9-X Concept news - Saab goes small - 2008

Saab went small at the Geneva show as it showed off a concept version of its smallest car in, well, ages: the 9-X hybrid.

Concept it may be, but the 9-X previews a 'premium compact' Saab which should arrive in production form within the next few years.

Aimed squarely at the Volvo C30 and Mini, it's a shooting brake-style four-seater based on none other than the humble Vauxhall Astra underpinnings. The next-generation Astra, true, but the Astra nonetheless.

All the styling cues we've come to expect from concept Saabs are present: a raked, wraparound windscreen, trademark grille and swoopy 'cockpit' interior.

Our favourite touch is that trick rear spoiler, which extends backwards at 43mph (how gloriously precise and Scandinavian) creating a longer roofline and extra downforce.

Though the touch-sensitive doors and rear-view cameras are obvious concept touches, the powertrain isn't too daft: a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo engine mated to a lithium-ion battery pack.

Saab says that, when running on E85 bioethanol, the 9-X will develop some 180bhp, with power boosted over 200bhp and 206lb ft of torque when running on battery power too. Fuel consumption could be as low as 57mpg, with CO2 emissions under 105g/km.

All the noises coming from Saab are that the 9-X will see production sooner rather than later - a good thing, we reckon.