Autoblog

First Drive: 2010 Saab 9-5 proves being born from chaos builds character

Chris Paukert — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Saab, First Drives, Luxury

2010 Saab 9-5 - Click above for high-res image gallery

A funny thing happened on the way to bankruptcy court for General Motors. As part of a bid to have its red-stained slate wiped clean, it moved to divest itself of a number of brands in its bloated portfolio, with Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Saab all earmarked for sale or closure. However, only one brand inspired sufficient passion among both owners and those with the financial wherewithal to rescue it from GM's 'wind-down' apple polishers. Oddly enough, it was the tiny Swede that successfully swam out to the life raft. Saab, the marque with the smallest and oldest product lineup, lowest volume, and the poorest brand recognition among American consumers somehow found a way to survive.

How, exactly, did this come to pass? For starters, unlike any other of GM's death-row divisions, owners and fans rallied in dozens of countries, urging anyone who listened to "Save Saab." Now, we're not naïve enough to think that a band of loyalists were all it took to change the course of automotive history, but it's telling that there were no pitchforks and torches - or even a handful of picket signs - produced over the axing of the other brands. Saab remains a seldom understood, much loved brand, and we know that the displays of unity from Saab's scorned faithful stoked the fire of unlikely suitor Victor Muller, CEO and owner of Spyker Cars, as his team waded through a stomach-churning series of negotiations. After watching from the sidelines while bids by other small automakers and investment groups fizzled, the Dutch businessman and his team eventually pried the battered brand away from GM - but not before Saab had been partially liquidated.

While Muller clearly has an affinity for the Swedish marque, he insists it wasn't boyhood sentiment that drove the purchase - it was the company's robust Trollhättan operations and a raft of promising, almost-here product that pushed his team to persevere. That stream of shiny new tin begins with the car you see before you: The 2010 9-5. Click through to the jump to see if Muller and Company have good reason to be optimistic.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Saab 9-5

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First Drive: 2010 Saab 9-5 proves being born from chaos builds character originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Frankfurt 2009: 2010 Saab 9-5 is proof there's still some flight left in the ol' Griffin

Chris Paukert — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Sedan, Saab

2010 Saab 9-5 - Click above for high-res image gallery

To be honest, there have been points at which it felt like this new Saab 9-5 would never see the light of day. To say that the outgoing model had grown long in the tooth would be a colossal understatement, and in the hyper-competitive market that is the globe's entry-level premium segment, the 9-5 had become something of a placeholder, playing second fiddle to the automaker's newer, more dynamic 9-3. So with its own cheaper sibling playing the role of upstager and parent General Motors in the throes of bankruptcy, we didn't exactly have faith that Saab would ever launch this new sedan. But after an arduous development process and a new owner in the form of supercar maker Koenigsegg, the future looks - if not bright - at least markedly less dim.

If we sound like we're damning the 2010 9-5 with faint praise, we're not - after sitting in the car today at the Frankfurt Motor Show and talking extensively with members of Saab's team, we're actually rather optimistic that the perennially underweight automaker may yet emerge from its funk and put some rouge back in the 'ol Griffin. But until we drive it, we're going to reserve judgment before we break out the akvavit and reindeer steaks - we've been here before.

One thing's for sure - this new, larger 9-5 looks incredibly crisp in the metal. With clean flanks, a distinctive, cantilevered roofline paired with wraparound-look glass and handsome head- and tail lamp detailing, this is an attractive, cohesive design sans adornment - no gaping ducts, fender vents, or protruding aero addenda are in evidence anywhere. Very much in the Scandinavian mold, the 9-5 pulls design elements from the showstopping Saab Aero-X concept coupe and puts them in a real-world package. Similarly, like Scandinavian furniture, the design won't be to everyone's tastes.

Inside, there's gobs more space than in the outgoing car both front and rear, and the design has been tastefully updated in a driver-centric way that honors the marque's quirkiness (Night Panel button, eggcrate grid air vents, etc.) without becoming a caricature of Saabs past. Reinforcing the aeronautically-minded "Born From Jets" theme that had become something of a punchline with distractions like the 9-7x SUV, Saab has adopted new features like an optional heads-up display and a novel altimeter-like digital speedometer readout in case you aren't interested making use of the clear analogue gauges.

Click on the jump for more impressions and the official press release.

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: 2010 Saab 9-5

Gallery: 2010 Saab 9-5

Continue reading Frankfurt 2009: 2010 Saab 9-5 is proof there's still some flight left in the ol' Griffin

Frankfurt 2009: 2010 Saab 9-5 is proof there's still some flight left in the ol' Griffin originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Against all odds, next Saab 9-5 on schedule

Noah Joseph — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Europe, Saab, Rumormill

On the market since 1997, Saab's 9-5 is getting more than a little long in the tooth. The Swedish automaker is about to launch the Griffin Edition of its aging sedan, but that's a stop-gap at best; if Saab is serious about its future, it's going to need an all-new 9-5. Or more accurately, if General Motors is serious about Saab's future, it will need a new 9-5 - or at least the perception of a forthcoming 9-5 among investors (Wagoner and company have hinted at that they may sell off or shut down their quirky Scandinavian subsidiary).

The latest rumors, however, indicate that the new 9-5 has departed the terminal on time and is running on schedule. According to the folks at Trollhatten Saab, this report comes courtesy of an admittedly anonymous dealer who has apparently been exclusively peddling Saab's Swedish wares in America for more than two decades. The sketch above, released this past summer, promises a closer tie-in with Saab's increasingly dubious aerospace links. Could it be enough to thrust some juice into the automaker's afterburners? Thanks to Swade for the tip!

[Source: Trollhattan Saab]

REPORT: Against all odds, next Saab 9-5 on schedule originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bertone's 95th anniversary roadster concept

Noah Joseph — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 08:08:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Geneva Motor Show

Bertone is cooking up something special for the Geneva show next month and has graced us with this photo of what's in store. This sharp-looking little roadster is based on the Fiat Panda 100HP -- that pumped-up little city car that's been lauded as more fun than a barrel of monkeys. In fact, the only thing not to like about the Panda 100HP is the styling, an issue Bertone seems to have resolved nicely with this concept car.

The show car was created to celebrate the Italian design house's 95th anniversary, an incredibly long lifespan that has been marked by a long-standing relationship with Fiat. As we reported previously, Bertone's been having some trouble and Fiat may be coming to the rescue. Industry analysts (read: some of us over here at Autoblog) anticipate that Fiat could end up buying out Bertone, and like they turned Abarth into their in-house tuning department (soon to be revived), Bertone could become a unique sub-brand within Fiat, tweaking the Fiat line-up with designer bits.

This concept car, meanwhile, is reportedly designed to recall the custom re-bodied 1947 Fiat 500 which Nuccio Bertone enjoyed driving on weekends. If this is what they've put together for their 95th birthday, we can't wait for their centenary.

(Thanks for the tip, Faustino!)

[Source: Quattroroute.it]

Bertone's 95th anniversary roadster concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Feb 2007 08:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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