We posted the front-on view of the facelifted 9-5 a few days ago, and thanks to Hagfish7 at Saab Central (don’t you just love usernames?) we now have news of these.

Here they are – and not too shabby either, if you ask me:

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If anyone’s interested, my thoughts on spyphotos and people’s reactions are here.

Posting may be light over the next 48 hours due to a software upgrade and the associated backups that I have to do in order for it to happen.

The following is just a summary of my thoughts about the spyphotos that have been featured here in the last 6 weeks, which are as follows:

The facelifted Saab 9-5 – series 1, series 2, series 3, series 4

The Saab 9-6x – series 1.

Days banned from Saabnet: 30
[Read the rest of this entry →]

I don’t know how this got out there, but kudos to ‘Chapel 976′ at SaabCentral for posting.

I posted some of the first spyshots of the 9-5 here last month and overall, they were received with a tirade of abuse and dislike. Funny, all those negative reactions to the car among the Saab faithful seem to be slipping away now that there’s a real, studio quality picture as opposed to a cameraphone image.

There ain’t an image around that will out-do seeing the car ‘in the flesh’. That’s where the rubber will really hit the road. It’s got to be as good in 3D as it is on the screen.

Anyway, here ’tis.

click to enlarge.

To my (limited) knowledge, Hirsch has been around offering Saab upgrades for some time now. Factory backed and quite chunky, a 9-5 Hirsch truly is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Saab UK have issued a press release regarding Hirsch in the UK. I’ve seen Hirsch-modified cars here in Australia so I’d be very surprised if the Poms couldn’t access the upgrades before. I assume that the difference now is the ease of access for British customers.

That funky tailpipe will give it away every time….

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Saab Approved Hirsch Performance Programme – Excellence Enhanced

Swedish premium car maker Saab is well known for its prolific high-torque, turbo-charged performance engines, and robust, aircraft-inspired engineering quality. The discrete Swedish design and individuality of the brand and its products are also key attractions for Saab aficionados.
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Finally, some unabbreviated output from ‘The Spench’.

The original article with a good background piece is here at the American International Automobile Dealers site.

Here’s the interview:

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MB: Your success at Cadillac has been well documented and praised both in and out of GM, but that is history. Is there relevance to your new assignment, challenges and responsibilities at Saab?

JS: There are a number of parallels to Saab. The Saab brand has a great heritage, a very interesting heritage. The brand has unique, recognizable design elements, outstanding performance capabilities with fun-to-drive characteristics and personality. All are important today. I’ve always been intrigued with turnarounds and have been involved with several of them during my career.

MB: Where have you started?
[Read the rest of this entry →]

I’ve just stumbled on this review, by a Mr Sean Bugg, as published in Metro Weekly, Washington DC’s Gay and Lesbian Magazine.

And before anyone asks, I picked it up via Google News, not during a scan of the online queer news (not that there’s anything wrong with that….)

Anyway,

Let’s start with the genesis of the 9-2x. As far as I can tell, it’s an Impreza WRX wagon with Saab sheetmetal and tweaks. Mr Bugg, who I’ll nickname ‘The Bugger’ for the purposes of this report, attributes it to the Legacy/Outback platform.

It is, however, generally easier to tell the difference between a Saab and a Subaru. Or, at least, it was. Now GM has taken one of Subaru’s most popular platforms, the Outback/Legacy, and re-badged it as a popularly-priced entry point into its Saab subsidiary.

Now, I do note that in the US, the Impreza Wagon seems to be marketed as the Outback Sport, however, this IS and Impreza Wagon, make no mistake. It’s marketed under the Outback moniker so as to not confuse the dumb people.

There’s no excuse for someone passing themselves off as an automotive journo getting this so wrong.

Then, in the next paragraph, The Buggerer get busy with this:

Although Subaru only shares a business partnership with GM……

Like, 20% ownership, dah-ling!

Then we go here (i’m leading to the gem of all gems)

The exterior certainly brings the Saab look to the fore, with the distinctive front fascia leading the way. Otherwise, the 9-2X is rather nondescript, with the rounded-wagon end not breaking any new ground. Compared to other Saabs it looks positively diminutive.

Bugger, you’ve covered the exterior, now stop – OK? You’ve made a few mistakes, so just cut your losses, alright?

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OK, have it your way:

The interior feels more like a Saab than a Subaru, at least to me (I’ll admit I’m no Saab freak, so I may be missing some subtleties that stand out to others).

Yeah, you missed some subtleties alright……LIKE THE FACT THAT THE WHOLE INTERIOR IS SUBARU.

Dumb car reviews in a gay amagazine……what a pain in the ass!

It’s been a little while since there’s been a new road test available, so it’s fantastic to see Carpages testing the 9-3TiD.

The full test is available here.

We’ve covered the diesel dilemma here at Trollhattan in the past. Whilst they’re popular and commonplace in the UK and Europe, they’re rare in the US. North American readers will have to wait until around 2007, when new legislation comes into play regarding the sulfur levels in diesel fuels.

Some of you may also recall when I posted on Fred, a guy in the US who was so impressed by the TiD 9-3 that he personally imported one to the States.

So what’s all the fuss about?

Simply put, the 9-3 Sport Sedan in diesel form is one very powerful puppy, with great economy to boot. It’s been leading a huge sales resurgence in the UK for Saab.

And what did the guy from Carpages think of the car?

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better-handling sports saloon than Saab’s 9-3. There’s something tactile and immediate about the driver feedback from this Swedish reworking of Vauxhall’s Vectra floorpan that makes it come alive on a demanding road….

….It’s good, but is it a true Saab? Too much General Motoring tinkering has tainted the traditional image of Trollhättan’s products. They’re watered-down versions of the unique Saab style and some consider them little more than rebadged clones of Vauxhall and Opel cousins. But that’s unfair. After two weeks with a 1.9-litre 9-3 TiD turbodiesel in Vector trim I’m back on side.

Look at it this way – General Motors pays the bills and makes some unpalatable business decisions; but Saab engineers design and build the 9-3, and it shows.

The author had a 1.9 litre Turbo Diesel, the 16-valve variant producing 150hp and a complimentary 236lb/ft of torque on tap.

A few more quotes:

Drive the pragmatic 9-3 TiD quickly over a twisty B road and the rewards are fantastic.

If you buy this fine car I see no reason why the 120bhp option makes any sense. This is a car for a keen driver. The Vector’s 150bhp output leaves nothing wanting and in my opinion could only be bettered by spending another £1000 for the practicality of the fabulous new Sport Wagon.

The more I drove the TiD 9-3 the more it delighted.

Go check it out, and if you’re in the US – just hold on a little longer!!

I’ve added a new button onto the sidebar for the Saab 9-2x Forum. I spotted this forum just after it started up but haven’t checked up on it again until now. These things are always risky ventures, but the forum has grown very quickly and is now a thriving group of 9-2x enthusiasts.

There’s plenty of pics there of people’s cars and if you’re interested in modifying your 9-2x I’d suggest there’s expertise on tap.

Here’s a great picture from the site:

Click to enlarge.