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SAAB 9-7X Aero gets 6.0-litre LS2 power

I’m not really a big fan of political correctness, in fact the idea of following societies “sheep” doesn’t appeal to me at all. It seems to be the season for bashing big cars, with fuel prices and “the environment” being the major reasons cite


I’m not really a big fan of political correctness, in fact the idea of following societies “sheep” doesn’t appeal to me at all. It seems to be the season for bashing big cars, with fuel prices and “the environment” being the major reasons cited by "the sheep" but I’ve never really bought into that hoo-hah and it would seem that the average Aussie hasn't either.

The swing towards small cars seems to be slowing rapidly, with July’s figures showing large car sales looking increasingly healthy while the little fellas are coming off the boil somewhat. We will look at that in more detail later this week but you can see the point I’m making – big is back, at least for a little while.

It’s also fashionable to take a swipe at the SUV’s on the roads but that’s just as boring and predictably sheep like. If you don’t mind paying for the petrol or diesel then why should someone else have an issue with you driving a bigger car than them…really?

Which brings me to this little – better make that LARGE gem from SAAB. In the spirit of bigness SAAB have decided to launch an Aero version of their mid-size 9-7X and they have created a bit of a monster by stuffing a 6.0-litre LS2 Chev V8 between the front strut towers! Tim the Tool man would be grunting about now and we don’t blame him.

The LS2 equipped 9-7X Aero punches out 295Kw and 542Nm and accelerates from 0-100km/h in under six seconds… Australians are familiar with LS2 small-block Chev V8 as it is the chosen power-plant for the current HSV range of Commodore based performance sedans.

“The 9-7X Aero is one great SUV to pilot. We are excited to offer enthusiastic drivers an increased level of performance with the Aero, a symbol of Saab performance, in the midsize SUV segment” , commented a SAAB spokesperson

The 9-7X Aero gets all of the good stuff, including a full-time four wheel drive system with Torsen centre differential, 20inch alloy rims, ABS and StabiliTrak electronic stability control system. Interior embellishments include “Aero” embroidered leather seats and embossed floor mats.

If you live in North America, you can buy this serious X5 and Cayenne challenger for a meager $UD45,690. Unfortunately the 9-7X series is one SAAB range that Australia isn’t likely to see anytime soon, which is a real shame as there is no doubting that it would have “got the goat” of an assortment of do-gooders and activists.

You can check out the full press release by clicking on the link - SAAB 9-7X Aero press release

Steane

Source: SAAB North America

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