Archive for the ‘9-5’ Category

The good news for Saab keeps on rolling: last month, we mentioned that the company's sale to Koenigsegg was looking like a done deal (thanks to a €400 million loan from the European Investment Bank), and now comes word that Saab is developing a new, small concept vehicle to presage the company's future lineup.

The concept vehicle is set to debut within the next 12 months. Saab's Director of Global Operations, Knut Simonsson, says, "It's going to be very important and will indicate what the Saab message is going to be." In short, it will "define the new Saab".

Although Simonsson declined to elaborate on the vehicle's particulars, he did say...

•    What is it: A long, long overdue replacement for the Saab 9-5 luxury sedan and wagon •    The basics: Built from GM's Buick LaCrosse/Chevrolet Malibu platform; V-6 and turbo V-6 engines; all-wheel drive option •    On sale: Late 2009 in Europe •    Price: $40,000 (est.)

Has the Saab 9-5 has been with us forever, at least in car years? Here's a sample of the life-changing events that have taken place since the 9-5 first emerged. The iPhone. September 11. The Clinton impeachment hearings. And, we should add, TheCarConnection.com.

Even when it bowed in 1998, the 9-5 struggled for attention against the backdrop of Acuras, Lexuses and ...

Saab's 9-3, which we rated a rather middling 7.6 out of 10 overall in our Car Reviews section, is slated for an AWD option in its base model, to be named the 9-3X. Currently, AWD can only be had on the range-topping Turbo X model with the turbocharged 2.8-liter V-6, helping to quell its torque steer as well as giving it all-weather capabilities.

Other news from Saab is a redesigned 9-5, likely based on the Opel Insignia chassis and blessed with AWD. Most predict this model will debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show held in September. It will likely be powered by existing gasoline and GM of Europe diesel engines, possibly receiving the 2.8-liter...