A New Face Joins The Party: 2010 Saab 9-5 Photos Leaked

Saab has had very interesting history in the U.S. and in recent years it seems the brand simply dwindled into products that lacked innovation, originality and style. This all was punctuated with General Motor’s sale of the marque, to Koenigsegg, this past June.

Source: autozeitung.de

With this sale there is hope. While cars became more diluted and began sharing components with GM, there was something lost in the mix. Probably the last great product turned out by Saab was the 9-3 Viggen but I cannot be entirely sure because I never drove or tested it. So, it has been either 10 years since the last great car or 20 plus.

The recently driven 9-3 Aero SportCombi, February 2009, had a delightful drivetrain and amenities; however, it just lacked a stellar interior. It seemed very GM and not very Saab and this speaks volumes from where the Swede came. Do not get me wrong, it would be a fantastic car for a discriminating, quirky buyer but I do not believe its awesome drivetrain and mediocre everything else could be a driving force behind a sale. Especially, when the competition is as strong as ever.

Saab’s departure from GM is probably the best thing that has happened to the jet builder. And, to no one better than Koenigsegg: A proper, Swedish manufacturer that produces cars that are unique and people want to drive. For the survival of the Saab entity, this is crucial.

Source: autozeitung.de

Behold, the new 2010 9-5.

Bearing a modified Saab façade, this new car seems to show a departure for the company. Where a significant chunk of their autos have been hatchbacks, the 9-5 was the beginning of a contemporary, executive car that was a sedan. Their first outing, the Saab 9000, was a reasonably grotesque-looking hatch. Hurray for sedans!

Sporting a new and larger grille, it harkens back to some of Saab’s recent design cues but it does not emulate them entirely. A welcomed change. This is where the similarities to past Saabs are abandoned.

Source: autozeitung.de

From the A-pillar back, the car is completely unlike anything put out – by Saab – before. Interestingly enough, the Swedes implemented a clamshell roof design as seen on Nissan’s GT-R and ironically enough the Koenigsegg CCX(R). And, they did it right with the blacked-out A-pillar. Two thumbs up. This blacked-out treatment continues along the roofline until it reaches the brushed aluminum C-pillar. It is a successful attempt at really selling that “floating roof.”

But, this the first integration of this design that I have seen on a four-door saloon. I cannot tell if it works or if it comes off as sort of tacky, as seen in Kia’s Soul.

2010’s 9-5 wears a minimalistic side profile with exception of the line at the bottom of the doors. Tastefully integrated into what appears to be a piece of brushed aluminum at the bottom of the front fender, this line extends to the rear and tapers off in the rear door. It is a fantastic example of a design cue that takes away from its visual height and heft.

Source: autozeitung.de

Coming around the rear of the new 9-5, a couple of aspects stand out. The first is the prominent LED bar, which extends across the back end of the 9-5, and adjoining piece of brushed aluminum. This LED bar appears to light up as seen in one of the photos but it remains uncertain if this will light up the entire length of the LED bar.

Source: autozeitung.de

Secondly, the line that evaporates into the rear door near the side rocker appears again in the rear bumper. A simple, elegant execution. This creates a nice flow from the front to the rear rather than have disjointed and miscalculated lines. Once again this line serves the purpose of removing visual heft from the rear view of the car.

Source: autozeitung.de

Now, one area Saab always carries over is the interior and they have reworked it quite a bit this go around. Drawing some inspiration and aspects of the 9-4X concept, the 2010 9-5 seems to have more of a flow to it. Instead of looking comparable to Zach Morris’ telephone in the early 90s, the new Saab interior has finally arrived in the 21^st century.

Source: autozeitung.de

A large, centrally mounted display looks quite fitting. Assuming Saab did not make an obtuse system, it should be a blast to use. Seats appear supportive, carbon fiber-look trim – coupled with brushed aluminum – adorns the cabin and monitors are placed in the rear of the front seats. Topping this off is a spacious backseat, albeit it looks like headroom may be slim for taller passengers. But, I have realized something else that has me worried.

Take a closer look at the switch gear, particularly on the center stack; it is sourced from General Motors. So, it is clear this creation was dreamt up not entirely from our Swedish buddies but with some aid from GM.

Source: autozeitung.de

This makes me wonder, how good will this car be? Although we have seen notable improvements across GM’s brands – specifically their respective vehicle’s driving dynamics – they still remain to have quality issues. Will this spread to the 2010 9-5? Doubtful, but thankfully this will hopefully be the last GM-inspired Saab to grace the planet.

Thank goodness for the sake of Saab. Hopefully Koenigsegg will inspire the downtrodden brand to produce more bespoke vehicles and take heed of their potential.

Source: autozeitung.de

At any rate, Saab is already on the “right path.” Usually Saab would have just spit out the last generation 9-5 with a slightly modified grille. Now they have a totally unique vehicle and that is a start. Next step, Saab-specific interior bits.

Let’s hope it drives as good as it looks.

rp