize, which recognizes “the vehicles that are most likely to shape the future of the automobile industry,” was awarded Tuesday at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn. Jury member Arv Voss of Auto Impressions praised the Saab 9-X BioHybrid for blending “organic form with ecologically sound propulsion for both aesthetic and environmental appeal.”

The Saab concept — arguably one of the greenest concepts on the 2008 global auto show circuit — debuted earlier this year at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show.

The concept is powered by a 200-horsepower 1.4-liter BioPower turbo engine and “GM’s next-generation hybrid system,” the automaker said. Saab said the 9-X BioHybrid “explores the potential for using active aerodynamics to reduce drag — and fuel consumption — at cruising speeds.” Design cues include a roof spoiler that extends to lengthen the roof line and an underbody diffuser, which is deployed from the bottom of the rear bumper at speeds over 43 mph. The concept also features “turbine” wheels and minimal overhangs.

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General Motors has some significant features its adding for 2009 that shouldn’t fall through the cracks. For one, Bluetooth will finally become on nearly all of GM’s cars and trucks. For the longest time, only the Cadillac STS was available with Bluetooth phone integration, which ends with MY2009. Second, the six-speed automatic transmission that before was not widely available in the General’s half-ton trucks and SUVs has spread like wildfire across the GMT900 lineup and will now be standard or optional in such vehicles as the Avalanche, Silverado and Sierra 1500, Suburban, Yukon and Yukon XL. Curiously, though, it’s still not available on the Tahoe.

Other items of note include a new 6-speed automatic for the Pontiac G6 to replace its underwhelming 4-speed, the replacement of GM’s 3.6L V6 in the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook with the direct-inject version that will bump power up to 290 hp in both CUVs, and finally a new four-cylinder base model for the uplevel Malibu LTZ that features the the 2.4L four-cylinder ECOTEC engine paired with a six-speed automatic.

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Drive through a major city and you might see multiple car dealerships selling divisions of the same brand located near one another — thus bleeding each other’s business. Chances are these stores sell domestics, and in recent years Detroit’s makers have tried to reduce the number of franchises that offer their wares. GM has had some success recently consolidating Pontiac, Buick, and GMC dealers, and now they’re hoping to create a one-stop shop for their high-end brands, too.

A new plan aims to combine Cadillac, Saab, and Hummer dealerships into single “luxury superstores” where affluent customers can easily compare the similarly-priced cars under one roof. To achieve this, many competing dealerships will have to be joined, typically by one purchasing the other or closing down the less profitable operation. GM stresses that no stores will be forced to close, but the company is offering dealers assistance to move consolidation forward. In the case of one dealer in Providence, RI, GM put up 25 to 30 percent of the capital he needed to buy a nearby Saab franchise and combine it with his Hummer store.

There is a problem with GM’s consolidation plan: the number of dealerships. While there are 1,400 Cadillac franchises nationwide, Saab has only 238 and Hummer a mere 170. In addition, some owners are concerned about how to integrate the brands. Back when Hummer was a force to be reckoned with, many stand-alone dealers were required to build new facilities that resembled Quonset-Huts. Now that they will also feature Saabs and Cadillacs, selling the 9-3 or CTS in a rugged, imitation military structure seems out of place. GM feels this obstacle can be overcome, and offered the Rhode Island dealer the services of their architectural firm, Infrastructure, Inc., to help with a redesign.

Hummer, Cadillac, and Saab all have very distinct identities — about the only thing they have in common are their prices. Though it may be practical to put the brands under a single roof, these new mega-dealers might have trouble appealing to three very different types of customer.

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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 Center 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, where 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.

The fine bodywork is now without visible handles or door mirrors, while the window graphic and deep front grille are stirred from the Aero X coupe concept car that was displayed at Geneva a couple of years ago.

The car’s silhouette and rear functions are derived from the 9X multi-role concept car that was displayed at Frankfurt in 2001. Lo says that is could be said the car was designed back to the front, as the contours of the 9X are apt for a car of its size, and the longer roof helps aerodynamics while providing increased interior space.

Saab’s 9-X BioHybrid explores possibilities for using aerodynamics to reduce drag - and fuel consumption - at cruising speeds. Above 70kph (43mph), the upper and lower bodywork is reconfigured, as the roof spoiler automatically increases the roof line and an under-body diffuser deploys itself from below the rear bumper.

This four-seater is an entirely driver-focused cockpit design. An instrument panel sweeps out from the top of the door mold and arches across the driver to provide extra comfort.

This car has been targeted at the youth and its features are testimony to the same. (Also see: Saab 9-X BioHybrid at Geneva Auto Show to feature Sony Ericsson wireless interface
The rear features an electrically-powered slide-out floor, which aids easy loading and unloading when it is activated.

Scandinavian designs use effective illumination, which is evident in the use of variable, white ambient lighting inside the cabin. The intensity can be modified from bright and cold to warm to soft. This personalised feature can also be programed to reflect seasonal changes.

Based in Sweden, Saab is a division of General Motors Corporation. The company markets and sells cars in more than 60 countries worldwide.

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