PhoeniX points to Saabs future

Just like the mythical bird that rises from the ashes, the Swedish PhoeniX is intended to help Saab rise from the collapse of General Motors and soar again as an independent brand.

The PhoeniX was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show and is as radical as anything that has ever worn a Saab badge, with futuristic coupe styling that taps a new vein of Swedish creativity. Just as importantly, the PhoeniX - the name taps the X-car models in the Saab range including the latest 9-4X SUV - is built over the mechanical package that will be used for the upcoming replacement for the brand's bread-and-butter 9-3 range.

Saab knows it faces a tough battle back from the troubles of recent years, but company chief Victor Muller - who sold his Spyker sports car company to inject cash into Saab - says the brand has the strength to survive. Muller says the PhoeniX is still only a concept but provides "a pointer to the future”.

He doesn't see it making the step to production, but believes key design elements will soon be used on Saab's production cars. The freehand design of the PhoeniX - a metal-finished, distinctly aero coupe that disrupts the eye with its unusual lines - was unveiled in Geneva by stylist Jason Castriota.

The most radical design twist on the car is C-pillar supports at the tail of the car that act as vertical spoilers. "The wings are there for a purpose. They help aerodynamics," Castriota says. But he admits they will never make it onto anything in a Saab showroom. The car also has butterfly wings that open up-and-out for access to the two-plus-two cabin, as well as pumped-out guards and a super-low roofline with a small glass area.

"The PhoeniX establishes a new reference point for the future of Saab product design," says Castriota. The concept uses a 147kW 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine bought in from BMW and has all-wheel drive using the engine for the front wheels and an electric motor for the rear.

It's a potential pointer to a product tie-up with the German company for Saab as it cuts its ties to the GM world, including its previous product partners at Opel in Germany. The bottom line for the all-wheel drive coupe could be fuel economy in the 4.9 litres/100km range with CO2 emissions of just 119 grams/kilometre.

Muller is clear on the work that has gone into the PhoeniX and admits the mechancial platform is destined for the new 9-3 and, within five years, the next 9-5 and 9-4X SUV. The platform is flexible enough to cope with Saab's large model range but Muller says the architecture is "too expensive” to shrink for the planned smaller, 9-2 vehicle.