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Small Saab 9-1 Set for London Debut

Earlier this year, Saab boss Jan Ake Jonsson

Saab wants to enter the premium compact segment to bump up its global sales volume. (Photo: Saab)

suggested to a group of Saab enthusiasts that the brand would be interested in entering the compact premium segment, a class that's quickly growing in popularity across the globe. Their efforts would be to compete against the likes of the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series, Mercedes-Benz A- and B-Class, and the Volvo C30/S40, and the car will be based on the next-generation GM Delta platform. Now, more details have emerged about what could potentially be Saab's biggest volume (and most important) car.

Initially it was rumored that the 9-1 would take on a taller form for more interior room, akin to what Mercedes-Benz did with the A- and B-Class cars, but instead the company has declared the vehicle will be “iconic” and “dramatically styled”. Insiders have suggested that Saab has taken to heart one of its classic models, the 99 Combi Coupe, a classic Saab with two doors and a liftgate. The return to a hatchback design would allow this particular

Saab would like to build a modern version of this 1976 99 Combi Coupe. (Photo: Saab)

Saab to not only be sporty, necessary to attract new and younger buyers, but it will also appeal to older, more traditional Saab enthusiasts. We'll find out next year what the 9-1 will look like when it makes its debut at the London auto show in July.

Intriguingly, Saab insiders have been pointing to the 9-1 as being available with a hybrid drivetrain system. General Motors is currently working on a hybrid option for its smaller vehicles, a system that was first demonstrated a few years back with the Opel Astra Hybrid concept. Using the same ideas found in the bigger Tahoe Two-Mode Hybrid system, the Astra Hybrid concept featured 40 and 54 horsepower electric motors to assist its small 1.7-liter CDTi diesel engine. The result was a potent compact car

We'll find out what the car looks like when it debuts in London next July. (Photo: Saab)

capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in less than eight seconds while returning better than 59 mpg of fuel used in a mix of city and highway driving. With a system similar to this, it's more than certain that Saab could sell tens of thousands of these units to upmarket buyers.

Though the 9-1 will be a global car with initial production starting up in Sweden, there's the distinct possibility that Saab might even be building the 9-1 outside of Europe. With the production of the Saturn Astra to eventually move away from its current Belgium home to somewhere in the United States, the smallest Saab may very well follow, provided it sells enough units to justify the move. Indeed, Saab already has another vehicle planned for production outside of Sweden. The upcoming 9-4x crossover won't even be built in Europe, but rather in Mexico alongside its Cadillac BRX twin and platform mate, the Saturn Vue.

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