All this quirky goodness will cost you, though. Nevermind that it’s Swedish only in name; our 9-2X Aero test vehicle, with a cloth interior, plenty of hard plastic pieces in the cabin, and precious little room for adult occupants, stickered for more than $30,000. About two grand of that paid for a set of handsome, plus-one 17-inch wheels and 215/45 tires coupled with a sunroof. Had our 9-2X been loaded up with every option, it would have crested $33,000.

Seriously, at this price point would you rather own a smoothed-over Subaru with row-‘em-yourself gears or a more stylish and spacious Dodge Magnum RT with an automatic transmission, stability control, a better powertrain warranty, and a tire-smokin’ Hemi V8 engine? Sure, Saab throws in two years and 24,000 miles of free maintenance as part of the deal, but that saves you just $150 in oil changes and tire rotations at the local service center. Obviously, GM anticipated the need for big rebates to move the Saab 9-2X, and those rebates are baked into an artificially high sticker price.

Poor perceived value aside, when evaluated on its own merits the Saab 9-2X is a handsome, comfortable, useful, fun-to-drive, multi-purpose car that is certain to enjoy the same reputation for near bulletproof reliability as the Subaru upon which it is based. A couple of years from now, it will make an excellent choice as a used car, when off-lease 9-2Xs begin to flood Saab dealer lots.