Saab’s most important concept car of 2008 – the one due to preview its forthcoming premium hatchback, the 9-1 – will appear at the Geneva motor show next month, and not this summer’s London show as previously thought. Saab issued this teaser photo of the car ahead of the Swiss show, which Autocar.co.uk will be reporting from on March 4. It makes plain only the outline of the car’s frontal aspect, and a few details of its headlights. Even so, it adds fuel to the controversy surrounding what could be Geneva’s most interesting unveiling.The motoring press is split on the subject of this car. Some say it’s called the 9-1, others the 9-1X; equally, some claim that it’s a Golf-sized vehicle designed as a direct rival for the Audi A3 and Volvo C30, while others insist it’s smaller still – potentially a Scandinavian rival for the Mini and the forthcoming Audi A1.Saab’s teaser image does little to add weight to either side of the latter argument; it simply references both the Aero X and 9X concepts as influences on Saab’s new small offering. Autocar approached Saab UK for clarification on the size and name of the car, but no answer was forthcoming. All we know is that the car will be based on GM’s Delta platform mechanicals; these are the same that serve underneath the Vauxhall Astra and Zafira, but there’s no reason why Saab couldn’t have modified them to make the 9-1 smaller than those cars.We’ll have to wait until the week after next to find out exactly which direction Saab is heading in with its new smallest model. Come back to Autocar.co.uk on March 4 for the latest info on the car.
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