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Stunning design, awesome performance, environmental
responsibility
Saab Aero X, named best concept car at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, makes
its stunning debut down-under at the Australian International Motor Show.
The radical, ultramodern, concept car combines Saab’s design pedigree,
aviation history, Scandinavian heritage and environmental credentials to create
a performance car with a difference.
Force of nature
Saab is leading the industry with its BioPower E85 (85 per cent ethanol)
vehicles which combine going green with even better performance – and Aero X
takes it to the next level.
Powered by a 298 kW twin-turbo BioPower version of Saab’s award-winning,
Australian built 2.8-litre Global V6 engine, Aero X runs on 100 per cent
bioethanol fuel.
With a sustainable ‘green power’ energy source, the all-wheel-drive Aero X
gives new meaning to ‘performance with responsibility’.
Performance
Taking advantage of weight-saving carbon fibre bodywork, lightweight
powertrain and electronically-controlled suspension, Aero X is an exciting
driver’s car with breathtaking performance to match its looks.
Computer simulations anticipate zero to 100 km/hour in just 4.9 seconds and a
top speed of 250 km/hour (speed limited).
Aviation
Aero X embodies the design strength within Saab today and offers a glimpse of
the dramatic and innovative design language inspiring the brand’s future
vehicles.
The first aeronautical designed UrSaab changed the way the world thought
about cars and today Aero X brings this Saab tradition of ground-breaking design
back to life.
Reminiscent of a jet aircraft cockpit, Aero X completely does away with
doors.
The glass canopy and wrap-around windscreen eliminate traditional A-pillars,
giving the pilot uninterrupted 180 degree vision and convenient entry and exit
with no roof to duck under. The canopy is remote controlled and pivots from the
front, choreographed to simultaneously move upwards and forwards in relatively
small spaces.
Even the asymmetrical spokes of the Aero X wheels represent the blades of a
jet turbine – and with good reason. The 22-inch front and 23-inch rear alloys
are shaped to draw in air around the brakes to keep them cool.
Northern lights
Aero X replaces conventional dials and buttons inside the cockpit, adding a
new dimension to clean Scandinavian interior design.
The opaque display panel and instrumentation comes to life when the vehicle
is started. An aircraft style LED (light-emitting diode) system shines through
layers of sand-blasted and laser-etched acrylic, displaying driver information
as a series of 3-D images that float in space.
Born in the land of the midnight sun, and noonday moon, the interior is
subtly lit with warm ambient light inspired by Scandinavia’s Auroa Borealis. All
exterior and interior lighting is by LED, which has given the design team new
freedom to exploit the compact packaging benefits of the technology that will
increasingly feature in future Saab products.
Form and function
Saab’s strong Scandinavian design aesthetic also brings surprisingly
practical elements to Aero X. The dramatically sculpted tail also conceals a
useful twin storage facility, with a conventional hatch opening and sliding
drawer underneath.
The future
“Aero X is inspired by a proud history of aviation and innovation and it’s
changing the way people think about Saab today,” said the Director of Saab
Australia, Mr Parveen Batish.
“Aero X is without a doubt an absolutely fantastic car – and the clues it
gives to our new products makes me even more excited about the future of Saab
than I was before.
“The progressive design language reveals Saab’s true potential,” Mr Batish
said.
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