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Saab, Subaru team up for niche ‘Saabaru’

Saab and Subaru teamed up to create the 9-2X, a “premium sport compact” that is an amalgam of Saab luxury and style and Subaru all-wheel-drive and durability.

Guess what? Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be another automotive niche, the manufacturers have discovered one.

The apparently uncharted territory is the “premium sport compact” segment, and Europe’s upscale automakers are poised to launch a flotilla of small, sporty, luxurious sedans and wagons, targeting young people with money.

An unlikely front-runner is Saab, who next month brings us its all new 9-2X sport wagon.

All-new is a relative term here. In quickly bringing its third offering to market, the Swedish company enlisted an equally unlikely ally: Japan’s Subaru. Thus, the 9-2X is actually an Impreza in Saab clothing.

So how do two companies so far apart get together to collaborate on an automobile? What Saab and Subaru have in common, aside from their somewhat quirky images, is General Motors, which wholly owns Saab and controls 20 percent of Subaru.

So the marriage of a stylish Swede with a popular Japanese is a match made in Detroit. What a world.

Already, the 9-2X is being dubbed a Saabaru, somewhat sneeringly by Saab fanatics but with a measure of anticipation by drivers who appreciate the qualities that each brand brings to the table: Saab style, image and luxury; Subaru performance, all-wheel-drive and durability.

Watch for more premium sport compacts coming in rapid succession from such manufacturers as Audi, BMW, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. As niches go, this could be fun.

What it is

A new model for Saab that’s actually a thinly disguised Subaru Impreza five-door sport wagon. Like Impreza, 9-2X comes as a base model, called Linear, or a performance-oriented, turbo version called Aero, that’s based on Subaru’s desirable WRX.

The Aero was tested here.

Performance

The 9-2X Aero benefits from performance upgrades that have made WRX such a hot commodity among sport-compact drivers. Fast and tractable, WRX fits in well with Saab’s goals for Aero.

Most of the performance bits from WRX are present in Aero, with aggressively responsive handling and strong power from the turbocharged, opposed-four-cylinder Subaru engine.

The Aero can be differentiated from the Linear by the addition of a broad hood scoop that feeds air to the turbocharger’s intercooler.

With 227 horsepower from the two-liter turbo engine, compared with 165 for the naturally aspirated, 2.5-liter four, the lightweight Aero accelerates sharply. But there is a problem with turbo lag, the sluggish feeling at low RPMs before the turbocharger kicks in.

Coming out of a corner in second gear, the Aero feels like it has dropped anchor, dogging badly until the engine reaches about 2,8 00 RPM, when it quickly picks up the pace. This is an annoying trait linked with turbos of the past but largely dialed out of today’s models.

Drivability

The 9-2X is the first Saab that’s not front-wheel drive, and the sparkling all-wheel-drive handling that makes Subaru WRX such a joy on back roads should ring the chimes of young sport-compact adherents.

The Saab has a slightly softer ride than the Subaru, with the suspension tuned for more compliance without losing much in the cornering department. The steering is very responsive, nicely weighted for both city driving and back-road maneuvers.

The all-wheel disc brakes have plenty of bite.

Though handling performance is right up there, Saab’s constituency might feel slighted by the lack of “Saabishness,” the unique driving qualities of Sweden’s individualistic automaker. The 9-2X is basically an Impreza, and lacks the solid refinement of a Saab.

Styling

Eas ly recognizable as a Saab from the front, a bit less so from the rear, this early production version of the 9-2X was a consistent head-turner from the young target audience. With its optional spoked 17-inch wheels and aggressive stance, the Aero sparked a lot of interest.

In profile, the 9-2X is clearly derived from Impreza, though the swooping angle of the rear glass and pillar melds well with the Saab styling. The Aero is sleeker and cleaner than the WRX, with less of a racer image.

The hood scoop is something of a styling clinker for a Saab, which has always had low, clean hoods going back to the 1970s. The scoop is pure Subaru.

Interior

Also sleeker and cleaner than Impreza, with a luxury feel and a higher level of standard features. The seats are noticeably more comfortable and supportive than the Impreza’s. The carpets are thick and well trimmed.

A traditional Saab piece is missing: the ignition key in the center console. Saab said it would have cost too much to re-engineer the ignition and steering lock, so the key is in the customary place on the column.

Saab added considerable sound-deadening material to 9-2X, including a thick mat of the stuff in the spare-tire well, subduing much of the Impreza’s road and engine noise.

Pricing

Saab pricing comes in a few thousand more than Subaru, starting at about $23,000 for the Linear models. The test Aero started at $26,950, with $1,950 for a sport package of 17-inch alloy wheels, performance tires and moonroof; $16,695 for a premium package of leather seating and door inserts, and xenon headlights; and $695 for shipping, totaling $31,290.

Bottom line

The big question: is 9-2X a real Saab or a pseudo-Saab. My feeling tends toward the latter, that 9-2X is basically an Impreza gussied up as a Saab.

Still, there’s much to be said for bringing Subaru rally-car performance into a more upgraded vehicle with the style and image of a Saab.