SaabsUnited.com

You’ve probably already seen these from the links in comments (damn sleep!!) but Swedish mag Vibilgares has published some great studio hi-res shots of the Saab 9-5.
These are massive and I fully expect them to be wallpapering computer screens around the world in quick time.
There are six in total, including the front lights and interior all lit up. Here’s my favourite of the morning.

Why is this my favourite?
There’s a lot of subtle styling cues in this car. This view seems to show – to me at least – a respectful nod to the rear window and boot lid of the Saab 99 (OK, mostly the bootlid, and it’s more obvious in another shot, but I like this angle. Sue me).
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A note I received about the speedo-within-a-speedo.

… its moving while you are driving. It shows the speed. For the first 30 seconds it looked kind of “different”, but then I got used to it and at the end of the day I really loved it. You get a absolutely instant reading of speed, with a supershort glance.
Otherwise you have to find the needle and follow it to the numbers and … yes, its in the middle of 60 and 40 and that means that I am driving at correct speed, somewhere close to 50 km/h. Takes two seconds. The new “speedo” takes 0,1 second to read and understand.

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A great comment from Ralf22 that got plenty of “+1″ activity the other day (btw, not a fan of the +1 thing, but whatever works for ya……)

Let’s take a look back in history:
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- Not many SAAB-fans greeted the 9000 as a “real” SAAB (and was’nt it this project with Fiat and …). Over the Years the look improved and the last series was a nice car. But never will it be a DESIGN-ICON like the original 900!
- And I remember, back in 1993, my girlfriend of that time nearly cried every day, “why don’t you buy a BMW, this SAAB 900 is SO UGLY!” Many people had absolutely no feeling for this car – but I loved it. This crazy, absolutely stunning, really cool design.
- Yes, the group of enthusiasts was too small, then SAAB needet GM for backing. I was very dissapointed of the 1994 model (quality and design).
- Then came the 9-5 in 1997, and when I bought one in 1998 the neighbours son said: “what a nice OPEL you drive” … Later I had the first 9-5 AERO and it was great fun driving this car. The design had kind of “charme” but was this really GREAT CAR-DESIGN? Not a real “classic”, I think. (But good enough for me.)
- Today, I think my actual 9-3 Hirsch Sport-Combi feels very “saabish” and I like it.
- SAABs design concepts 9-3X, AEORO X, … have the feeling of great design icons. They are real STATEMENTS OF ART.
- NOW, SAAB enthusiasts: WHAT DO YOU WANT? It’s a real wonder, that SAAB isn’t absolutely DEAD yet! The GM-people had NO feeling for the great potential of this brand.
- I think there is a chance, that the Koenigsegg-SAAB-future is yet the best to come. When they meet the point, wow! SAAB could become the coolest little brand of all! (But please: not TOO small …)
- Now I look once and again at those pics of the new 2010 SAAB 9-5. The AUTOZEITUNG-pics are really bad car-photography, the AUTOBILD-images are much better. You have to see it in real, to get a feeling for this car. Even the original 9-3 Sport-Combi looks a little “plump” from some angles on pictures. BUT (as a designer myself), I know: this new car has the potential to become a design-icon. It follows it’s own rules. It is a statement of timeless elegance and dynamic power. It stands on it’s own. Such an improvement to the actual 9-5 (the re-design was a nice try, but never fitted really …).
- SAAB-enthusiasts, WHAT DO YOU WANT? Did you ever hear of LOYALTY? SAAB will NOT live whithout you!
- I say it again: MY NEXT CAR – A SAAB! Let’s help SAAB into a great future … give them the chance, to create those stunning SAAB-Koenigsegg-cars!

I suppose the correct response from me would be “+1″

UPDATE II
The images are back.
Autobild have taken the release to a whole new level, so there’s little point in keeping them offsite now.



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German publication Autozeitung has published these images, which they claim to be real, genuine images from Saab, of the 2010 Saab 9-5.
They appear in the latest edition of their print magazine. They don’t seem to be appearing online, despite showing on the online cover. I believe the embargo date for images was late August with the first live showing to be at Frankfurt in September. This would suggest that Autozeitung are not supposed to be publishing these yet, so there’s going to be some trouble over these.
I’ve received some scanned copies of the images. The scans aren’t very good quality but they’re good enough to look at for the moment. I’ve emailed Saab copies of these and tried to call Eric Geers personally, but couldn’t get through.
Hving addressed all the worry about the politics of these coming out – let me say this: HUBBA HUBBA HUBBA!!!!



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D has provided a summary translation of the article:
Length is 5008 millimeters, wheelbase is 2837 mm (nothing new I think), luggage space 513 litres;
A new storage system for the luggage (something similar to the original system of the first 9-5 Sportkombis, or the current Opel Flex-storage system) and foldable rear seats;
3 equipment levels, Linear, Vector and Aero, the last two showing visible exhausts;
Positioning of the car as chauffeurs-limousine on the Chinese market, projectmanager Michael Harrison said;
Technical news are a head-up-display, adaptive light systems, actives suspension with active/intelligent/sport-setup – as standard or option, automatic road-sign detection (known here from the little brother Insignia as Opel-eye, which is delayed here afaik), and something (I would translate as) like lane-departure-warning;
Engines: 1.6t (190), 2.0t (220), 2.8t V6(300), 2.0TiD/TTiD(160/190), the two strongest petrol engines with AWD-option, the 2.0t with option for E 85;
No pricing yet announced, but below a comparable A6; SportCombi one!!! (oh my god) year later; sales beginning for the limousine/sedan in April 2010!
The author’s personal comments are as follows:
The intention of the new big Saab to belong to the ,,Oberklasse (something like Premium etc.) becomes clear in the interior of the car. Materials are nice to touch, the finish is clean (which has to mean something like accurate), the design is said to be modern and pleasant (in terms of not aggressive, as I understand it the german word he uses is ,,zurückhaltend ). The interior space is described as spacious big rear leg room, even though the roofline is falling and reduces headroom in the rear a little bit. The ignition key between the seats is replaced by a start-stop-button.
Exterior design is clear or clean, a clear formal separation (or difference) to the Insignia, the front is something like powerfull , the roofline falls straight/constantly, the long rear creates a lightness in the proportions of the car, because bumpers and the rear lights are positioned very high. The rear view mirrors have integrated indicators.
And D has provided his own thoughts to start discussion…….
My thoughts:
On the pics the dashboard looks very much like the Hirsch carbon trim of the current model, but completely different; the seats appear to be very similar to the really brilliant (that s my opinion from a short sit-in) optional AGR-seats of the Insignia with heating and ventilation. They can be nothing but comfortable. The head-rest differs a little bit and looks saabish. The front seats can be equipped with rear-seat-DVD-entertainment (they look like very well integrated). The instruments are a bit like in Alfas (I mean it s this design of icecream pots; I think you know what I mean). The pointers are gree! The parking brake is no longer mechanical one. (I am really absolutely excited and can hardly concentrate; reading, translating, writing).
By the way, the steering wheel, which received a lot of critics in your blog as I remember, reminds me very much of the Scania R-Series. Which looks great in my eyes and which also has the keys for the cruse control on the steering wheel, which is great I think, so I would say it has Scandinavian design roots (a little bit off topic maybe).
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A couple of clearer images:

Note the TTiD4 badge on the back…….and dig those rear lights.


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