A rugged station wagon? An absurd oxy-moron, I had thought previously to seeing the new Chicago Saab 9-3X. But I must say, without any embarrassment or shame, that I have converted and am now a believer in the concept of the tough and rugged station wagon after test driving the new 9-3X.

Its looks don’t vary much from the 9-3, except for a 1.4 inch height boost. It also got a touch of style with the metallic finish on the door trim, but aside from these changes the 9-3X remains recognizable. It comes equipped with a 2.0 liter turbocharged four cylinder engine that gets an impressive 210 horsepower. And trust me, once this engine is in full power, you get quite a sporty and exciting ride. It comes equipped with cross wheel drive (XWD) with electronically controlled Torque Transfer Drive (TTD). Basically, both of these give it the ability to handle rougher terrain much better, rather than just straight asphalt. So even though my test drive did consist of mostly highway driving, it would have held up in the mud, rain, sand or even rocky terrain.

And the interior is top-of-the-line. Equipped with sleek leather upholstery, the new Chicago Saab comes with plenty of passenger and cargo space. With 60-40 split fold seating, it doesn’t matter if you are getting the kids to and from soccer or going skiing for the weekend, everyone and everything will fit flawlessly into the back.

Saab has always had plenty to offer its customers, but now with its rugged station wagon (never thought I’d hear myself say that and mean it) they have even more. The new Chicago Saab 9-3X will be converting people everywhere into believing that tough wagons really do exist and that Saab really can keep getting better and better.