Saab adds Aero treatment to 9-7X SUV

The Saab 9-7X has always been kind of an anomaly in the Saab lineup, an example of how being owned by a big car company (General Motors) can make a quirky carmaker feel kind of ordinary. There wasn't much Saab in that Saab.

The crafty Swedes are doing their best to change that with the 2008 Saab 9-7X Aero, and in the best way possible, in my opinion. By pouring on a whole heap of performance, in the form of a 6.0 liter V8 that can produce up to 390 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque. The Aero package will also include 20" polished aluminum wheels, bigger brakes, beefier stabilizer bars and a heap of cosmetic upgrades, including a special "Carbon Flash Metallic" paint job. The 2008 Saab 9-7X Aero will start at $45,690 -- a healthy bump over the standard 9-7X's $39,935 price tag.

Look for the 9-7X Aero on showroom floors in the early fall, and pulled over by the side of the road with a highway patrolman at the driver's window soon thereafter.

Photo © General Motors