The midsized sedan has been growing in all directions for decades, but soaring fuel prices have customers begging for something smaller. GM is heeding the call as it is preparing a smaller batch of next generation Saabs. The next 9-3 was originally slated to be underpinned by the Epsilon II, but in March GM decided to instead utilize the lower-medium Delta architecture.

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In an effort to either sell more Saab cars, or possibly even just educate car owners, Saabusa.com has a nice video on how to change the tire on a car. Now, I only present this as a public service, don't get on my for the female who delivers the message. I do believe everyone should know how to change a tire. It is one of the easiest things to do and can save you not only embarrassment but a hefty service charge call.

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The Astra isn't the only GM model getting a new diesel option in Australia. The performance Aero model of the Saab 9-3 is now available with a 177hp 1.9L diesel. The 295lb-ft of torque is apparently enough to motivate the 9-3 Aero TTiD at similar rates to the gas engined version. The gas-fueled model however cannot approach the 41.3mpg (U.S.) rating of the manual transmission model. Even the automatic version achieves 34.6mpg (U.S.). The diesel in the Saab has the two-stage turbocharger setup with a smaller turbo for quick low speed response and a second larger unit for maximum power.

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Originally predicted to be shown at the Paris Motor Show in October of this year, the 2010 Saab 9-5 won't actually debut until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March of next year.

While details of the new car are vague, we do know that it is based on GM's Epsilon II platform (unlike the new 9-3, now rumored to be downsized) and that the styling is expected to follow cues from the Saab Aero-X.

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Expansive blue skies set the scene for a perfect spring day in New England as an enthusiastic team from Saab greeted us journalist types and eagerly showed off the Swedish brand's newest top-level sedan, the TurboX. After a quick Powerpoint chat with Saab USA GM Steve Shannon and a stroll under a TurboX that was hoisted on a lift, we were making use of the Big Dig highway improvements on our way to several hours of blissful thrashing. Federal dollars never sounded so good as we held the turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 in first gear, happily snarling along in the upper reaches of the tachometer and turning the underground portions of the highway into a gigantic reverberator.

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Saab Australia has announced pricing for the eagerly awaited all-wheel-drive limited edition performance Saab Turbo X. Only 30 of these limited edition models will be made available to customers in Australia and New Zealand, with 25 Sport Sedan and five SportCombi models arriving between June and September this year.

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Just in time for the hot weather and the tops to go down on convertibles, Saab is re-introducing the much sought after yellow Saab Convertible in a special edition 9-3 convertible.

The 2008 Saab 9-3 Convertible Yellow Edition is powered by a 2.0T turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that produces 210-hp mated with a 5-speed manual gearbox as standard with a 6-speed automatic as an option.

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If you drive a Saab 9-3 Convertible and have yet to discover how much more enjoyable open top motoring can be with a Wind Deflector, make sure you do not miss out on a special offer at participating Saab dealers this spring.

Wind tunnel tests show that at 60mph with the top down, Saab’s Wind Deflector reduces forward wind speed between the front seats and between the door and driver’s seat by at least 75 per cent. The reduced wind flow is no greater than you experience when walking.

Fitting neatly into built-in slots behind the front seats, the Saab Wind Deflector restricts turbulence by forcing the wind to flow over and around it. Draughts are eliminated at a stroke and even when the temperature is still hovering at springtime levels, any wind chill effect is minimal.

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The Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept, revealed last January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, confirms Saab’s plans to enter the growing Crossover segment with a dynamic, driver-focused vehicle inspired by Scandinavian values in design and respect for the environment.

The concept’s progressive design features are combined with a responsible, fun-to-drive appeal based on BioPower engine technology and a cutting edge all-wheel-drive system. “This concept is a clear statement of what our brand is about,” said Saab Automobile Managing Director, Jan Åke Jonsson. “It is also an important next step in our plans to enter new market segments with distinctive product offerings.”

