Top Cars

During yesterday's press briefing, General Motors let its upcoming Saab 9X Air concept out of the bag ahead of its official debut at the Paris Motor Show, and today we finally have official pics and details of the new Swedish open air coupe. Based on last year's 9X BioHybrid concept from Geneva, the 9X Air loses its hard top in favor of a cloth piece and rear glass that pops up from the rear hatch. A concept-worthy interior features four black-and-white seats along with a digital dash.

Power flows to the front wheels via a turbocharged 1.4-liter E85 flex-fuel engine and six-speed dual clutch gearbox. along with an electric motor powered by lithium ion batteries. Acceleration to 60 comes up in around eight seconds and fuel mileage is theoretically in the 40 mpg range. Sounds good so far. We are expecting the Air, along with its 9X forebear, to spawn a production model likely called the 9-1. Just how many of the high-tech features will make it into production? We'll see, though we are pretty sure both the hatchback and convertible body styles will make the transition.