Best cars for 2011 by TIME Magazine - Saab 9-5 is one of them:
  
 Like a patient with an active lifestyle who endured a long hospital stay, the Swedish carmaker is eager to show that it is ready for competition with the Saab 9-5, the first all-new version of the model in 13 years . It comes with a top-notch suspension, crisp steering, a turbocharged engine that can take the car from 55 m.p.h. to 90 m.p.h. (about 90 km/h to 145 km/h) in an instant, a comfortable interior with a cockpit modeled on those found in airplanes, and a starting button in the center console rather than the instrument panel or steering wheel. The new 9-5 also has a new electronic feature that uses GPS data to keep the driver informed about the speed limit on the road, placed in the middle of the instrument cluster, right next to the speedometer. Starting price is $47,600.

The all-new model, the 9-4X crossover Saab is coming soon. Although it will formally debut next month at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the automaker has spilled the beans on its second all-new model in a year.

The 9-4X will be assembled alongside the SRX in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, built under contract by GM. Its basic design was previewed in 2008 at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show as a concept car, but Saab had kept the production model under wrap until now. 

Base 9-4X crossovers get a naturally-aspirated, 265-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 with direct injection and variable valve timing and either front or all-wheel-drive. Saab says a front-wheel-drive non-turbo model can sprint to 60 mph in about 7.9 seconds and sips fuel at an average of 20 mpg combined.

Saab will offer the 9-4X Aero with a turbocharged 2.8-liter, 300-horsepower V6, the same engine that is also optional in the SRX. The engine is based on a GM design, but Saab was responsible for turbocharging, so the automaker promises us that the engine is true to its Scandinavian form.

The turbocharged V6 pumps out 295 lb-ft. of torque spread between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm. The engine is mated exclusively to a six-speed automatic transmission and is capable of propelling the crossover to 60 mph in around 7.7 seconds with all-wheel-drive. Saab says to expect combined driving to net around 18 mpg.

Saab’s all-wheel-drive – dubbed XWD – will be standard on the Aero and optional on the base 9-4X. The system, already offered in the 9-3 and 9-5, features a Haldex center differential. It adds an electronically-controlled rear limited-slip differential called eLSD capable of splitting up to 50 percent of torque between the rear wheels. An adjustable DriveSense suspension with real-time damping shocks can be toggled between “comfort” and “sport” modes. A separate “Eco” button re-maps the throttle pedal and gear shift patterns for optimal fuel economy.

The 9-4X might share its structure with the SRX, but the two crossovers have their own design identities. The 9-4X was inspired by the automaker’s Aero X concept car and it features a number of styling elements already shown in the Saab 9-5 sedan, including “ice block effect” lighting in a green-blue tint.

Blacked out windshield and door pillars give the 9-4X a “cockpit” look, while curved LED running lights provide a link to the 9-5 and 9-3.

Look for the 9-4X to hit showrooms next Spring in the United States and at JMKSaab in Springfield, NJ 07081. 

Saab 9-4X Joins Saab 9-5 Sedan in earning Top Safety Pick 2011