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For the ‘topless’ Saab of the 21st century, there is a unique ‘Canopy Top’ (patent pending) which is a powered, flat-folding roof developed from a Targa top principle. This innovation in convertible design, which distinguishes between a folding roof and a complete folding soft-top or hood assembly.
The Canopy Top is in fabric, rather than metal, to save weight and provide more efficient packaging. It is fully automatic in operation and folds neatly in three small sections under a rear tonneau cover in the rear deck. The rear screen between the buttresses retracts automatically into the underside of the raised tonneau cover to allow stowage of the Canopy Top. The screen then moves back into position to provide a complete glass surround for the cabin in open-top mode.
This ‘surround glass’ feature, together with an active wind deflector on top of the windshield header rail, provides enhanced occupant comfort. It minimizes buffeting, reduces back drafts and eliminates the need for a wind deflector net. Separating the rear screen from the folding top also enables a glass area larger than feasible with a soft top and integral screen.
Top down or up, the 9-X Air cuts a distinctive silhouette. With the canopy stowed away and the rear screen up, occupants can enjoy open-top motoring free from buffeting. Top up, the 9-X Air assumes the appearance of a true coupé, with a cohesive design that eschews the looks of a conventional, 4-seater convertible.
In a further break with design convention, the 9-X Air dispenses with a boot lid. Instead, a large storage compartment, big enough to accommodate two golf bags, slides out from underneath the rear light bar. To save weight, it is spring-loaded, without any power assistance, and slides effortlessly on rollers. Revealed underneath the sliding drawer is a separate compartment for stowing smaller items.
Inside, the 9-X Air features innovative developments in its driver-focused cockpit design and the provision of seamless connectivity for personal nomadic devices, both first seen in the 9-X BioHybrid.
The driver information zone encompasses the top of the door moulding. It is a fresh execution of Saab’s traditional, driver-focused cockpit layout and dispenses with a central, floor-mounted console. The zone is a flat, arc-shaped surface, within which a row of five display screens is embedded and illuminated in green 3D graphics, including an ‘infotainment’ screen and control panel in the driver’s door.
In co-operation with Sony Ericsson, the 9-X Air and its hatchback sibling also showcase the potential for seamless, wireless connectivity (Bluetooth) with one or multiple nomadic devices (mobile phones, PDAs etc). The in-car interface enables streaming of data, entertainment and satellite navigation functions, which are transferred automatically to the car while the device remains in the user’s pocket.
The smarter the device, the more functions in the car. The same unit could also be programmed to remotely lock /unlock the car, raise or lower the Canopy Top, and even remotely change in-car pre-sets. The 9-X Air makes a separate car key fob or remote controller redundant.
Optimized for E85 fuel (85% bioethanol/15% petrol), the small, 1.4-litre BioPower turbocharged engine generates a substantial 200 bhp/147 kW on E85 and an even more impressive 280 Nm of torque from 1750 – 5000 rpm. With a full flex-fuel capability, it is a rightsizing formula backed by hybrid technology, giving projected fuel consumption on petrol over the combined cycle of just 20 kms/litre (56.5 mpg). Running on E85, CO2 emissions are projected to be even lower, at just 107 gms/km, with estimated fuel consumption of 15.4 kms/litre (43.5 mpg).
Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept
Saab already leads Europe’s emerging flex-fuel vehicle segment through the sales of its current BioPower models, which produce more power with E85, as well as less CO2 emissions compared to petrol. The Saab 9-X Air now takes this proven flex-fuel technology further with an engine that fully exploits the high octane benefits of E85 fuel. It uses a higher compression ratio (10.2:1) and turbo boost pressure (up to 1.6 bar) than would be possible with a petrol-only engine. This is because E85 has a higher octane rating (RON104) than normal pump petrol (RON95), which makes it more resistant to harmful pre-detonation, or ‘knocking’, as the air/fuel mixture is compressed in the cylinder.
The advanced specification of this engine also includes direct injection (DI), with centrally-located fuel injectors, and continuously variable valve timing (VVT) on both the inlet and exhaust sides. The result is greater low-end torque and further improved fuel consumption.
Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are reduced yet further by the addition of the next-generation GM Hybrid system, which features a significantly higher power capability to capture more energy and more electric boost than the current GM Hybrid system. An electric motor/generator, belt-driven from the engine’s crankshaft, replaces the conventional alternator. Electrical power is delivered and stored by the compact lithium-ion battery pack, located under the rear cargo floor.
At take-off from rest and during overtaking manoeuvres, the electric motor adds accelerative power. It is also used to re-start the engine, supporting the automatic fuel-saving function whenever the car is stationary. To further improve efficiency, the hybrid system enables a longer fuel cut-off during deceleration and braking.
The electric motor also acts as a generator. It can be powered by the engine to charge the battery pack and support vehicle electrical loads. Or it can be used for ‘regenerative braking’ by capturing the vehicle’s kinetic energy when decelerating and storing it in the battery pack. Sophisticated electronics manage AC/DC and all voltage interfaces, including the 12V in-car supply.
The combination of GM Hybrid and Saab BioPower technologies has significant synergies. The hybrid system adds accelerative power and, in effect, improves throttle response. This allows further rightsizing of the engine with additional fuel consumption benefits. Engine rightsizing and hybridization complement each other, the combined benefit being greater than that of the individual technologies.
The 9-X Air was created by a team under Anthony Lo, Director of Advanced Design at General Motors Europe, working in co-operation with the Saab Brand Centre in Sweden. “Like the 9-X BioHybrid, this car is all about efficiency in design and performance, and that includes the Canopy Top.” said Mr. Lo. “It offers important benefits in weight-saving and packaging, as well as giving us the freedom to take convertible design forward in a very 'Saab-ish' way.”
Talk about this concept in the MTM Forum