Sneak peek - SAAB 9-5
The Age
Saturday July 18, 2009
SAAB may have been left behind in the ashes of the General Motors phoenix but GM engineers have not forgotten the Swedish brand, despite its impending sale to niche supercar maker Koenigsegg.GM test drivers are in the final stages of evaluating the next-generation Saab 9-5 sedan and our spy cameras snapped a camouflaged car during summer testing.Saab is now part of the ignominiously named Liquidation Motors, the so-called "bad GM" assets tagged for liquidation and sale as part of the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy re-organisation.The new Saab 9-5, expected to make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, is the company's flagship and will have to compete on equal terms against the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the BMW 5-Series. The new car comes 13 years after the first generation 9-5, almost double the traditional time between new models.The distinctive wraparound windscreen remains, along with the traditional boxy profile. Inside, the car is said to have stayed very close to the 9-4X concept car, although some of the switches and controls are shared with the Opel Insignia. The car also shares the same underpinnings as the Insignia, although it has a slightly longer wheelbase.Sources say the car has gained some extra weight, height and length over the current model. Buyers can expect a variety of petrol engines, including a 2.0-litre turbo and a choice of 2.8-litre or 3.6-litre V6s. A frugal four-cylinder diesel is expected, as well as a hybrid model and E85 ethanol-compatible variants. Top-of-the-range models will feature Saab's all-wheel-drive system.The car will go into production early next year, although it remains to be seen when it will reach Australia.Local Saab sales are in freefall amid uncertainty about the future of GM Premium Brands, a division set up in Australia by GM to market three of its brands - Cadillac, Hummer and Saab. GM pulled the pin on introducing the Cadillac brand last year, while both Hummer and Saab are being sold off. -- RICHARD BLACKBURNFor more on the Saab 9-5,go to drive.com.au/saab
© 2009 The Age