• The dashing 9-2X Aero mates WRX performance with Saab's upscale amenities.
• This latest entry in the premium sport compact segment has much to like, but we found a few flaws.
• Road manners, interior comfort and re-styled skin all say "Saab," but does that justify $31,000 for a WRX Wagon?

Mention intercooled turbo and all-wheel-drive in the same sentence around the iZoom.com office and ears perk up. Casually drop that the starting price is under-$30k and eyes begin popping above cubicle walls.

Could another WRX have found its way to our desert oasis? After all, we're on record as being admirers of Subaru's feisty sport compact (WRX is impressive fun in showy package) and outright devotees of the WRX STi (STi - Paradise Found), and we're always willing to put in a little more AWD seat time.

Yet what had our attention recently wasn't a WRX, though--at least not in name. In our hand was the key to a freshly minted 2005 9-2X Aero, Saab's top trim entry in its new 9-2X line (X is for all-wheel-drive). Yet something here was very familiar. If this was not a Subaru, then it most certainly was Subaru-esque.

Just what is Saab doing? Could this quirky Swedish brand be dipping into the Subaru parts bin? The answer is found in the corporate halls of modern automotive globalization. You see, General Motors has a 100 percent equity stake in Saab, which translates as, "they own it." GM also has a 20 percent interest in fellow (but smaller) conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries, which in turns owns Subaru.

Now Saab, having nurtured a sporty, upscale European brand, would like to play in what is becoming a hot (read lucrative) segment: premium sport compacts. Fellow Swede Volvo has already landed here with its fully revised S40 sedan and V50 wagon (which are also corporate cannibals, being based on the Mazda 3; Ford owns at least part of each brand). Acura has been here all along, first with its Integra and now the potent RSX. Audi will soon launch (Q2 2005) the new A3, as will BMW with its 2005 1 Series (though when--or even if--the latter platform will reach the U.S. has not been decided). Expect social-climber Volkswagen to roll out a Golf variant suitable for the segment, and the well-appointed R32 already belongs.

With just two platforms in its stable--the cleverly named 9-3 and 9-5--Saab did not have a deep pool of parts to quickly put together a new model all of its own. Enter Subaru, which has in the WRX a sport compact that's anything but premium, and GM, which has the resources to help Saab turn the WRX into a legitimate segment contender. Voilà, a marriage made in globalization heaven.

Before we even glanced at the Monroney or popped the hood, we were out the door to see just how Saab's enhancements would affect this sport compact. Immediately it was obvious that considerable work had been done to tame harshness, both in the suspension and inside the cabin.

From a stop the Aero accelerates briskly while exhibiting noticeable turbo lag. Below 3,000 rpm there is adequate grunt for leisurely driving, but keep your foot on the gas and power comes on with a rush, quickly reaching a crescendo at the 7,000-rpm redline. Cornering at the limit is hampered by mild understeer, but there is enough torque to bring the rear end around if the turbo is kept spooled.

The upgraded suspension soaks up road imperfections much better than the WRX, providing drama-free handling more typical of the 3 Series BMW or Lexus IS300.

Our initial curiosity satiated, it was time to take a closer look. For those intimately familiar with the inner workings of the WRX, the $31,290 (as optioned) 9-2X Aero's underpinnings are unmistakably Subaru, right down to the key fob. To the majority of car buyers and enthusiasts in general, there are enough cosmetic differences that even parked side-by-side one might not guess the familial lineage.

Though similar to the WRX, the 9-2X Aero is more a combination of WRX and STi parts, with enough unique-for-Saab enhancements to give legitimacy to the claim that this is not a case of simple badge engineering.

On the outside, the WRX wagon's familiar silhouette has been treated to a up-market fluff and buff; gone are the standard roof rails, and the functional hood scoop has a smoother, contoured opening. Saab's familiar three-hole grille replaces the Subaru's blunt nose, and sweeping headlamps flow into smooth corner lamps (our Aero was equipped with the optional Xenon lamps, more on that later). The front lower valance is also given the smooth, rounded treatment, and the front fenders lose the WRX's bulges, creating a waistline that flows efficiently fore to aft.

