Saab PhoeniX

For the better part of the last decade, Saab cranked out attractive—even occasionally sexy—concept cars with styling, features, layouts, and tech the company just couldn’t apply to production cars. So while the company is celebrating its liberation from General Motors with an Independence Edition 9-3 convertible—woo!—it also is putting a flag in the ground with a new concept sports coupe called the PhoeniX. (Don’t blame Saab’s bosses for the generic moniker—pickings were slim that Sunday at the Metaphors Galore outlet store.) The name, of course, refers to the mythical firebird that turns to ashes and reinvents itself every millennium or so, and that’s the company’s intended message with this hybrid-electric, turbocharged all-wheel-drive concept. It debuts at this year’s Geneva auto show.
Saabnitive Dissonance
First things first: The PhoeniX ain’t headed for production. But like any good lingonberry-tart-in-the-sky concept, it does two very important things. First, the PhoeniX represents the stylistic debut of new Saab pen-maestro Jason Castriota, whose name is attached to such stunners as the Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano and the Maserati GranTurismo. Yes, Saab’s honchos actually went and hired the former head of Ferrari’s special projects division—that’s the office responsible for building anything the world’s oligarch car fans want—to design the cars headed to a university parking lot near you.
Castriota calls the styling theme seen on the PhoeniX “Aeromotional Design.” Outside of that nonsensical jargon, you should know that this car’s schnoz previews the schnozes of future Saabs, and that not much else of the design will reach production. Take note of the big Saab logo on the grille, centered in a body-colored wing—one of a never-ending group of design tributes to the company’s aviation history. That grille is flanked with gun-slit LED headlamps, which have a fair chance of appearing on roadgoing models. Also contending for a shot at production is an active air shutter, which helps this concept achieve a claimed 0.25 coefficient of drag. Most definitely remaining on Mr. Castriota’s drafting table, however, are the “vestigial wings of an aircraft” atop each door, which are said to direct air onto the rear deck for high-speed stability, or, perhaps, to make the PhoeniX easier to carry. The doors are of the gullwing variety, and will join the Saab Aero X concept’s fighter jet canopy in the Swedish company’s Museum of Concept-Only Apertures. At the rear, the PhoeniX features a Kamm tail—an alleged homage to the company’s old Sonett coupe. Unfortunately, with its matrix of red lighting, we think it’s more a reminder of Saab’s former sibling Pontiac, and its 1990s-era Firebird.
Indoors, the 2+2 PhoeniX gets the full concept treatment, with exposed metallic accents mimicking a roll cage, an afterburner-inspired gauge pod (don’t singe your eyebrows, please), and red LED accent lighting that “reminds occupants that a fiery heart lies at the center of the PhoeniX.” In the event that line fails to entertain passengers, there’s also a Google Android–powered, touch-screen-driven infotainment system, called IQon, which is a safe bet to make it into future production Saabs and infuriate linguists.
Buzzword Bingo: Hybrid-Electric, Turbo, Direct Injection
It would be unfair to criticize Saab for ticking every box on the buzzword bingo board, but when you’re cramming your concept with cutting-edge, production-ready tech, it’s inevitable.
Saab’s new all-wheel-drive system, which is dubbed eXWD—and which explains the capitalized X in the car’s name—was developed jointly with American Axle. Power for the front wheels comes from a transversely mounted, turbocharged and direct-injected 1.6-liter four-banger from the BMW/Mini cache. (This engine is the first fruit of the two firms’ agreement to exchange BMW’s mills for Saab’s money.) In this application, the little motor makes 200 hp, thanks to the aforementioned technologies, along with variable valve timing and lift control. It hooks to a six-speed manual. Torque is rated at 184 lb-ft, with another 15 lb-ft available with a temporary overboost function. But the rear wheels also put power to pavement, courtesy of a 34-hp electric motor and a 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack; Saab claims this setup enables “a touch” of torque vectoring.

What an obvious name for a concept car. OK saab, we get it.  You're being reborn under leadership that gives a hoot after 20 years of oppressive GM neglect.  Still, naming your first concept car after your messy divorce the "PhoeniX" is maybe a bit obvious?
Let's not judge this book by it's cover (title), though.  The PhoeniX is a rolling example of what Saab can do when they don't have stingy GM bean-counters telling them "no, stop that, keep making 15 year old cars and shut up" every 5 minutes.  The styling was done by none other than Jason Castriota, who penned James Glickenhaus' Ferrari P4/5 as well as the gorgeous (and absurd) Bertone Mantide.

It's a sleek 2-door hatchback with butterfly doors (think McLaren F1) and a 2+2 seating arrangement.  I'm curious about the function of those winglets on the side, but the contrasting tapered rear glass is absolutely amazing.  Interesting design details practically infest the Phoenix, like the ZR-1 style "engine window" atop the Saab valve cover, the scattered LED taillight clusters (Trans Am!), the complex rear diffuser, the rear-view mirrors mounted high up on the A-pillars, the original Saab logo (the front profile of an airplane) integrated in the rear brakelights, etc.

The concept car uses a tweaked version of Saab's newest 1.6L gas turbo engine, boosted up to a solid 200bhp.  Power is transferred through Saab's Haldex IV XWD all wheel drive system, naturally.  But what's most exciting about the PhoeniX concept is the on-board infotainment system, which Saab calls IQon, which will find its way into production Saabs pretty soon.

While most on-board infotainment systems are based around Microsoft architecture (Ford SYNC, Kia UVO, Fiat Blue & Me), Saab's new system is based off of the Linux-derived, Microsoft-sourced Android OS.  While most of you know me as a car geek, in my spare time I'm also an Android geek, and this system is something that really gets me excited for the future of automobiles.  Whereas Ford's system is pretty much closed - although functional and well-integrated - the IQon system opens up all sorts of new potential for systems like these.

While the IQon system will do all the stuff you'd expect of one of these systems - integrated navigation, HVAC controls, Audio, WiFi network connection, etc - what's really cool is that Saab will be offering the API (application programming interface) to developers who want to play with it.  The API will give access to over 500 parameters from the car's OBD (on-board diagnostics) system, including stuff like vehicle speed, location and direction of travel, driver workload, yaw rate, steering wheel angle, engine speed and torque, inside and outside temperature, barometric pressure and the sun's position.

The Phoenix itself isn't headed for production, but a lot of the styling traits -as well as the technical goodies - should trickle down to future Saabs pretty soon.  For a company that was not that long ago on the brink of extinction, it sure seems like Saab is rising from the ashes... much like a PhoeniX.