In 2005, General Motors tried to make a new approach to the European SUV market and introduced the Saab 9-7X as a direct competitor for the German competitors, and it failed.
The European customers already knew the Saab brand, and it was known as a premium brand. Its unique features such as the key-fob installed between the seats and the night-panel function attracted many customers. But they also knew that Saab was concerned about fuel-efficiency and performance sedans. The 9-7X was neither. Besides, just three years after its launch, it had to face the world financial crisis, and that was fatal.

On the exterior, General Motors tried hard to hide the shape of a Chevrolet Trailblazer. Its designers made a Saab-like front fascia, but with bigger headlights and a specific grille. But the rest of the car spelled “Trailblazer” in every bit and part. Even the door handles were the same and very different than those offered by Saab.

Inside, GM’s engineers managed to move the key-fob between the seats, but that wasn’t enough. The dashboard and instrument panel were carried over from the American cousin and didn’t match the tastes of Saab customers.

Under the hood, GM offered a 4.2-liter inline-six and a 5.3-liter V-8 engine. None of them could compete in terms of power and efficiency with Mercedes-Benz ML or BMW X5. Besides, the 4-speed automatic gearbox was already old and slow compared to the European’s five-speed transmissions.