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by Kelly Taylor
Atlanta, Georgia – If there’s one thing Saab has never lacked, it’s personality. From its unique exterior stylings (essentially a reverse of Lee Iacocca’s cab-forward) to the between-the-seats ignition location, Saab (an automaker started by aircraft engineers who reportedly didn’t drive) has never been one to follow the pack. That, to the delight of aficionados, has kept the Swedish company a niche player in Canada’s car market. In 2000, Saab sold 1,555 cars in Canada; the target for 2001 is 1,870.
Now, Saab is striving to increase sales, and one way to do that is to move a little closer to the mainstream. Enter the 2002 Saab 9-5. This is a car that competes with mid-level European luxury models on size and content but at a price more in line with those carmakers’ entry-level cars. In other words, it’s a BMW 5-series fighter at a 3-series price.
For 2002, the changes are primarily mid-cycle evolutions, but important all the same. There are now three turbo engine options: a 185-horsepower 2.3-litre (2.3-t), a 200-horsepower 3.0-litre (3.0t) and a 250-horsepower 2.3-litre (2.3-T) that’s reserved for the performance Aero model. As well, electronic stability control is now available for the first time in a Saab 9-5, there are changes to the chassis and suspension to improve handling, a new five-speed automatic adaptive transmission and a trio of new designations to denote trim levels. The three new designations – Linear, Arc and Aero – come from architecture.
 Saab 9-5 Aero Click image to enlarge Photo: Kelly Taylor |
Essentially, Linear is the base model, Arc is mid-level and Aero is tops. Saab calls these “forms”, the way Audi refers to “atmospheres.” Linear is the most understated of the three themes. With walnut trim, cloth upholstery, heated seats and standard 16-inch alloy wheels, it’s the least base-model of most base-model cars. It is powered by the light-pressure turbocharged 2.3-litre four cylinder (185 hp) coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox. A five-speed automatic is optional.
Arc gets a 3.0-litre V6 (200 hp), retains the walnut trim and gets leather and a 200-watt Harmon Kardon sound system and five-speed automatic. Electronic stability control is standard on both Arc and……Aero, which gets an upgraded 2.3-litre High Output Turbo (250 hp, a 10 per cent gain), brushed metallic trim and heated leather seats. It is available with either the five-speed manual or the automatic.
 Saab 9-5 Arc Click image to enlarge |
In Canada, heated front and rear seats are standard on all models. Leather seats are standard on both Arc and Aero and optional on Linear. Available as an option on the Arc model is a ventilated front seats package that offers perforated premium leather seats with fans that draw air from the seating surfaces to keep occupants cool. It’s a nifty package with a hefty price: with the $2,000 Arc premium package, the ventilated seats are an extra $1,400. Without that package, the option costs $2,100 and now includes the dual power seats with driver side memory that comes with the Arc premium package.
Aero also gets sport seats with improved bolstering. They are comfortable to sit in and supportive enough for spirited driving. Linear models can be ordered with the Premium package, which adds the Harmon Kardon sound system, ESP, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, three-position memory on driver’s seat and heated rear seat. All that is standard on the Arc and Aero packages, but they can be upgraded with the Touring package, which adds bi-xenon headlights, electronic rear parking assist and rain-sensing wipers. OnStar is standard equipment on all Saabs and comes with a year free service.
I had a chance to drive both the Arc and Aero models around Atlanta and outskirts in a special preview drive. Both models proved themselves equally comfortable on city streets and at extreme freeway speeds. A few times, freelance scribe Howard Elmer and I pushed the car to more than 160 km/h. Each time, the car felt as stable and composed as many cars do at 60 km/h. Only once did I feel the slightest bit of front-end lightness. The point, of course, is not to demonstrate how effectively the 9-5 can break the law, but any car that maintains a stable composure when pushed well beyond the speed limit will be even more stable and predictable at the speed limit. It also indicates a car less prone to adverse effects of wind buffeting and changing road surface.
We also tested the ESP system at Peachtree DeKalb Airport. The test was to race down a runway at 40 miles per hour and dodge landing aircraft..actually, they set up an emergency lane-change simulation with pylons and they wanted us to accelerate to 40 mph, set the cruise and attempt the manoeuvre with and without ESP engaged. The more skilled among us were able to dodge the pylons without ESP, but it required a light touch on the steering wheel. With ESP, the car smoothly and unobtrusively braked the appropriate wheel to maintain control. It was as smooth as the system in Mercedes-Benz models and lacked the jarring effect of drastically cutting engine power to which some other models are prone.
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Several times, Saab execs stressed the company’s commitment to safety. I guess committed is what you need to be to do the “moose test. “As you might imagine, Sweden is a land populated with moose not unlike our own. Saab-to-moose collisions aren’t uncommon. So the A-pillars are stress-tested to ensure they’ll stay intact when Bullwinkle comes flying over your hood. The front air bags adapt to almost all variables: sensors calculate crash force by determining the speed with which the crumple zones are crumpling. Other sensors detect the position of the seat and whether the seat belt is worn. All is then taken into account to decide a high- or low-force airbag deployment. As well, the folding rear seats in both sedans and wagons are designed to withstand the force of up to 175 pounds shifting forward without fracturing. So the last thing to go through your mind in a crash won’t be your golf clubs.
The 9-5 starts at $41,500 for the Linear sedan and tops out at $56,400 for the 9-5 Aero Wagon. The 2002 9-5 is a Saab whose design continues to set its own course, though perhaps less aggressively than previous Saabs. It’s still attractive and still unique. As freelance writer Rob Beintema said, in defending Saab’s penchant for uniqueness: “There’s enough boring (expletive) on the road.” The 9-5 is anything but boring.