Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, GM, Saab
New Saab 9-5 sketch is less quirky, more badass
A Saab owner attending the 2008 Saab Owner's Convention posted a recap of the events at Trollhattan Saab (which we thought was defunct, but if not, we're glad it's back). One of the most noteworthy events was something on which he barely commented: a sketch of the new 9-5. Saab has been threatening for a while to start incorporating Aero X cues into its vehicles, and this could be it.
The text around the car says it will have "aircraft heritage," "fuselage bodysides," a "wraparound winshield," and a "grille inspired by a J21." We find the J21 bit and the fuselage sides a stretch, but it's still a good looking place to start. The sketch also hints that the tech in the new 9-5 is already being used in the Turbo X.
While other Saabs are supposed to be downsizing, the 9-5 will actually grow since it's based on the Epsilon II platform along with the Opel Insignia and next-gen versions of the Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu. The car's engine will be shrinking, though, down to a 1.6-liter turbocharged unit. And could this be the Saab that Wagoner said will be built in North America?
[Source: Trollhattan Saab via Motor Authority]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
The Warden 1:42PM (8/27/2008)
It can be as bad ass as you want but the reality is that NO ONE is buying SAABS. They are lucky if they sell 1500 a month in the US.
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Jeff 1:43PM (8/27/2008)
One of the reasons he didn't comment on this sketch is because it's been around, and covered by him, for a while.
The best rendering to date is:
http://www.motorauthority.com/images/Saab/Spy/9_5/Render/2011_SAAB_9_5_rendering.jpg
Swade does a great job.
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Yipcanjo 1:46PM (8/27/2008)
Wow! Awesome mock-up!!!
Jeff 1:49PM (8/27/2008)
Link to original article, from May 2006:
http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2006/05/new_95_or_just.html
Torrent 3:21PM (8/27/2008)
Great design. I like it. that is what saab should be putting out.
Lam Nguyen 1:45PM (8/27/2008)
This "born from jets" stuff is getting oooold! I have yet seen anything decent coming from Saab ever since they established that slogan. They're just empty words if they can't produce quality/decent looking cars like they said.
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ugg.tryptophan 6:09PM (8/27/2008)
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/09/in-the-autoblog-garage-2008-saab-turbo-x/
sk 1:46PM (8/27/2008)
Are we talking a 2013-14 release date?
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styleguy 1:50PM (8/27/2008)
Uh, more like Geneva 09, or Paris in October if we're lucky.
Jeff 1:58PM (8/27/2008)
No, this will be revealed at the latest in Geneva this Spring, and be in production by Fall. You should be able to walk into your dealer next year and buy an AWD 300HP turbocharged 9-5 a year from now, according to Saab higher-ups Steve Shannon and Jan Ake Jonsson.
Soccer Mom 1:48PM (8/27/2008)
An answer to a question no one asked. This "new" 9-5 looks the same as 9-5, the bastardized by the latest face lift. 12-year-old design is certainly going to appeal to a large number of buyers who can choose Audi, BMW, Infiniti or MB for almost the same price.
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Jeff II 1:55PM (8/27/2008)
It's definitely not going to be a 12 year old design. It is heavily influenced by the Aero-X concept. In fact, it embraces design cues that Audi and BMW will be adopting AFTER them: the sloping C-pillar integrated into the trunk area. Also, the technology GM has at its disposal will put this car at a competitive advantage to the germans: in fuel economy through the innovative use of turbocharging and direct injection which Saab pioneered years ago and is only being adopted by BMW, Porsche, Audi; and in base price through domestic production.
So no, get your facts straight Soccermom. This isn't the old Saab.
Ruarri 2:23PM (8/27/2008)
Jeff do some research. Audi has been used turbos since at least 1986 and direct injection since 2001. In addition if you think that domestic production is cheap ask the American manufactures how happy they are with the current union contracts.
Seoultrain 2:21PM (8/27/2008)
I don't know if you can claim the 9-5 is heavily influenced by the Aero-X when it doesn't have that canopy. Took a few styling cues, sure, but let's not exaggerate.
UH2L 2:55PM (8/27/2008)
Ruarri,
You probably have your Audi facts straight but you need to check your Saab facts. Saab was the first to use turbocharging extensively on its 99, beginning in 1978, way before Audi started, (although Audi has been doing it a while).
Jeff 4:13PM (8/27/2008)
Saab brought turbo mainstream first, well before competitors. The Saab Combustion Control system (DI) was developed in '95, before mitsubishi brought the first mass market DI. Audi trailed by nearly 5 years. And if you're going to argue that Audi, BMW, or anyone has a leg up on Saab in the last few years in the turbocharging business, you need to reinvestigate how Trollhattan engineers have refined turbocharging and its related software.
As for being heavily influenced by the Aero-X, I would say if u lifted the entire front of one car and made it into another, you could say that said car was "heavily influenced." But more than that, it's clear that Saab is returning to the more swept back language of the 80's and 90's with a more elegant twist. In many ways, this is a reference as much to the Aero-X as it is to the 99s 900s and 9000s.
Jeff 4:29PM (8/27/2008)
Also, as for domestic production, why would Volkswagen Auto Group be investing $1 billion in a new plant in Chattanooga to build all those Audis you love so much? GM's NA production has cleared out much of the health care and contract issues that plagued them for so long. The weak US dollar means Euro production will continue to migrate west. As for whether or not this model will be built here, obviously not from the outset, but many of its components will be US sourced, and given that it is on the global Epsilon II architecture, which is getting high marks against German rivals in comparison tests of the Insignia, if successful it certainly has the possibility of being built here.
What Saab needs now is to ditch the Born From Jets ads as alex said, and focus on the green tech, safety, and brand image they have always had. While other automakers were busy in a horsepower race or figuring out how many seats they could cram in an SUV, Saab has been diligently refining their four-cylinder engines with great success, adopting ethanol fuel strategies, and refining its use of turbocharging.
The one thing not yet discussed in these comments is the Haldex XWD system as an integral part of this car. The Turbo-X has been lauded by the automotive press as a true contender to German luxury brands. I would say the only thing that held it back is that its styling and polish wasn't a match. If this new 9-5 can match the Turbo-X's dynamics (which out slalomed a 911 Turbo), have clean but futuristic styling as sketched and rendered, and be priced for the same as a C-Class mercedes, I think you they will find a lot more buyers than you think.
jte 1:56PM (8/27/2008)
Isn't the jet inspiration in the sketch of a Saab 37 Viggen or Saab 39 Gripen? Not of a J21?
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David 1:56PM (8/27/2008)
The 9-5 is to be built in Germany. The SAAB being built in America will be the 9-4X Crossover. It and the Caddy version will be built in Mexico.
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MikeofLA 2:07PM (8/27/2008)
The new "face" of Saab is really appealing to me. They are getting away from their "quirky" designs and putting together some good looking cars. Now, granted the look as of recently is just a facelift, I hold a lot of trust in the fact that Saab will move up market and produce a car worthy of their slogan. The Turbo X is a fantastic piece of machinery.
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