Saab 9-5 sedan draws on turbo-charged power for new flagship
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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CATALINA, Ariz. -- Flying across the Arizona desert floor on a bee-line trace that dips through every drainage washout, a 9-5 sedan from Sweden's Saab hugs pavement contours like a jet rolling over pockets of air currents.
With each swoop through a wash, independent suspension elements of springs and shocks float then compress then float again in a bouncy rhythm which in time can rattle a rider's equilibrium but not upset the balance and poise of this precision machine.
Curves can't fool it either.
A run on a snaky trail over the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson demonstrates that 9-5 can hang around a tight hairpin bend in flat stance with tires confidently tracing an aggressive line.
Such road tricks, while fun to perform yet unnecessary for everyday driving, reveal that Saab's new flagship sedan can maneuver around dicy street situations with the agility of a mechanical athlete. Ultimately, this flexibility translates to a safety benefit because 9-5 is an active car which in the hands of an alert driver can actually avoid a potential accident that less lively cars may not.
Get familiar with this Saab, like one driver did in a series of tests in Arizona recently, and its performance and handling traits will no doubt impress, as will the comforts provided in a passenger compartment tipped toward luxury.
But there's more going on here than goosy pedal power and cushy appointments. Occupant safety, it seems, becomes the overriding point behind the design of 9-5 because Swedes in general rank safety above all other automotive assets and Saab in specific has a long record for safety innovations.
Saab's safe performance cars spawn cultish loyalty among owners. With front-wheel-drive format and safety systems like anti-lock brakes and a steel cage encasing riders, a Saab can plow through Sweden's severe arctic winters or survive a too-close encounter with a moose.
The 9-5 elevates these safety issues to a new high mark due to the development of several new safety systems, which are not apparent from the shape or form of 9-5.
For one, there's a new front structure to 9-5 that instead of deflecting forces from a frontal crash along a single predictable chassis path actually uses three routes to diffuse all of that disruptive energy. Steel braces crush like cushions and the defused energy flows up and under and around the passenger compartment, where seatbelts and airbags and safety seats protect riders.
Also, the front structure of this Saab has not one but five different progressive frontal deformation zones.
Other deformation areas appear in back and at sides of the 9-5, which also applies side-impact airbags.
And Saab's bucket seat -- dubbed Safeseat -- forms a rigid and stable support for the side airbags, with anti-submarine ramps under frontal edges to prevent an occupant from slipping under the seatbelt in a severe crash.
Even headrests become active: If the vehicle is hit from the rear, a situation which often produces neck whiplash for riders, front seat headrests quickly move forward and upward slightly to meet the neck and head moving backward. This movement is designed to cradle the head promptly and prevent the painful whiplash effect.
Another safety innovation Saab labels as the Night Panel. Glaring lights for instruments at night may be deleted with the push of a single button, leaving only the speedometer visible to enhance driver's night vision. If problems should arise like low fuel level or falling oil pressure, information lights up on a need-to-know basis.
Saab loyalists will find a few Saab-exclusive traits retained inside 9-5, such as the ignition key switch set on floorboard between front buckets as another safety factor because it's out of the way and easy to reach.
The smooth new exterior shell of 9-5, while aerodynamic and refined, like previous Saabs conforms to conservative taste, which should satisfy Saab fans who generally don't appreciate change for change's sake.
Still, the 9-5 represents a significant new product development at Saab because it replaces the former 9000 series as flagship in the line.
The 9-5 appears in two flavors, as set by power mode.
Saab has been a leader in providing a high-powered turbo kick from relatively small but muscular and efficient engines, and with 9-5 it uses turbos exclusively.
At entry to the series, the base 9-5 draws from a new generational edition of a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder turbo that Saab calls "Light Pressure Turbo" because it dampens turbo-boost pressure to trim the pesky power delay of a typical turbo.
The plant hits 170 hp with surprisingly high torque applied, but operates in such frugal manner that it earns superior fuel economy scores.
Saab adds a sporty, short-throw 5-speed manual shifter as standard transmission for the turbo-4. If you enjoy working through a set of gears, you'll like this stick.
A nice new 4-speed automatic transmission with electro-hydraulic controls is also available. Push-button selections let driver switch from normal shift patterns to quick-shift sport mode or to winter mode with higher-gear starts for stemming wheel slippage on a slippery surface.
A second Ecopower engine was developed for 9-5 as an option for the base model or the standard for top trim 9-5 SE. The asymmetric turbo-charged 3.0-liter V6 has twin cams on top and the first single-bank turbo-charger application.
This design boosts peak torque by 15 percent while also allowing longer gearing to improve fuel economy. Output climbs to a lusty 200 hp.
Only the 4-speed automatic shifter mates with the V6.
Designers of the cockpit in 9-5 drew inspiration from ergonomic arrangement of controls for aircraft. (Before building automobiles beginning in 1949, Saab produced precision aircraft, which continue today -- and the brand name still reflects these aeronautical roots, as Saab is actually an acronym for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, which translates in English to Swedish Airplane Company.)
The interior feels plush and entirely comfortable, with a tilt toward luxury. Power and automatic controls extend even to the base 9-5, but 9-5 SE adds leather seats, a power glass sunroof, deluxe audio equipment, plus electronic traction control system and the turbo V6.
Prices begin around $31,000 and rise to $39,000.
1999 SAAB 9-5 SEDAN
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| 1999 SAAB 95 VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Mid-size luxury sedan |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size luxury sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
106.4 inches |
| Overall Length: |
189.2 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.3-L I4 Turbo
DOHC 3.0-L I4 Turbo
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| Transmission: |
I4: Manual/5, Auto/4
V6: Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/TCS |
| Airbags: |
4 |
| Gas Mileage: |
I4: 21/28 mpg
V6: 18/26 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 31,000 to $ 39,000 |
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