In the rear, the 9-2X gets different (just barely) taillights, an integrated roof spoiler and most dramatically, a tailgate redesigned to house the license plate above the bumper, with the lower bumper area now given a black-out treatment. Our Aero also came with handsome 10-spoke Saab-only 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/45 Bridgestone Potenza RE011 tires.

Under the hood, this Saab sports the same 227-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged and intercooled flat-four engine, five-speed manual transmission and all-wheel-drive system as its WRX cousin. An automatic is available as a $1,250 add-on. The strut-type suspension design carries over as well, but execution is different with stiffer springs and control arm bushings, shorter bump stops and revised geometry dialing in additional negative camber. Most obvious to the driver is the quicker 15.0:1 steering rack from the STi.

Inside the Aero is where you will find the biggest changes over the WRX, and ultimately here is where Saab is going to succeed or fail in its efforts to convince customers that the 9-2X is, well, a Saab. Of concern to loyalists will be the standard location of the ignition key switch, which is in its typical place for Subaru and the rest of the auto industry. For some Saab aficionados, not having a center-console mounted ignition switch may be reason enough to snub the 9-2X, however.

While the key position didn't bother us one bit, our only interior quibble is with the overly stiff seat bottom and back cushioning. The two-tone styling is elegant and the leather surface feels to be high quality, but the cushions feel pure WRX. The two-tone leather treatment is part of the $1,695 Premium Package that also includes leather-trimmed door panels and the previously mentioned Xenon headlights.

Borrowed from the STi, the headlights include a driver-adjustable manual level dial that is unique in the OEM auto industry. All other Xenon's make due with automatic levelers, which invariable overcompensate for HID lamp's bright glow by pointing them too low. Not a problem with the manual adjuster--just turn the knob until oncoming drivers quit flashing their brights.

The $1,950 Sport Package that added those beautiful 17-inch alloy wheels also includes a power moonroof (not available as an option on either the WRX or STi). The six-disc in-dash CD changer and automatic climate controls appear to be carried over from the '05 WRX, as is the entire dash console. Quality is pretty good, but switchgear is perhaps a notch below what seasoned Saab drivers might expect.

One area that is greatly enhanced is in the 9-2X Aero's noise, vibration and harshness. Whereas the STi has no NVH sound deadening materials or even floor mats (saving weight), the standard WRX has just a little more (plus mats), and road noise is noticeable in daily driving and prevalent on long freeway trips. The Aero in comparison is quieter and transmits far fewer vibrations and jolts through the seat, steering wheel and shift lever.

To tame NVH, Saab added insulation in the fore cabin, upgraded the carpeting all around, installed acoustical treatment to the roof and rear seating areas and revised the engine mounts. The result is a refined driving experience that is more suited to Saab buyer's demographics.

The 9-2X is also offered as an entry-level Linear trim. This $22,990 model sports a normally aspirated 165-horsepower boxer-four mated to a five-speed manual and the same full-time AWD system as the Aero (but without the Aero's rear limited-slip differential). Both trim levels include four-year/50,000-mile warranty coverage (Subaru gives its owners three-year/36,000 miles) plus two years of free scheduled maintenance.

Where the 9-2X brings a new platform to Saab, it also offers Subaru enthusiasts an option the Japanese manufacturer couldn't sell. Similarly equipped as a Subaru, this theoretical WRX would cost more than the STi, and well beyond the pricing of the new Legacy GT. That's not the way to build a logical product line.

But as a Saab, we think it makes pretty good sense, especially in Aero trim. The mating of a powerful AWD drivetrain and premium interior features adds up to an enticing enthusiast's option. With 2005 target sales of under 10,000 9-2Xs for North America, Saab should have little trouble selling out its new Subaru.