More spy shots of Saab's upcoming XC70-challenging 9-3X have just surfaced from Sweden. This offroadier 9-3 wagon SportCombi derivative has a raised suspension, "skid-plates" and extra cladding, plus jumbo exhaust tips to give it a more butch look. Looks like the Outback craze continues unabated. As we've told you before, the 9-3X will differ a bit from other 9-3s in its focus. Saab's Haldex drivetrain has shown itself to be a hoot to drive, which we noted when we sampled the Turbo X.

The Saab 9-4X has been caught in these new spy shots without the Keith Haring tape job it was wearing the last time we saw it. Features like the converging window lines on the side, the rear lights, and the Saab grille, give away its lineage. From the side, especially from the A-pillar back, you could be forgiven for confusing the Saab with a lot of other CUVs, while lines that are quite distinctive on the smaller 9-3 and 9-5 look to have been stretched into rather bland expanses on the 9-4X. It's still early, so we look forward to seeing the fully Saab-ified retail version. If Saab's managing director is to be believed, what won't be bland is one of the engine choices: a diesel with 250 hp and 406 lb-ft. That's the kind of quirky we can get behind.

The next stab at a Saab SUV is reportedly going to be... a Saab. Word is that the newest hauler will have "Saab-DNA design and technology." Designed by teams in Sweden and Germany, that means an Aero-X-like snout, some combi-type curves in the back, and an ascending shoulder line. No word on engines yet, but there looks to be a full range of options, and dealers who have seen the final car are excited. This is all very good news to Saab mavens who don't want another badge-engineered Tahoe. For the rest of us, our first chance to see it could be as soon as the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

[Source: Next Autos]

Click above for high-res gallery of Saab 9-4X spy shots