Weak sales and a failure to seriously compete with major German and Japanese luxury marques have marked the history of the aging Saab 9-5. Keeping in mind the current car’s shortcomings, designers are targeting a sportier and more elegant design for the next model, while moving upward in terms of both power and specification.

This latest rendering of the new 9-5 shows designers will be sticking with the avant-garde styling of the original Aero X concept car, and will likely keep the protruding nose, large vents and sculpted bodywork. The car will also sport a sleek coupe-like profile and hatchback rear end.

Redesigned car will share GM’s global underpinnings
Underneath the new sheet metal will be a heavily revised version of General Motors’ FWD Epsilon II platform, also shared by Opel for its new Insignia sedan. To differentiate Saab as a premium product engineers will provide a stiffer suspension set-up, a new steering rack and a different range of electronics. The question remains, however, whether the planned changes will be enough to step Saab up to the level of segment-leading carmakers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.

Engine options will include a range of four-cylinder petrol and turbodiesel engines, including a biofuel model. Saab is one of the few carmakers in Australia to offer E85 (ethanol-blended petrol) compatibility for its models, and the nascent but growing popularity of the fuel means that option will likely carry over.

The flagship version of the new 9-5 is expected to feature a petrol V6 generating over 260kW, while the remainder of the range will offer more affordable and efficient options for cost-conscious buyers.

Sales falling faster than stumbling industry
The Saab 9-5 is long overdue for an overhaul, with the current model first hitting streets as far back as 1997. A totally redesigned model was expected to make an appearance at March’s Geneva Motor Show, but its release has since been pushed back to early next year.

Very poor sales reflect the car’s perception, with only 30 units sold through the end of June. That’s a year-to-date drop of 52.4% compared with 2007, and June’s sales of just 2 cars are down over 85% compared to a year ago.

The new 9-5 won’t be revealed until early next year, but it’s expected to precede production versions of a new 9-4X crossover and a baby 9-1 based on the 9X BioHybrid Concept, both of which are due around 2010.  The new model will be sourced from Opel’s Ruesselsheim plant in Germany with production tipped to start in the middle of next year, several months after its public debut.

Next-generation Saab 9-5 rendering

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