It's past time that Saab earned its keep, and the brand's smooth and powerful all-wheel drive 2008 Turbo X sedan and station wagon are a good start.
Saab has gotten more grief than it deserves for losing money consistently since General Motors took control of the Swedish brand in 1989. The problem rests less in the brand, which has a lot going for it, than with GM product planners who consistently underestimated the competition Saab faced from luxury brands like Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus and Volvo.
Saab has struggled for two main reasons:
Its model line consisted of two key vehicles — the 9-3 and 9-5 sedan/wagon lines — and they were too similar to each other.
Its front-wheel drive layout precluded the power and handling people expect from a European luxury brand.
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The Turbo X is an upgrade of Saab's 9-3 sport sedan with major mechanical improvements to address the latter shortcomings without sacrificing longtime Saab values like room, comfort and practicality.
The great improvement comes from a new performance-tuned all-wheel-drive system that allowed Saab's engineers to crank up the horsepower to build a car powerful enough to race the big boys.
All Turbo X models come with all-wheel drive and a wonderfully torquey turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 that produces 280 horsepower.
Prices for the 2009 Turbo X start at $41,765 for a sedan with a six-speed manual transmission and $42,565 for the wagon. A crisp and effective six-speed automatic transmission adds $1,350.
I tested a nicely equipped Turbo X sedan with a sticker price of $44,560. All prices exclude destination charges.
Thanks to its very effective turbocharger, the Saab generates 295 pound-feet of torque at relatively low engine speeds. In contrast to engines that hit their torque peak at 3,000 rpm or more, that means all the Saab's power is immediately available, providing great acceleration the moment you step on the gas pedal.
While power is excellent, fuel economy is not. The Turbo X's EPA rating of 15 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway is worse than any of the models I've mentioned, though I got 28 mpg over a long highway run at 70-mph-plus.
The combination of power and all-wheel drive makes the Turbo X quick off the line and a solid highway cruiser that devours high-speed runs with the ease of the BMW 3-series.
The Saab handles twisting country roads well. It turns in crisply and rides flat and stable through long, fast curves.
Saab will offer XWD on other 9-3 models as well as the Turbo X for the 2009 model.
The transmission is smooth and crisp. A sport-mode button effectively changes the shift points to improve acceleration and provide effective engine braking during enthusiastic cornering. The Turbo X completes the package with upsized brakes to provide plenty of stopping power.
The Turbo X lacked some features you should expect in any small sedan costing more than $40,000: memory seats and mirrors are optional, there's no USB input for iPods and the like.
2008 SAAB TURBO X
• Base price: $41,765 (as tested, $44,560)
• Power: 2.8-liter, 280 hp DOHC variable-timing 24-valve V6; six-speed auto transmission
• Fuel economy: 15 mpg city/24 mpg highway
