GM trick
Well before Saab lay dormant for years, it was difficult for the original Swedish brand to get and keep things on track financially. Under the wings of General Motors, the 9-3 and 9-5 became technical sister models of the Vectra, although Saab was still given the opportunity to put their own spin on these models in a certain sense. This Saab 9-7X certainly did not have that space.
It was of course not surprising that Saab was given existing technology under the management of General Motors to place its models on. General Motors wanted to make Saab a profitable brand and parked the second generation 9-3, presented in 2002, on the Epsilon Platform, which we already knew in Europe from the Opel Vectra and which later also found a place under the Signum, Fiat Croma and Cadillac BLS . Years later, the last 9-5 was modeled on the Insignia and, even more so than the 9-3, Saab managed to give that model a truly unique look. Still, there are a few examples of Saabs that were simply little more than the result of a fairly easy rebadging session. Just think of the Saab 9-2X, which was never delivered in the Netherlands: a Subaru Impreza Plus with its own snout and butt, but especially of this SUV that has been converted into a Saab in an even simpler way.
Saab 9-7x
The Saab 9-7X in these photos may remind you, as a European resident, most of a transformed Chevrolet Trailblazer. In fact, it is more of a distant Saab version of its sister model: the Oldsmobile Bravada. General Motors put a big red line through Oldsmobile in 2004, but thought it would be a shame to even drive the then only two-year-old Bravada into the shredder. The Oldsmobile Bravada received rear light units with white glazing – just like the 9-3 – and the typical Oldsmobile front was replaced by a characteristic Saab face. At first glance there were no further adjustments, but nothing could be further from the truth. If you place the Bravada next to the 9-7X, you will see that the Saab had to do without decorative strips on the flanks. The fact that the third side window visually matched that of the then current 9-5 Estate was nothing but a coincidence. Saab elements were also added to the interior, complete with Saab-characteristic ventilation grilles and the ingenious fold-out cup holder that you also found in the 9-5 at the time.
The Oldsmobile Bravada that served as the basis for the 9-7X.
Just like its technical basis, the Saab 9-7X was a body-on-frame SUV for which there was virtually no demand in the Netherlands. In Europe it was only available with a 4.2 straight-six and a 5.3-liter V8. A 9-7X Aero was also delivered in the United States with the 6.0 V8 of the then current Corvette. The Saab 9-7X came onto the Dutch market in 2005 with the 4.2 six-cylinder engine and the 5.3 V8, but left three years later after officially eight deliveries. It was not the only SUV from General Motors that became Saab and was available in the Netherlands. For example, in 2011 the importer dared to bring the Saab 9-4X – a technical sister model of the then current Cadillac SRX – to our country. That model lasted less than a year with us. That had less to do with the car itself than with Saab going bankrupt.
Also a bit unique on the inside.
The Saab 9-7X in these photos bumped into the undersigned in Utrecht. We’re not going to talk about the fact that it’s not so freshly parked. About its drivetrain: this is a copy with the 300 hp and 447 Nm strong eight-cylinder in the front. This machine helps the 9-7X, which weighs almost 2,300 kilos, to reach a speed of 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds, but also achieves an average consumption of 15.5 l/100 kilometers. So 1 in 6.5. This jet-black copy has no gas system, which, given the plans for LPG cars in retrospect, is not so bad after all. A real Saab? Not entirely, but we find the story behind the model interesting enough to give it a warm place in our car hearts.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl