More Exclusive Again: Saab 9-5 In New Splendor

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

The facelift has done the aging 9-5 from Saab good. The Swede looks more dynamic - and drives like that too.

By Frank Mertens

The fans of a Saab 9-5 have to wait a little longer for a completely redesigned model of their dream car. The Swedish car manufacturer is initially only presenting a facelift of its sedan and SportCombi. But what the Swedes are bringing to the German market in November is very promising.

Modern appearance

Above all, the front view with its light units gives the Saab a much more modern appearance than its aging predecessor. The chrome strips, which frame the headlights and indicators and which have been pulled up to the bonnet, contribute to this. The rear also shines in new splendor: the rear lights are completely red. The bumpers reach up to the tail lights. The sideline has hardly changed.

«The 9-5 is without question the new flagship in our portfolio. The design is more progressive, has become sportier,”said product manager Jörgen Nylen at the presentation of the new Saab in Munich. This design, added Marketing Manager Anders Larsson, “conveys a lot more exclusivity and embodies the Saab image even more than before”.

Good usability

This also continues in the interior. Ease of use is without question the focus here. The center console is inclined slightly towards the driver, which makes it easier to operate the radio, navigation and air conditioning. It's just a shame that the steering wheel cannot be raised a little more for tall drivers. With my height of 1.91 meters, I would like a little more distance to my legs here. Otherwise, everything in the Saab 9-5 is as you can expect from a car, starting with a starting price of 30,450 euros for the 2.0t sedan with 110 kW / 150 PS. The seats offer good lateral support and the workmanship is good.

By the way, the dominant color in the interior is black. The color concept, referred to by Saab as the “Black Room”, is intended to give the interior a “sporty and contemporary feeling of space”. The two-part sun visors are well thought out, with which you can protect yourself from solar radiation from both the front and the side. With a trunk volume of 416 liters (1490 liters with the rear seat bench folded down), the Saab does not offer outstanding values, but it is definitely enough for a longer excursion.

Convincing driving characteristics

The driving characteristics of the SportCombis 2.3 Turbo with 191 kW / 260 PS and the top equipment Aero (40,950 euros) tested by us are convincing. The unit of the top model with its four valves per cylinder and the overhead camshafts runs extremely smoothly. Thanks to good insulation, annoying noises only penetrate the interior to a very acceptable extent, even when driving faster.

Thanks to the turbocharging, dynamic driving performance is ensured. The 2.3 Turbo reaches its maximum torque of 350 Nm at 5400 revolutions per minute. Thanks to the overboost function, even 370 Nm are available. A full development of power is given. The station wagon accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 7.3 seconds. The top speed is reached at 245 km / h. The consumption is 10.1 liters of SuperPlus.

Slight traction problems

The steering reacts precisely and provides good feedback from the road. The five-speed manual transmission works without any problems, the gears find the right shift gate without any effort. When accelerating out of tight corners, however, the front-wheel drive car has slight problems getting its power onto the road. But that's not really a problem. The chassis does its job effortlessly, it offers good travel comfort, but is not too soft. You can appreciate that in faster cornering.

The overall package of the 9-5 is consistent. Therefore, the Saab managers promise a push in their sales figures. "With the 9-5, I hope that our sales figures will increase in the double-digit range," said Saab Germany's managing director, Knuth Sexauer. In the first nine months of this year Saab Germany was able to book 3989 registrations, an increase of 9.4 percent over the previous year.