2011 Saab 9-5 - Official Photos and Info
After twelve years, the second generation Saab 9-5 finally arrives.
BY JENS MEINERS
August 2009
The Saab 9-5 has become sort of a modern classic, in that it’s an old car that’s still currently available at your local dealer. Twelve years and several face lifts after its launch, it is outclassed by just about everything else on the market. But now—finally—the second generation has been officially unveiled just prior to the Frankfurt auto show next month, and it will go on sale later this year in Europe. U.S. sales will begin sometime early next year as a 2011 model, as there will be no 2010 9-5.
The new Saab 9-5 is based on GM’s new, stretched Epsilon platform, which it shares with the Buick LaCrosse and the upcoming Cadillac XTS, and which places it firmly in Mercedes E-class and BMW 5-series territory. It will be more spacious than the current model, perhaps offering as much interior space as the supremely efficient Saab 9000. The 9000 was the original 9-5's predecessor, and it was classified according to EPA rules as a "large car" in the mid-1980s despite its compact exterior size.
Saab-ier Styling, Turbo Engines
The wraparound lines started by the windshield flow uninterrupted to the upswing of the C-pillar, an unmistakable Saab styling cue since the Saab 99 of the 1960s. The 9-5 is refreshingly free of the gimmicky chrome, surfacing effects, and convoluted lines that have come to characterize premium European cars (with the notable exception of Audi). We like the uncluttered appearance of the new 9-5. It is Scandinavian in the best sense, somewhat cool and aloof, and with a somewhat stubby nose and a long trunk. The upcoming SportCombi will be stunning, in our opinion, but you can judge it for yourself when it is revealed next year.
In Europe, Saab offers four turbocharged engines. The base engine is a 1.6-liter four rated at 180 hp, followed by a 2.0-liter four rated at 220 hp; a 300-hp, 2.8-liter V-6; and a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel good for 160 hp and 44 mpg in the European cycle. Six-speed manual and six-speed automatic boxes are offered. We expect the 2.0 turbo to be the standard engine in the U.S., and the hard-charging turbo V-6 would make a fine range-topper.
Front-wheel drive is standard, and Saab's XWD all-wheel-drive system is offered on the more powerful gasoline models. The 9-5 will be orderable with two chassis setups—one tuned for comfort and one for sportiness—but both options offer a separate sport mode to further sharpen responses.
Well-Armed With Luxury Ammunition
This new sedan won't be lacking electronic gimmicks. It will offer adaptive cruise control, the aforementioned electronic suspension, an automated self-parking system, adaptive bi-xenon lights, a Harman/Kardon surround-sound stereo system, and a head-up display. The dashboard is executed in the wraparound style first seen on the 9000, and it keeps Saab’s characteristic green lighting. The center of the speedometer is designed like an altimeter. It's a very cool element, and a better flashback to Saab's heritage of manufacturing airplanes than the company’s “Born from Jets” tagline.
The 9-5 was supposed to be unveiled at the Geneva auto show this past March, but with the turmoil at GM and Saab’s sale to Koenigsegg, the launch was postponed until now. Originally slated to be produced alongside its Opel Insignia sister model at Opel's Rüsselsheim plant, it will now be made in Saab's own factory in Trollhättan, Sweden.
After twelve years, the second generation Saab 9-5 finally arrives.
BY JENS MEINERS
August 2009
The Saab 9-5 has become sort of a modern classic, in that it’s an old car that’s still currently available at your local dealer. Twelve years and several face lifts after its launch, it is outclassed by just about everything else on the market. But now—finally—the second generation has been officially unveiled just prior to the Frankfurt auto show next month, and it will go on sale later this year in Europe. U.S. sales will begin sometime early next year as a 2011 model, as there will be no 2010 9-5.
The new Saab 9-5 is based on GM’s new, stretched Epsilon platform, which it shares with the Buick LaCrosse and the upcoming Cadillac XTS, and which places it firmly in Mercedes E-class and BMW 5-series territory. It will be more spacious than the current model, perhaps offering as much interior space as the supremely efficient Saab 9000. The 9000 was the original 9-5's predecessor, and it was classified according to EPA rules as a "large car" in the mid-1980s despite its compact exterior size.
Saab-ier Styling, Turbo Engines
The wraparound lines started by the windshield flow uninterrupted to the upswing of the C-pillar, an unmistakable Saab styling cue since the Saab 99 of the 1960s. The 9-5 is refreshingly free of the gimmicky chrome, surfacing effects, and convoluted lines that have come to characterize premium European cars (with the notable exception of Audi). We like the uncluttered appearance of the new 9-5. It is Scandinavian in the best sense, somewhat cool and aloof, and with a somewhat stubby nose and a long trunk. The upcoming SportCombi will be stunning, in our opinion, but you can judge it for yourself when it is revealed next year.
In Europe, Saab offers four turbocharged engines. The base engine is a 1.6-liter four rated at 180 hp, followed by a 2.0-liter four rated at 220 hp; a 300-hp, 2.8-liter V-6; and a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel good for 160 hp and 44 mpg in the European cycle. Six-speed manual and six-speed automatic boxes are offered. We expect the 2.0 turbo to be the standard engine in the U.S., and the hard-charging turbo V-6 would make a fine range-topper.
Front-wheel drive is standard, and Saab's XWD all-wheel-drive system is offered on the more powerful gasoline models. The 9-5 will be orderable with two chassis setups—one tuned for comfort and one for sportiness—but both options offer a separate sport mode to further sharpen responses.
Well-Armed With Luxury Ammunition
This new sedan won't be lacking electronic gimmicks. It will offer adaptive cruise control, the aforementioned electronic suspension, an automated self-parking system, adaptive bi-xenon lights, a Harman/Kardon surround-sound stereo system, and a head-up display. The dashboard is executed in the wraparound style first seen on the 9000, and it keeps Saab’s characteristic green lighting. The center of the speedometer is designed like an altimeter. It's a very cool element, and a better flashback to Saab's heritage of manufacturing airplanes than the company’s “Born from Jets” tagline.
The 9-5 was supposed to be unveiled at the Geneva auto show this past March, but with the turmoil at GM and Saab’s sale to Koenigsegg, the launch was postponed until now. Originally slated to be produced alongside its Opel Insignia sister model at Opel's Rüsselsheim plant, it will now be made in Saab's own factory in Trollhättan, Sweden.
