Spy Shot of face-lifted 2006 Saab 9-5
It looks like Saab's updating their aging 9-5, at least on the surface. The face-lift is a
mid-life refresh before the 9-5's replacement is introduced around 2009/2010. The next generation 9-3 and 9-5 are
slated to share the same Epsilon II platform developed by GM. The updated 9-5 will feature new grille, headlights,
taillights, bumpers, and a redesigned interior.
With the newer 9-3, the value of the 9-5 is questionable. Even with the GM Employee Discount, there are still better cars for the money. Saab would be a nice competitor to Acura, but only if they can get their lineup equipped nicely with competitive pricing. Sure their top of the line 9-5 has 250 hp, but it is from a turbo four.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
EBM14 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
I have to pray for SAAB these days!
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Patriotic Dissent 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
I feel bad for Saab and Saab fans. GM is going to end up destroying it. They have already bastardized the brand with the 9-2X (a good car in its own right, but not a Saab) and the 9-7X (do they think anyone is really that stupid?)
What can we expect next, maybe they could graft the Saab nose onto leftover Azteks?
Saab buyers are affluent, educated and have above average intelligence. They aren't going to fall for this and these models won't win many new folks to the brand either.
As far as the 9-5, I like the car now even though it is outdated. The turbo four is at least true to the Saab heritage. A facelift might stretch the platform for a few more years. But if I was buying, my money would be on the 9-3 Aero.
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BJBarron 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
No no no... that's the new Impala front end. Well it sure looks like it. UGH!
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J 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
#1 says it best and I agree we should pray that this company get well soon
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Whydrive 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
Patriotic Dissent - you sound as if Saab would have succeeded if GM didn't buy them out. Noone bought their cars before GM and not many are buying them now. What's changed? Saab dug themselves into the hole they're in now. All GM is doing now is trying to increase sales and get people to actually go into the dealership. If you look at it, Ford's done more to hurt Jaguar's image than GM has done to Saab. Saab buyers may be affluent and educated but the fact they bought Saabs show that they're clueless about cars.
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KrunkZilla 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
I personally think the updated sedan 9-3 looks hot. I was never interested in the baseball hat looks of the old Saabs. And most likely the new 9-5 is going to look great too, if they keep that sport touring look like the 9-3 Sedan. The new look of Saab definitely has my focus as I look for a new car. I'm not a big fan of GM, but I do think the Saab's are looking better than ever.
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laserwizard 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
GM's management of Saab is criminal. I've never seen such a competent company raped as Saab has been during the reign of terror under GM management. Product after product that was superb in it class has been tarted up, thrown out, destroyed, or made fun of through the infusion of worthless GM products from around the planet. To make insult even worse, GM had the audacity to make a Subaru, a friggin Subaru for Pete's Sake, into a Saab!
Now GM is hellbent into Oldsmobiling Saab into oblivion by whoring the Saab grill into some widemouth bass version.
I feel in my heart as a car afficiando that the management of GM should be terminated immediately. I hope God is a car guy. Maybe once these punks assume room temperature, they'll go to a place slightly warmer.
GM. Committing war crimes against Swedish people and automobile reputations.
Free Saab from the tyranny of the punks at GM!
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Patriotic Dissent 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
laserwizard- The only thing I disagree with you on is that you aren't even more offended by the 9-7X than the 9-2X. The 9-7X is an Olds Bravada from the front doors back. At least the 9-2X is from a quirky high quality brand.
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Brian 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
Shouldn't the title say "Preview : 2006 Hyundai Sonata"?
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Amit 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
This looks like the front end of the new Hyundai Sonata. Maybe Saab is the new import fighter in the GM stable ;-)
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Whydrive 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
Looks like some people like to rewrite history and blame all of Saab's woes on GM.
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MP in Detroit 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
It looks like the front end of the dead Saturn LS--in other words the end of Saab.
In my driveway is a 2003 9-3. In the garage a 2000 9-5. Unfortunately it appears as though we'll be shopping elsewhere in future. GM can keep its Saaburus and Saabrolet SUV gas-mongers. I just wish Volkswagen would re-learn the art of building a durable car soon.
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avixe 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
Man, if they'd just launched the 9-3 as a "sportcombi" (hatchback; wtf) in the first place, I'dve bought one. Even with the 210-hp four and FWD.
That was their major mistake, I think. Saab's repeat buyers seemed to love hatchbacks.
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Shawn Clark 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
It look like a Hyundai now.
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Jean Verbeck 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
A bit more photos here, live for the plant !
http://www.leblogauto.com/2005/06/saab_95_phase_2.html
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Ryan M 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
I honestly don't think this is the production front end. GM wouldn't likely let Saab go the the trouble of 3-holing the 9-2x and 9-7x grilles just to go and toss that out on the 9-5.
Maybe I'm nieve, but I think GM is trying to revive, not kill, Saab. They just moved Jay Spenchian from Cadillac to Saab, and with any luck he'll be able to get the support for Saab that it deserves.
With a market demographic to die for, GM would be foolish to kill Saab at this point. We've been given some glimpses into the future here and things look more like a Volvo-style revival than a Buick death watch.
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Sobbing Owner 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
Welp, here's some hope:
1. This is a photo from Quebec? They don't have right hand drives in Canada....
2. That front end looks so photoshop'd it's silly, look at the blurred over head lamps and edges of the grill...I'm not buying it. There's no reason, unless they're totally fycking insane to change the iconic 3 hole Saab grill...or maybe they've got this out on the road to "bland" in?
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iQuack 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
The best Saabs were the 3 cylinder, 2 cycle oil burners from the 1950s and early '60s.
Those cars were innovative and drove quite well--my brother had a '59 and a '64 which were excellent cars. They were much better in many respects to the original VW Beetle which was similar in size and popular, but slow and crude by comparison.
After Saab went "up market" it still made good cars, but much appeal was lost IMO. The company probably would have disappeared years ago without GM or some large company's backing. GM is so inept that expecting its help is wishful thinking.
Maybe it's best for GM to kill off Saab if the brand can't make a profit. Why is Saab worth saving if doing so means sticking a Saab snout on a Chevy SUV? There's no reason to buy such a bastardized vehicle. Other "new" Saabs are redundant GM cars with a few Saab styling elements that don't matter anyway.
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JJ 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
You guys show so many spy photos....why dont you interview the spies? There have to be cool stories behind the pics
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Jack Yan 10:44PM (12/18/2005)
I don't mind the facelift too much, but I wonder how competitive this car will be by 2009. After all, it's on the same platform as the Saturn L-series.
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