This mid-sized SUV was introduced in 2005 as Saab jumped in to grab some of the guzzler-buying crowd. It was a little late in the trend, especially since the 9-7X's foremost rival, the fellow Swede known as the Volvo XC90, had been in the picture since 2003 and has sold very well in its time.
Saab called on its GM parent in this SUV endeavor, and sure enough, the truck-based 9-7X is undeniably related to the Chevy TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy. It's even made in Ohio.
Saab has made its SUV more European than those all-American cousins by adding a firmer suspension, lower ride stance, stronger frame, and hardier brakes. Plus, the steering gets European-style tuning, the front stabilizer bar is bigger, and there's a self-leveling rear air suspension. And the location of the ignition switch in the center console screams Saab like nothing else--you're not going to confuse this product with anything GM-branded.
