Saab 9-5 2.0 TiD Vector SE review

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Saab 9-5 2.0 TiD Vector SE Road Test

Test date 18 August 2010 Price as tested £27,000

For Distinctive, simple looks; Decent economy; Rear cabin space; Competitive price

Against Power delivery; Inconsistent steering; Lumpy ride; Below-average cabin

Most cars have a showroom life of approximately seven years. The Saab 9-5 that this sleek new model replaces has survived unchanged, apart from the occasional facelift and engine upgrade, for the past 13.

Watch the Saab 9-5 90-sec video review

It’s a long time to wait for a new car, and now this General Motors product arrives just as the American giant sells the Saab brand to Dutch car firm Spyker.

Regardless of its problematic birth, though, the new 9-5 must prove to buyers that Saab can hold its own in the executive saloon market. At £26,495 for the cheapest diesel model – the manual, front-wheel-drive, 158bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel Vector SE tested here – it is not short of confidence in its pricing.

The 9-5 range also includes 2.0-litre turbocharged and 2.8-litre V6 petrol motors, while a new turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol and a 188bhp twin-turbocharged diesel are both expected to arrive in the coming months.

But is it enough to base a premium-brand saloon on Vauxhall underpinnings and engines? That is what we are here to find out.