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Hab da mal was von saabscene.co.uk kopiert, tönt nicht mal so schlecht :)
Saab 9-2X:
It may be an Impreza in drag, but Saab has thoroughly reworked this Subaru for the US
By the time you read this, I'll probably be no more. Tied up, flung into the boot of the Fast Fleet Volvo V70R and dumped in the middle of nowhere by the notoriously strict-but-fair evo Standards Committee. My crime? I'm about to praise a Saab as being a serious driver's car. Impossible, of course. So it looks like motoring editor Barker (in black cap) will sentence me to evo oblivion. But in the spirit of truthful journalism... here goes.
The new Saab 9-2X Aero is a better car than the stock Subaru Impreza WRX wagon on which it's based. Quite a lot better, in fact. Not only is it sharper, it's also more refined and less wearing to drive thanks to chassis modifications carried out by Saab engineers.
The changes were so admired by Subaru that Saab's suspension chief stayed on in Japan after the 9-2X project was finished to help out and it's expected some of his mods will find their way onto a facelifted Impreza later this year.
Still not convinced? I can see your point. After all, this looks like nothing more than an Impreza estate with a Saab nose. It's a cynical move, but the 9-2X exists because Saab's owners, General Motors, wanted to stop the tiny Swedish company from sliding into the North Sea. The only way to stop the rot was more product lines, and fast. GM encouraged Subaru to donate the Impreza wagon to help Saab get a jump on the premium compact market sector bandwagon, the newest American market niche. There are two 9-2X models for the US and Canada, a 165bhp 2.5-litre Linear and the 227bhp 2-litre turbo Aero.
The exterior changes are extensive. The 9-2X's nose is new from the windscreen forward, with new lights, bonnet and bumpers. The rear tailgate (complete with integrated spoiler) is also new, as are the tail lights and rear bumper.
Inside, there's been a big leap forward. Saab has given the car new door panels, centre console and instrument binnacle. The instrument faces have also been redesigned, while the seats are new and are trimmed in more luxurious materials. What can't be seen is the extensive sound deadening and detail refinement work. But it adds up, in more ways than one. One US magazine reckons the 9-2X is 82kg heavier than the stock Impreza.
The most important changes are to the chassis. The Impreza's spring settings have been left alone but tweaks have been made elsewhere. Up front, the turbocharged Aero gets modified dampers and the steering rack is now quicker. At the back there are modified dampers and 10mm shorter bump- stops. One of the suspension's lateral links has been swapped from steel to aluminium and the anti-roll bar linkage from steel to plastic. The 9-2X gets bespoke tyres, which are claimed to improve not only handling and steering but also ride comfort. New 16in alloys are standard, but there's a 17in option on the turbocharged Aero.
While the higher power model is more of an evo car, the 2.5-litre version was a real surprise. The engine is willing and enthusiastic and had the legs of the turbo model lower down the rev-range. Running on 16in wheels it was amazingly refined on rough concrete motorways where there was little of the Impreza's constant chuckachucka tyre roar.
Even though this Linear does without the new steering rack, the front wishbones are six-times stiffer than the Subaru's, which has improved the turn-in and steering response no end. Driven hard, the Linear does roll noticeably and there's more than a whiff of understeer in hard cornering. But on a fast cruise the Linear felt like it would be a fine tourer. We need this engine in the UK.
Saab's test cars had very few miles on the clock, so the 2-litre turbo engines were tight and unwilling. But the Aero felt like quite a different beast from the 2.5. The 17in wheels and low-profile tyres sharpen the car up further but also re-introduce road noise and constant background gruffness. The Aero's quicker steering and less roll-prone chassis give it a much more focused character. The razor-sharp front-end responses are highly impressive. It also stops well, with good pedal feel, and the whole car felt rigid and rattle-free.
But as fast as it is, this engine needs to be really stoked up, and driving the two versions back-to-back left me in no doubt that Subaru should junk the peaky 2-litre unit in the WRX and consider a turbocharged 2.5-litre engine. It would help the Saab's long-legged character, too.
So this is probably the best mainstream Impreza yet, although Subaru is poised with its own refreshed model. This is also probably the first performance Saab road test in history that didn't include the phrase 'torque steer'... Well, not until now, anyway.
