SAAB

Saab PhoeniX Concept: the ultimate Saab

One of the saddest moments in recent motorsport history was the disappearance of Saab, a legendary brand that left us with some well-remembered models, such as the Saab 900 Turbo from the 80s. the Saab PhoeniX Concept.

Saab's death was like a terminal illness that consumes the body of the sick person, until, finally, it is consumed. A long and painful process when General Motors went into bankruptcy leaving the Scandinavian manufacturer adrift. The PhoeniX prototype was a last-ditch attempt to breathe, though it failed. Interestingly, this concept car looks a lot like a hybrid sports car we saw a few years later…

Because the aesthetic similarity with the BMW i8 cannot be denied. The design was in charge of Jason Castriota, former designer of Bertone, who inaugurated a philosophy called 'Aeromotional', which followed Saab's connection with the world of aviation, a connection he maintained from his birth until his death.

Presented at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the PhoeniX Concept was characterized by highly refined aerodynamics, where flaps played an important role, as well as other solutions focused on improving the car's performance and reducing fuel consumption.

The front was dominated by an inverted horseshoe grille flanked by slender horizontal LED headlamps. The side view was highlighted by the large wheels with turbine design and the scissor doors, in addition to the roof drop, which designed a very sporty and elegant profile. The rear was highlighted by a Kammback-style drop to improve the drag coefficient and a cluster of LED lights that covered the entire width.

The interior was no less flashy. As with any prototype, it included elements that would not have taken place in a production model, but it also had others that could have ended up in future models of the brand, inspired by this concept, such as the IQon infotainment system, with Android. The interior was very minimalistic and all the necessary information was collected in a large central clock.

The PhoeniX Concept came to represent the future of Saab, in a last attempt to rise from its ashes, with the aim of developing a modular platform called PhoeniX to bring several models to life. It used a hybrid propulsion system, consisting of a 1.6 THP gasoline engine that drove the front axle and another 34 hp electric engine that drove the rear wheels.

This propulsion system, called eXWD, was jointly developed by BMW and PSA, which supplied the 1.6-litre engine, at a time when the Swedish brand had already broken away from the General Motors arm. It was equipped with a program that included several driving modes that focused on the car's dynamics.

Unfortunately, the PhoeniX Concept was an interesting idea that never went beyond a prototype. Neither materialized nor was the platform used to host other models. And the fate of the Swedish brand we already know what it was.

It is said that around 10% of the components of the PhoeniX platform still came from GM and this was an obstacle to the brand's wishes. Subsequently, some Chinese companies became interested in Saab's technology and acquired its rights to sell the Saab 9-3 in the Asian country.

Autonews