Saab Turbo X

Saab Turbo X 

Saab Turbo X

To help put an exclamation point on the 30th anniversary of its high-performance turbocharged engines, Saab has introduced the Turbo X. This limited-edition 9-3 features a more powerful engine, a menacing black paint job and introduces Saab's all-new XWD all-wheel drive system.

The 9-3 is the closest you can come to a "classic" Saab, so it makes sense that the manufacturer chose this model to carry the hot-rod torch. The 9-3's compact dimensions and well-balanced chassis make it a good starting point for a performance version, and it's the spiritual successor to the cool turbocharged 99 and 900 models of the 1980s. The Turbo X is available as a four-door sedan or a five-door wagon, and Saab plans to sell 600 of them in the U.S., out of a worldwide production of 2000.

The Turbo X is available as a four-door sport sedan or a five-door sport wagon, and it's available only in a metallic jet black color meant to evoke Saab's classic Turbo models. The familiar long-nosed styling and four-hole grille are enhanced by blackout exterior trim and a lowered stance. The front and rear bumper fascias have been slightly tweaked for improved aerodynamics. Special spoilers also set the Turbo X apart. Dark gray six-spoke eighteen-inch wheels are unique to the Turbo X and wrapped with Pirelli P-zero tires.

On the inside, the Turbo X features standard black leather and carbon-fiber trim accents. The seats are snug but not aggressively sporty, and all the familiar Saab cues are here: floor-mounted ignition key, cool kung-fu cupholder, multi-adjustable air vents and a nighttime "blackout" panel for improved visibility. Like most Saabs, the Turbo X features a comfortable, upright driving position.

Standard equipment includes rain-sensing wipers, XM satellite radio, a Bose Centerpoint surround-sound radio and a power moonroof. A DVD-based navigation system and heated seats are available.

The Turbo X's performance credentials are impressive; an all-aluminum 2.8 liter DOHC 24-valve turbocharged V6 resides under the hood and cranks out 280 horsepower at 5500 rpm, with 295 foot-pounds of torque available between 2150 and 4500 rpm. Variable valve timing and a dual exhaust ensure that the V6 is responsive even when the turbo isn't spinning. Saab reports a 1-100 km/h time of just 5.7 seconds. Saab doesn't report the big, honking exhaust, which is as noisy as some of the ineptly installed aftermarket systems hooting around town underneath modified Hondas. On the freeway, the Turbo X's booming exhaust note will easily render the surround-sound audio system useless. A choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions is offered, and the new Cross Wheel Drive (XWD) all-wheel drive system is standard. Produced by Haldex, XWD manages torque delivery front to rear and features a limited-slip rear end, offering stable and responsive handling in a variety of conditions.

Like the rest of the 9-3 lineup, the Turbo X has a MacPherson strut front suspension and an independent four-link rear. Special performance tuning sets the Turbo X apart on the road, however; the suspension is 10mm lower, with stiffer springs and shocks, as well as self-leveling dampers in the rear. Bigger brake discs, 13.6 inches in the front and 11.5 in the rear, are visible behind the wheels. The Turbo X is confident on the freeway and will cruise at extralegal speeds easily--almost too easily, in fact. In hard cornering, the all-wheel drive induces a bit of predictable understeer, and the Turbo X isn't particularly tolerant of rough roads. The overall feeling is that of a tauter version of Saab's confident, organic-feeling handling. This is a car that you feel like you're wearing, rather than simply driving it. It lacks the happy-performance-accident feeling of the early turbocharged cars it seeks to emulate, replacing it with a more carefully engineered sense of confidence and ability.  Considering the on-again, off-again performance of the early Saab Turbos, this isn't necessarily a bad thing.

With pricing starting at $42,510, the Turbo X is playing with the big boys; in true Saab tradition, it's doing it while marching to the beat of its own drum. It's earned the price tag; the Turbo X is the ultimate representation of Saab performance, from its menacing yet subtle look to its track-tuned suspension and powerful turbocharged engine. To underscore this, Saab even treated the first 100 Turbo X buyers to an exclusive driving school at Road Atlanta.