Photo Credit: Saab Automobile AB

Saab Automobile AB has mentioned the speculation around the leaked next generation Saab 9-5 photos that emerged not that long ago.

They are emphatic in their communication by stating that the real product, still displayed in a semi-revealing photo above, will be much more impressive than the photos we saw recently.

Photo Credit: Motor Trend

The next generation Saab 9-5 that we saw in the midwest last week here on Saab History, is actually part of a larger fleet of vehicles testing the vehicle which was recently seen by Motortrend in Colorado.

The previous generation that sees its final production model sedan roll out of the factory this week, made it’s first North American debut at a Saab Owners Convention in 1997. I was originally hoping that this model would also make a North American debut at the 2009 Saab Owners Convention which is also taking place in Colorado. One can wish right?

Photo Credit: mhess427

The Next Generation Saab 9-5 arrives in the United States, as seen by a Saab enthusiast, and has taken some incredible photos including never before seen interior photos that show the material types of the center console and seat material as well. You can see a wood grain, tan leather seat color, as well as some idea of what the shifter/center console looks like in a production sense.

Here is what this individual had to say about his Saab sighting, let it be known that this is the first Saab sighting of the next generation Saab 9-5 in the United States for the record.

I work at a hotel in AZ and we get Camo prototype cars from GM staying here all the time. They Drive from Yuma, CA to Phoenix, AZ because it gives them all kinds of different road conditions and elevations changes. I saw two this morning and was caught taking pics as the workers were getting in. They didn’t speak english, only swedish but one guy pointed to the hood and said “280.” It’s hard to tell how it will look when it’s done because they purposely make it look unattractive now. Here it is. One of the guys was also driving the new Cadillac SRX with the turbo v6, probably the same one as in the Turbo X.

Photo Credit: Saabs United & Saablog.ru

A photo and now a sketch has emerged, this one is the next generation Saab 9-5 Wagon that is expected to be launched after the sedan product variant.

The details of this model should follow the specifications of what is already indicated for the next generation Saab 9-5 sedan model.

It looks like the good positive material is continuing to come along, which is a positive sign for Saab Automobile’s product development.

Photo Credit: Saabs United

A Saab Blogger has received the first official photograph of the next generation Saab 9-5 Sedan to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September, 2009.

Below are the specifications for this sedan.

OVERVIEW
The Saab 9-5 offers excellent performance and value in the performance oriented midsize luxury category. It is available in Sedan in base and Aero
levels, and in front-wheel and all-wheel drive.

NEW FOR 2010
• 2.8L V6 Turbocharged engine
• OnStar® 1-year Directions & Connections Plan2 with Turn-by-Turn Navigation
• Bluetooth® wireless technology for select compatible phones17
• 6-speed Sentronic automatic transmission with manual shift
• Lane Departure Warning available
• Rear Passenger Package includes rear seat entertainment, dual display DVD, remote control, auxiliary jacks, dual channel headphones, tri-zone climate control, rear seat audio controls
• EZ Key passive entry system

Read more »

Photo Credit: Autocar.co.uk

This appears to be the first rendering of the next generation Saab 9-5. I have run the photo by some experts in the last 24 hours, many internal that have seen the real thing in the flesh and have confirmed it’s authenticity.

I am incredibly amazed how Autocar have received this photo, and surprisingly others in the blogosphere have overlooked it, presumably in a quest for quantity over quality?

I think this looks really good and cannot wait to see the entire car’s photos, and ultimately in person once it has debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

In addition to this photo, please take a look at their writeup on the next generation Saab 9-5, it’s quite good!

By the time the new 9-5 is launched, Saab will have waited 13 years to replace the original version of the car. Saab had a new 9-5 for launch in 2005, based on the ‘Premium’ platform (used on the Alfa 159), which was engineered by Saab. But when GM and Fiat ended their partnership, GM insisted that Saab shelve the car.

So next year’s 9-5 (due on sale next Spring) is all new. Although it shares the Insignia’s Epsilon 2 platform, it has a 100mm longer wheelbase, most of which is used to improve rear leg room. The boot is also said to be particularly big.

Unusually, Saab will offer two front suspensions; a standard McPherson strut and the more sophisticated HiPerStrut from the Insignia VXR, which offers better refinement and more accurate steering.

