List Auto: Saab 9-5

No thanks to an online leak back in July, Saab failed to surprise us today with the official release of its new 9-5 flagship sedan that will have its public debut at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in mid September. Nevertheless, aside from the new photo album, the Swedish automaker also confirmed details behind the 9-5 that will compete in the premium saloon segment when it goes on sale in early 2010.

"This car is the start of a new era for our brand," said Jan-Ake Jonsson, Saab Automobile's Managing Director. "We have created an advanced and very distinctive product by leveraging the power of our roots in key areas, such as progressive Scandinavian design, sporty driving and responsible performance. The new 9-5 delivers in all these respects, as will every future product from Saab."

The 9-5's exterior styling has been inspired by the Aero X concept car while the windshield and roof are reminiscent of the classic 900 model. If you want our personal opinion, which by the way, is not final as we haven't seen the car up close yet, we can't say that we're thrilled by the 9-5' somewhat generic (in a 2000-ish Saab sort of way) face with the dominant grille but we do like the modern and sleek design of the rear-end.

Inside, Saab owners will feel right at home with the traditional, driver-focused cockpit that features an aircraft-inspired head-up information display. The Swedish maker promises that the choice of materials, the fit and finish and the perceived quality of the controls all reflect the new 9-5's premium character.

Furthermore, Saab says that compared to the 9-5's predecessor that was revealed back in 1997, legroom and shoulder width are increased both front and rear, while rear legroom has also been improved.

Underneath its metal skin, the new 9-5 shares GM's Epsilon 2 platform with the Buick LaCrosse and Opel Insignia, though the Saab has a longer wheelbase. At launch, the new 9-5 will be offered with two gasoline engines, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit with 220 HP and a 2.8-liter V6 turbo that makes 300 HP, and a 2.0-liter turbo diesel producing 160 HP. below

Shortly after launch, Saab will add a 1.6-litre gasoline turbo with 180 horsepower together with a 2.0-litre BioPower E85 four-cylinder unit (see details here ->).

All engines are linked to 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions while as an option, the 2.0-liter gas and Biopower models will be available with the Haldex all-wheel drive system that comes as standard on the 2.8 V6 Turbo.

Finally, Saab claims that the 9-5 is the most technically advanced car it has made to date boasting many 'high-tech' features such as adaptive chassis control with driver settings selected through Saab DriveSense, Bi-Xenon Smart Beam adaptive headlights and adaptive cruise control.

More details are to be released at the forthcoming Frankfurt Motor Show.

New Photo Album