The design of the Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept reflects a Scandinavian principle of simplicity of form, with clean and uncluttered lines, free of any cladding, mouldings or roof bars, and defining ‘ice-block’ surface and lighting themes. The progressive frontal styling and interior design elements also draw inspiration from Saab’s widely-acclaimed Aero X concept. Innovative load-carrying solutions include a unique ski equipment stowage system, developed in co-operation with mountain sports specialists Salomon.

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Saab has embraced E85 as an alternative fuel in Europe as a way to offer good performance and relatively good emissions using small turbocharged engines. Because ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline, boost pressure can be raised, allowing for a higher specific power output. It also helps that Saab already had a history of being quirky and using turbocharged engines in their vehicles. As an added bonus, it also gets to capitalize on the "green" aspect of the biofuel, and is leaving no eco-stone unturned. For the New York Auto Show, the Swedish brand be showing off its 9-X BioHybrid concept and the 9-4X BioPower concept. But its latest foray into being eco-friendly is the Pure BioPower Eco Clothing Collection, which was created in conjunction with the Swedish clothing design firm Reflective Circle.

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Volvo and Saab are both co-operating with Swedish electricity supplier Vattenfall and Swedish battery manufacturer ETC in a research programme to develop plug-in hybrids and test a fleet of 10 prototype vehicles.

Plug-in hybrids allow owners to recharge the batteries to give an extended range running on electric-only power, but retain a small conventional engine for highway driving and high-speed, high power-use operation.

Volvo revealed a plug-in hybrid concept, the C30 Recharge, at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year.

This combined a 1.6-litre ethanol-compatible engine with a battery pack and a motor in each wheel, and was capable of 60 miles in all-electric mode.

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When Saab debuted the 9-X BioHybrid concept at the recent Geneva Motor Show, aerodynamics was a big part of the equation. The compact 9-X has a smooth, rounded nose, a raked back wrap-around windshield and a downward sloping roof. To help reduce the drag at the back end of the short body, a spoiler that wraps around the roof extends backward up to four inches. A new video featuring some of the designers talking about the aero work that they did has just been posted on the GMnext web site. You can check out the video after the jump.

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The Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept that debuted in Geneva this week has been picked as the Best Concept in show by the crew at AutoWeek. The 9-X is a vision for a new small Saab coupe to slot in under the 9-3 based on the next generation of GM's Global Compact Car platform. Two years ago Saab won the same award at Geneva for their Aero-X concept. The 9-X has a 200hp 1.4L flex-fuel four cylinder engine paired up with GM's next generation mild hybrid system. A production 9-1 based on this design is highly likely within the next couple of years and the updated hybrid system will be all over GM starting in 2010.

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Saab's limited edition Turbo X not only evokes the famous black 900 Turbo of 30 years ago, but also previews a new all-wheel-drive system that will appear in the Saab XWD at the end of 2008.

Only 2,000 cars will be built, with 500 of them coming to the UK, so buyers will be able to bask in the warm glow of exclusivity, in addition to the extra safety that the all-wheel-drive system provides.

Essentially, the car is a Saab 9-3 with black leather throughout the cabin, a metallic jet black paintjob, additional spoilers on the front and rear, new alloy wheels and some extra modified bodykit - plus the all-wheel-drive system.

There's only engine option, the range-topping 2.8-litre V6. This has been developed by Holden, GM's Australian outpost and fits well with the 'premium' nature of the Turbo X.

And the price for this exclusivity? Prices start at £32,495 when customer deliveries start in March 2008.

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Details continue to trickle out the concept that Saab will unveiling in Geneva next week, although images are still restricted to the one shown above. It's now being reported that the car will be called the 9-X BioPower BioHybrid rather than the 9-1X. As previously discussed, the 9-X will run on ethanol as is the fashion in Scandinavia these days. The engine itself will probably be a 1.4L turbo which is likely to be a preview of the engine coming to the Astra next year. Again following the pattern of other recent Saab concepts, the engine will be optimized to run on ethanol with higher boost and possibly compression to yield 200hp. The design will almost certainly drawn on the Aero X and previous 9X as well as the 9-4X that we saw in Detroit.

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