Thank you SAAB for making the word wagon an acceptable term in automotive vernacular, we don’t have to be ashamed about calling the new SAAB 9-5 a cool looking wagon, there is no need to use the term crossover here. These are the first images to hit the web of the next generation of their four door sensation that the Swedish automaker is planning on bringing to the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Thanks to the super car manufacturer Koenigseg, the future SAAB 9-5 should start to appear in showrooms as early as the end of this year, but certainly by 2010. The renderings seen here make the Frankfurt show car look very similar to a four door Audi A5, with that sportback notch at the back of the sedan. The wagon has a roofline that looks very similar to a Nissan GT-R.
The Swedish automaker will offer the new 9-5 with a choice of four and six cylinder power plants that are E85 BioPower capable as well as an alternatively fueled four cylinder diesel. The future 9-5 will be built upon the same Epsilon 2 as its European GM cousin, the Opel Insignia, except the Saab will use the long wheelbase frame.
Struggling to make ends meet, it looked as if it was only a matter of time before Saab would have crumbled under the mounting debts it had incurred over the past couple of years. Fortunately for them, there’s finally a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel.
On the heels of reports that said that Saab was on the market for anyone willing to take a stab at restoring the company to its glory days, it appears that someone has taken up that challenge. Swedish supercar makers Koenigsigg, together with a group of Norwegian investors, has ironed out a lot of the details involved in the company’s imminent purchase of Saab. While there are still a few kinks left to iron out, it’s becoming more and more apparent that Saab has found new life under the Koenigsigg brand.
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The Swedish automaker’s Saab should be happy, despite losing their home at GM; the super car manufacturer Koenigsegg has signed a letter of intent to purchase the orphaned car company with the help of a few Norwegian investors. Imagine going into a showroom and finding a Saab Turbo X sedan sitting next to a 9-7X SUV alongside a Koenigsegg CCX. That will definitely get new car buyers into showrooms, at least for a test sit in the limited edition super car.
The vehicle hiding underneath a form fitting car cover in the showroom of the future Saab Museum in Trollhattan is the 2010 9-5 sedan. One of the benefits of the tightly wrapped display is that you can see the Saab Aero-X inspired headlights and grill sticking through, but not as good of a view as you will this September get when the next 9-5 makes its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The 2010 9-5 will be built on the same Epsilon 2 platform as its European GM cousin, the Opel Insignia, except the Saab will stretch the wheelbase just a little bit. It has been said that the car company that was born from jets will offer two different types of suspension for the 2010 car. Standard and premium; as well as an optional four-wheel drive layout and a series of engines ranging from an alternatively fueled economic four cylinder diesel to a high performance 2.8 Liter turbocharged V6. No matter which variation you choose, the next 9-5 should be as fun to drive as ever, especially if they get an injection of attitude from the Swedish super car manufacturer.
The Swedish automaker Saab, will finally unveil the new 9-5 sedan at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The four door model will soon be followed by a wagon version for the spring of 2010. The future also holds a 9-4X SUV, a vehicle aimed directly at competing with other compact crossovers like the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.
The future 9-5 will be built on the same Epsilon 2 as its European GM cousin, the Opel Insignia, except the Saab will get a stretched wheelbase. Word on the street is that the car company that was born from jets will offer two different types of suspension, standard and premium, as well as optional four-wheel drive and a series of engines ranging from an economic four cylinder diesel to a high performance 2.8 Liter turbocharged V6.
What we need to ask ourselves here in America is, how will the elimination of non essential GM brands here in the U.S. affect the automotive conglomerate’s new car lineups around the world. Could this beautiful 9-5 face an early grave due to the cutbacks here on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean?
Okay Saab, we get it: You’re proud of your aircraft heritage. Now its time to make cars you can be proud of, not just cars celebrating airplanes. Until then, Saab’s big unveil for the Detroit Auto Show will be the 9-5 Griffin Edition, named after Saab’s new Gripen fighter aircraft.
So if it was built to celebrate a fast and maneuverable aircraft, then the car must have engine and suspension upgrades, right? WRONG. The 9-5 Griffen comes with the standard 260 hp 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine from the regular car. It’s a fine engine, but its no jet fighter.
Instead the 9-5 Griffen goes for luxury add-ons such as a matte chrome for the front grille, unique 17-inch alloy wheels, and rear spoilers for the sedan and wagon. The interior gets high-gloss interior trim (isn’t that something GM has been trying to stop doing?) as well as some special stitching.
If this gets you excited, then grab $42,775 for the sedan ($44,045 for the wagon), and head on down to your Saab dealer this January. The line forms wherever you’re standing.
Press release after the jump.
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