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2005 Saab 9-2X Linear Road Test

Euro-Asian Hits Street in North America

The Swedes have taken a page from Japans book on auto manufacturing - literally. The new Saab 9-2X is a reworked all-wheel drive Subaru Impreza.

Saab, whose parent company is General Motors, saved themselves massive R&D expenses by arranging with Subaru, another company in the GM "family," to use the Impreza body shell with its proven all-wheel drive running gear and gutsy flat-four engine.

In doing so, Saab acquired a strong product on which to perform a Swedish makeover of sorts, converting the Imprezas exterior styling character to resemble

GM saved massive R&D expenses by arranging with Subaru to use the Impreza body, all-wheel drive system and engine for Saabs new 9-2X. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

the rest of the Saab family, while upgrading its interior treatment to Swedish standards. The strategy of adopting the Impreza foundation makes sense to me, as it surely will to purchasers seeking all-wheel drive capability in a compact, fuel stingy, somewhat

The most obvious exterior design element setting the 9-2X apart from its Impreza roots is its nose, which screams "Im a Saab". (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

prestigious four-door wagon.

The most obvious exterior design element setting the 9-2X apart from its Impreza roots is its nose, which screams "Im a Saab." However, from the front doors rearward, Subaru genes dominate the look. What Saab stylists did up front is akin to a reality-TV makeover show. Too bad the creativity was all

The cockpit layout in my 9-2X Linear tester was about as basic yet as logical as it gets. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

front-end loaded, so to speak, as I find the rear half of the 9-2X disappointingly similar to the Impreza.

The cockpit layout in my 9-2X Linear tester was about as basic and logical as it gets. The gauge cluster is dominated by a large circular speedometer, flanked to the right by a matching tachometer. Balancing the left side are the fuel level and engine temperature gauges set in a matching circular face that also

The Linear model comes with a single-slot CD player instead of the six-disc version found in the Aero. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

displays the outside air temperature and the automatic transmission gear selection.

"Yester-tech" HVAC controls sit mid-field on the center stack, where they function with much appreciated simplicity. An automatic climate control system is standard on the upscale Aero version of the 9-2X.

While the Aero comes with upgraded six-disc in-dash audio, the unit in the Linear is more basic, with a single-slot CD player. For music aficionados intending to fill the immensity of the

The bucket seats are firm and very supportive, and rather than being clad in the optional leather upholstery, the seats in my tester were dressed in woven cloth. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

9-2Xs living space with dynamic sound, I strongly recommend the upgraded audio system.

With the optional Cold Weather Package, the heated seats of the 9-2X Linear will warmly greet its front occupants. These buckets are firm and very supportive, and rather than being clad in the optional leather upholstery, the seats in my tester were dressed in woven cloth. This attractive, neutral-colored fabric also trimmed the four door-panels and armrests, where early signs of dirt markings made me wonder if it was really the best choice for such high-use

The 60/40 rear seats fold flat to create an impressive cargo-hold of 61.6 cubic feet. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)

locations.

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