Saab's ageing 9-5 has been given a major makeover ahead of the introduction of a new German-built replacement, despite the current car’s surprise record sales.
These scoop shots received by autocar.co.uk's scoop shots show.that the latest facelift in the car’s seven-year history adds new lights, bumpers, bonnet and wheels, with the nose in particular taking its cues from the bold 2001 9-X concept car. Inside, the dashboard moulding stays the same but it’s lifted by new instruments and controls, new air vents and revised seats.
The chassis has also received attention in an effort to close the gap to the German class leaders, with a wider rear track among the changes, and the 9-3’s 150bhp 1.9 becomes the only diesel engine option. The all-new 9-5 follows in 2008, based on the same front-drive platform as the next Opel/Vauxhall Vectra.
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Re: Saab flagship facelifted
Ahem, guys, the original article is 2005.
Re: Saab flagship facelifted
Seems like a waste off resorces why do this when the new one is nearly out maybe its for China and emerging markets . Never liked the revamped front thought it was much better the way it looked originally .
Re: Saab flagship facelifted
Looks like a right old botch, a bit like the Chinese Rover/Roewe. Maybe the chassis can be made to rival the German leaders on the road, but it's unlikely that the badge can be made to rival any brand in the buyer's mind when he or she has a choice of one from four order forms to sign. Saab missed one trick in their haste. A quick glance at the poor creature's rear quarters reveals that it is an ideal vehicle for the Skoda boot-lid/hatch arrangement on the Superb. THAT will get the Audi/BMW/Mercedes-Benz fans signing an order-form for a botched antiquity with a zero-image badge. Well no, of course it won't, and in nearly every case the economy-minded realist will be signing up for something from the very wide choice offered by the genuinely modern Skoda Superb itself. It's always easy to make sombre predictions, but it's difficult to exaggerate the feeble despair of Saab's position. In twenty years whichever manufacturer owns the rights to the Saab badge will launch a Saab 96 homage car which will sell like hot cakes, or, stronger than hot-cakes, like Minis, Fiat 500s...