First look: Saab weaves Black Turbo magic

SAAB will bare its teeth at the Frankfurt motor show next month with a high-output 9-3.

The Swedish brand better known for its safety attributes than searing performance has released a teaser image of a Turbo X model.

Saab has provided few details of the model, which it said would inherit similar cues to the Saab 99 and 900 ‘Black Turbo’ models.

The company also said the new model would celebrate 30 years of Saab turbo charging, recalling the 1977 Frankfurt show, where it showed its first turbo model.

While it has provided no figures to outline the power or torque the new model would achieve, Saab said it would deliver “standard-setting levels of performance for the brand.” Overseas reports suggest the Turbo X would generate more than 220kW thanks to a heavily boosted V6.

It is also reported to use an all-wheel-drive system to ensure the Turbo X 9-3 does not inherit the kind of torque-steering problems of the infamous Viggen turbo model introduced in 1999.

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