16 responses so far ↓

• 1 Erik // Aug 11, 2005 at 7:52 am

  I guess since SaabCentral is operating outside the fringe, SaabNet 9-5 board readers are left in the dark? Sad.

• 2 Swade // Aug 11, 2005 at 9:43 am

  Erik, that’s the primary reason I posted my rant about Saabnet the other day. I’m sure there’s people who don’t even know there’s a word outside Saabnet. They just keep doing what they’ve been doing for years. And they’d not see the model as Scott wouldn’t publish photos from here.

  Sad indeed.

• 3 Martin // Aug 13, 2005 at 8:19 am

  Hi there!

  Tedious or not… I just saw a masked 9-5 wagon (no picture proof sorry…) this afternoon (august 12th)in central Stockholm, Sweden. It looked like the other spy-shots, the taped front and the red masking around the tail lights. In real life it looked gorgeous despite all the masking.

  Thank you for the best Saab site around!

  /Martin

• 4 Martin // Aug 13, 2005 at 8:42 am

  I just forgot… I got a good look at the inside, we can expect chrome/aluminum rings around the gauges (?) as well as aluminum door inlays, looked really neat!

  /Martin

• 5 SaabKen // Aug 13, 2005 at 10:20 am

  Wow, a real live witness. Martin, what about the dash controls (climate control, stereo/navigation) and the tailpipes ? Are the controls Saab-looking or resembling the newer GM variants ? There’s reports of possible 2.8T V6 for the 9-5 Aero ? Did you see anything to confirm/deny this ?

• 6 Swade // Aug 13, 2005 at 11:56 am

  Agreed, thanks Martin for dropping in and letting us know.

  I’ve corresponded with several people who have either seen the car in the flesh or seen good photos of it and they’ve all been very favourable. It’s mostly the armchair critics glued to their 900’s that will be sceptical, until they sit in one.

  And I can understand why, it’s just a funny phenomenon.

  Again, thanks.

  And Ken, looks like we’ll be comingover this time next year. I’m think SOC might be in order. And a hockey game (if we’re there when season starts). What you thinkin?

• 7 Martin // Aug 13, 2005 at 10:59 pm

  The car I saw was a black wagon and the version was a 2.3T, didn’t look for the tailpipes. I met it sitting in my own car and when I got out and approached the Saab on foot the driver got a bit anxious and decided to get going I got that close that I could se the 9-3 style instruments (aluminum rings and white digits) and the door inlays. Didn’t get the time to look att the center console… So sorry guys no info on the dash controls But the interior felt a lot more modern then todays version!

  The funny thing is that me and my wife fell in love with the 9-5 only 4 months ago and are currently just awaiting the facelift. What are the odds of seeing one pre the official launch???

  /Martin

• 8 SaabKen // Aug 14, 2005 at 8:49 am

  Excellent Swade. SCWC will plan an honourary meet/fun run when you’re here ! And Tim Horton’s timbits (SCWC tradition at meets) on the house

  Ken

• 9 Swade // Aug 15, 2005 at 11:53 am

  Mmmmmmmmmmmm

  Timbits………

• 10 Mats // Aug 16, 2005 at 4:49 pm

  I got a peek at the interior of the new 9-5 yesterday and the dashboard is the same but the layout in the centerconsole is all new. If i remember correctly there was twin round dials for the climate control (one for each side).

  Btw, did you know that Djup Strupe means Deep Throat?

• 11 Swade // Aug 17, 2005 at 10:17 am

  Hey Mats,

  I’d love to know how you got a peek at the 9-5. Anyway, the centre console is pictured in one of the earlier 9-5 spyshot stories (click on the 9-5 link on the sidebar to see all the 9-5 stories).

  I chose Djup Strupe exactly for that reason. Deep Throat was the famed inside source involved in the Watergate scandal that eventually forced Nixon to resign as US President all those years ago. There’s no scandal here, but it seemed like a good thing to call my source in Swedish (thank God for internet translators!!)

• 12 Mats // Aug 17, 2005 at 5:01 pm

  I live in Trollhättan and there was an new 9-5 wagon parked outside the local Scrapyard when I was there to pick up some parts so I had a good look at it… To bad I didn’t have my camera with me.

• 13 Eduard // Aug 18, 2005 at 2:37 am

  As said my father the other day, “I don’t know why so expectation and scretism with this car when is only a facelift and where it seems that Saab is loosing his well designed and thinked interior, exterior and other gadgets”….

  this is like a joke…..I imagine the great moment, when Bob showed us the new 9-5 in frankfurt as a great new 9-5 with those strange ligths, poor and cheap new interior controls, panels that comes from some chevrolets, pontiacs and so….is quite disapointing…

  Did you see the spyshots of the new Chevrolet Evanda?? it will come in 2006, it is a sedan made by Daewoo/chevy and the Audio and climate controls are exaactly the same as the 9-5….

  go to the website, http://www.totalcar.hu is a Hungarian website, there is a video of a test of two Opels as they said, Opel1(Saab 9-3ss 1.9TID), Opel2(Chevy lacetti)…. as you can imagine this is like a joke…

  http://www.totalcar.hu/kereso/index.php?keres=Saab&rovatkeres=tv&simple=1

  i recomend to take a look at some tests….as the 9000 Aero.. http://totalcar.index.hu/ujauto/link/tv.php3?tvurl=http://dl.totalcar.hu/tc25_01.wmv

  jejejeje

• 14 Eduard // Aug 18, 2005 at 11:16 pm

  There is a very good article about the development process and how Saab must take care of many different aspects in the development of its cars because they sell it globally, when many of the GM brands don’t sell it globally….

  it’s from the SAE website…

  http://www.sae.org/automag/features/globaleurope/saab.htm

• 15 Zippy // Aug 25, 2005 at 5:04 pm

  God awful, the front overhang is WAY to big, the front light arrangement doesnt even remotely say SAAB to me and the rear light say Hyundai. What are they doing to a car company I have loved for over 20years? I cant see Saab being around to introduce a new 9-5 as GM has truly buggered the whole thing up! Thank god for the 9-3 thats all I can say!!

• 16 Clint O // Aug 26, 2005 at 5:00 am

  I was thinking the front overhang might be needed to accomodate the new 2.8L V6 (the same offered in the 9-3)?