At the rear there’s a four-link suspension and all models have the all-wheel drive Insignia’s more sophisticated axle design. All-wheel drive will be available with the option of a torque-vectoring XWD version.

Read more »

Sweden’s Teknikens World magazine has spotted some next generation Saab 9-5 photos, take a look!

Photo Credits: Car Scoop

Car Scoop have recently taken photos of the exposed next generation Saab 9-5 rear end including some rather blurry photographs of the interior as well.

I suggest you visit their site to take a closer look!

Photo Credit: Auto Bild

The 2010 Next Generation Saab 9-5i and all of the rest of the Saab 9-5 lineup specifications have now been posted on GM’s website.

The colors will be Granite Grey Metallic, Fjord Blue Metallic, Black, Turbo Red, Zodiac Black Metallic, Nordic White, Carbon Gray Metallic, Diamond Silver Metallic, Storm Blue Metallic, Oak Metallic, Pine Green Metallic and Cranberry Red Metallic.

For more details, please check out this adobe pdf document for the full details

OVERVIEW
The Saab 9-5 offers excellent performance and value in the performance oriented
midsize luxury category. It is available in Sedan in base and Aero
levels, and in front-wheel and all-wheel drive.
NEW FOR 2010
• 2.8L V6 Turbocharged engine
• OnStar® 1-year Directions & Connections Plan2 with Turn-by-Turn
Navigation
• Bluetooth® wireless technology for select compatible phones17
• 6-speed Sentronic automatic transmission with manual shift
• Lane Departure Warning available
• Rear Passenger Package includes rear seat entertainment, dual display
DVD, remote control, auxiliary jacks, dual channel headphones, tri-zone
climate control, rear seat audio controls
• EZ Key passive entry system

MODEL AVAILABILITY
Sedan
9-5 FGJ39
9-5 Aero FGM39

SPECIFICATIONS (in. unless otherwise stated)

Read more »

Photo Credits: Auto Bild

Thanks to Saab History frequenter, eduard, Auto Bild has recently provided more revealing photos of the next generation Saab 9-5!

I am suspecting a much more full and complete unveiling coming, especially with this transitional reveal process, now exposing the headlights, some of the grill, and the top of the rear trunk, which I am hoping is a hatchback.

Please take a look through the photos, is this getting exciting or what. What are your thoughts?

Photo Credit: Afton Bladet

Saab Automobile has provided some incredible opportunities for the Swedish media outlets to test drive and review the next generation Saab 9-5 prototypes.

Auto Motor & Sport, Teknikens World, Afton Bladet all have had some great things to say while they drove 15 of these vehicles on a number of routes including a nice stop in Grastorp, where my wife I also made a pitt stop during the 2007 Saab Festival.

Interesting reviews here, but pretty weak on details actually. The take aways from what I can understand involve simply that it’s longer, wider with a longer rear window which is hopefully a hatchback. Furthermore, they also mentioned the engine will be a 1.6 liter turbo diesel, in addition to other variants, confirming all of the original reports of the power train.

I look forward to more details here on these reviews, specifically the hatchback feature, can someone just try opening it for us and then take a picture with the trunk open to prove it to us with a nice visual? :)

TTELA indicates that in two weeks, the 10 prospective buyers that have recently toured the Saab Automobile facilities in Sweden, will be reduced down to 1-2.

There is also more mentions of not only the next generation Saab 9-5, 9-4x, but also the next generation 9-3 as well.

Here is their piece below.

In 1-2 weeks, the 10 speculators will provide stakeholders a “bid” on Saab.

- The number should taper down to 1-2, says information director Eric Geers.

27 interested parties signed confidentiality agreements Saab. The ten hottest were invited to Trollhättan.

Spread over three weeks now Saab has had these ten stakeholders for a visit. They have had a deeper insight into the company, have seen the factory and have become acquainted with Saab’s new models.

So far, it is most concerned with Saab presented the company and its business plan.

Now the sales process into the next phase.

Now is the time for speculators to play his cards - to show how interested they are.

Next week should be those who are seriously interested to come in with a letter of intent, a kind of intent on how they would drive Saab also on the ports in the driver’s seat.

- We will meet next week and the aim is to taper it down so that we work on with 1-2 of them, “says Eric Geer, and continues:

- We can also assume that these stakeholders would like to meet government, and that even the government want to know what we have for candidates.

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