Saab 9-2X:
It may be an Impreza in drag, but Saab has thoroughly reworked this Subaru for the US
By the time you read this, I'll probably be no more. Tied up, flung into the boot of the Fast Fleet Volvo V70R and dumped in the middle of nowhere by the notoriously strict-but-fair evo Standards Committee. My crime? I'm about to praise a Saab as being a serious driver's car. Impossible, of course. So it looks like motoring editor Barker (in black cap) will sentence me to evo oblivion. But in the spirit of truthful journalism... here goes.
The new Saab 9-2X Aero is a better car than the stock Subaru Impreza WRX wagon on which it's based. Quite a lot better, in fact. Not only is it sharper, it's also more refined and less wearing to drive thanks to chassis modifications carried out by Saab engineers.
The changes were so admired by Subaru that Saab's suspension chief stayed on in Japan after the 9-2X project was finished to help out and it's expected some of his mods will find their way onto a facelifted Impreza later this year.
Still not convinced? I can see your point. After all, this looks like nothing more than an Impreza estate with a Saab nose. It's a cynical move, but the 9-2X exists because Saab's owners, General Motors, wanted to stop the tiny Swedish company from sliding into the North Sea. The only way to stop the rot was more product lines, and fast. GM encouraged Subaru to donate the Impreza wagon to help Saab get a jump on the premium compact market sector bandwagon, the newest American market niche. There are two 9-2X models for the US and Canada, a 165bhp 2.5-litre Linear and the 227bhp 2-litre turbo Aero.
The exterior changes are extensive. The 9-2X's nose is new from the windscreen forward, with new lights, bonnet and bumpers. The rear tailgate (complete with integrated spoiler) is also new, as are the tail lights and rear bumper.
Inside, there's been a big leap forward. Saab has given the car new door panels, centre console and instrument binnacle. The instrument faces have also been redesigned, while the seats are new and are trimmed in more luxurious materials. What can't be seen is the extensive sound deadening and detail refinement work. But it adds up, in more ways than one. One US magazine reckons the 9-2X is 82kg heavier than the stock Impreza.
The most important changes are to the chassis. The Impreza's spring settings have been left alone but tweaks have been made elsewhere. Up front, the turbocharged Aero gets modified dampers and the steering rack is now quicker. At the back there are modified dampers and 10mm shorter bump- stops. One of the suspension's lateral links has been swapped from steel to aluminium and the anti-roll bar linkage from steel to plastic. The 9-2X gets bespoke tyres, which are claimed to improve not only handling and steering but also ride comfort. New 16in alloys are standard, but there's a 17in option on the turbocharged Aero.
While the higher power model is more of an evo car, the 2.5-litre version was a real surprise. The engine is willing and enthusiastic and had the legs of the turbo model lower down the rev-range. Running on 16in wheels it was amazingly refined on rough concrete motorways where there was little of the Impreza's constant chuckachucka tyre roar.
Even though this Linear does without the new steering rack, the front wishbones are six-times stiffer than the Subaru's, which has improved the turn-in and steering response no end. Driven hard, the Linear does roll noticeably and there's more than a whiff of understeer in hard cornering. But on a fast cruise the Linear felt like it would be a fine tourer. We need this engine in the UK.
Saab's test cars had very few miles on the clock, so the 2-litre turbo engines were tight and unwilling. But the Aero felt like quite a different beast from the 2.5. The 17in wheels and low-profile tyres sharpen the car up further but also re-introduce road noise and constant background gruffness. The Aero's quicker steering and less roll-prone chassis give it a much more focused character. The razor-sharp front-end responses are highly impressive. It also stops well, with good pedal feel, and the whole car felt rigid and rattle-free.
But as fast as it is, this engine needs to be really stoked up, and driving the two versions back-to-back left me in no doubt that Subaru should junk the peaky 2-litre unit in the WRX and consider a turbocharged 2.5-litre engine. It would help the Saab's long-legged character, too.
So this is probably the best mainstream Impreza yet, although Subaru is poised with its own refreshed model. This is also probably the first performance Saab road test in history that didn't include the phrase 'torque steer'... Well, not until now, anyway.