Let’s start out by saying what anyone a scrap of car savvy can see for themselves: Saab’s 9-2X is based on Subaru’s all-wheel-drive subcompact, the highly regarded Impreza WRX. This move – undertaken to expedite Saab’s entry into the market for sporty compacts now enjoyed by the Acura RSX and Volvo S40 – marries Europe’s quirkiest cult-brand to that of Japan. The result is a distinctive (albeit conventionally powered) hybrid that can appeal to everyone from Eurocentric Bobos with a love for all things Scandinavian to aging 1960s peace activists who prefer Subaru’s four-wheel drive tradition to that of Jeep, which, after all, never really apologized for its role in Vietnam. The 9-2X’s all-wheel drive system is a first for Saab.

More Suub than Saab, the 9-2X has all but put the kibosh on the idiosyncrasies – from console-mounted starters to aircraft-style air vents – long cherished by Saab enthusiasts. In addition, its traditional Saab refinement has been replaced by qualities that seem to emerge from the maw of whatever colossus it is that turns out international automotive attributes. We’ve noted that new Saabs are now only Swedish-themed in the way of so many pancake houses; here, however, we have a Japanese-made car whose supposed Trollhatten heritage is identifiable by no more than a handful of nameplates and styling cues.

The 9-2X offers two trim levels, a base Linear starting at $23,000, and a sporty Aero coming in at $4,000 more. The Linear is equipped with a 165-horsepower, flat four-cylinder engine, while the Aero sports a 227-hp flat four that’s both turbocharged and intercooled. Both trims have a five-speed manual as standard equipment with a four-speed automatic available as an option.

The test car was a pre-production Aero that, Suub-style, drew approving comments from several NASCAR males encountered on its road trip south. A set of five-spoke alloy wheels and integral fog lamps helped to set off a familiar Subaru profile that is neither quite that of a wagon nor a five door hatch, but a tail-heavy-looking combination of each. Inside, an automatic climate control system, cabin air filter, and premium audio system with a six-speaker in-dash CD further set it apart from the Linear’s interior, which must play its Enya CDs on a four-speaker system only.

Winding its way through Dixie, the cabin of the 9-2X retained the subcompact Impreza’s feeling of limitation. Sore Suub interiors can sometimes be the very opposites of soothing Saab ones, and here we had to continually refer to the fire-breathing insignia on the 9-2X’s steering wheel hub to remind ourselves that it was indeed a Saab we were driving. The Aero’s durably textiled front seats lacked thigh support and lumbar adjustment and were poorly bolstered, especially when you consider the car’s racy mission. They sat before a deeply set dashboard that was nearly pure WRX in layout and design and contained a trio of metal-ringed instruments that included a tachometer redlining at 7,000 rpm. Moreover, while the seats offered only adequate legroom, they provided surprisingly good visibility thanks to the 9-2X’s sloping front hood and wraparound rear quarter windows. Rear seating felt tight with the front chairs moved halfway back, while cargo room expanded to a useful area once we lowered the 60/40-split back seats.

The manual-equipped 9-2X Aero gets between 19 and 27 miles a gallon and requires premium fuel. Misread the car’s octane requirements as we did for a fill-up and you’ll cover ground the way they do on line at the motor vehicle bureau. A tank of hightest, however, will having you whipping through sun-dappled hollers rather fast. Not quite Saab 9-3 fast, but fast enough.

Racking up miles on premium in the piedmont, we found the Aero’s acceleration satisfying but its steering a bit twitchy. The turbocharger kicks in at 3,000 rpm, providing an easily controlled surge that is unlikely to overpower tight curves owing to the Aero’s specially tuned suspension, 16-inch tires, and fade-free brakes. A symphony of unwelcome noises presented by the car’s whining drive-train section, quartet of thrumming tires, and wind buffeted moon roof accompanied its overall performance.

We like both WRXs and Saabs, but regard this “Saabaru” as an ill-fitting fix intended to fill a market position in a new niche. In response to it, we recommend that you do some station keeping of your own and either consider the competition or wait for an authentic Saab sport compact to emerge.