Saab 9-4X Crossover Joins Saab 9-5 Sedan in Earning Top Safety Pick 2011

ROYAL OAK, Mich., July 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The new Saab 9-4X crossover has earned 'Top Safety Pick', the highest rating for crashworthiness awarded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in the United States. Only three weeks ago, the Saab 9-5 Sedan received the same accolade.

"To achieve two Top Safety Picks in three weeks is, of course, extremely gratifying," says Per Lenhoff, Head of Safety Development at Saab Automobile. "Our main priority is always the protection of real people in real accidents, but the IIHS tests are a valuable guide for consumers and it is important for us to achieve good results."

IIHS is a research and communications organization funded by auto insurers in the US. The test procedures include front impact (offset) and side impact crashes. Seat/head restraints are also tested in a simulated rear-end impact to assess protection against whiplash injuries and the roof structure is tested to assess vehicle rollover protection.

Performance is rated as 'Good', 'Acceptable', 'Marginal' or 'Poor' in each of the tests and to achieve the 'Top Safety Pick' award, cars must achieve the highest rating in all four procedures and should also be fitted with ESP®.

The Saab 9-4X brings car-like handling and ride qualities to the crossover segment. Key to its dynamic performance is a unique body structure, purpose-designed for a crossover application and free from compromises through adapting an existing sedan or wagon format.

The 9-4X crossover entry level price is $34,205 for front-wheel-drive and $48,835 for the 9-4X Aero XWD model.

About Saab Cars

Saab, or Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (Swedish Aircraft Company), was founded in 1937 as an aircraft manufacturer and revealed its first prototype passenger car 10 years later after the formation of the Saab Car Division. In 1990, Saab Automobile AB was created as a separate company, jointly owned by the Saab Scania Group and General Motors, and became a wholly-owned GM subsidiary in 2000. In February 2010, Spyker Cars N.V. of the Netherlands, acquired the company from GM as an independently-run business.

Saab cars reflect the brand's unique Scandinavian design ethic, which is fused with its aircraft engineering heritage. The company is a global premium car maker with a distinguished history of innovation. It is recognized for its pioneering role in turbocharging, as well as occupant safety and the introduction of flex-fuel technology through Saab BioPower. Saab Automobile AB currently employs approximately 3,800 staff in Sweden, where it operates world-class production and technical development facilities at its headquarters in Trollhattan, 70 km north of Gothenburg.  Saab Cars North America is located in Royal Oak, Michigan employing approximately 45 people responsible for sales, marketing and administration duties for the North American market.  

http://media.saab.com

SOURCE Saab Cars North America