Back in January I wrote a post on the instrument cluster of the 9-5 with the title I want my colours back.
Back then I said that I wanted Saab to move back to such an instrument panel as in the 9-5 first gen and the 9-3 first gen, or even the 9000, I think the instrument cluster was one of the reasons I bought my first Saab.
Today one of our readers has sent us one of those special pictures, at least for people who like numerology.
In this picture the driver has managed to take a picture of the instrument cluster while driving at 100 mph (Please, don’t do this at home 😉 ) and while reaching the 100.000 miles mark.
100.000 @ 100, maybe this is the proof that a picture is worth 1.000 (words). 😉
But I also wanted to share with you the beauty of this instrument cluster. The colours are just right, as they don’t produce much eye strain at night. The instruments are in one plane, without distracting decorations. Nobody can say if there are any other control lamps besides the “CRUISE” lamp. I just love it.
Other car brands seem to think that this cluster looks good, as their all LCD-screen cluster has just the same characteristics.
Drove 600 K´s in the night from Denmark earlier this week, night panel is a great feature, I just wish we could turn the light of the instrument down to zero.
That dashboard looks amazing, no doubt about it, but speaking about its design, it already carries some age. I find the newest great. Everything green, no eye strain and there isn’t such a great contrast in the needle as when using orange. And the nightpanel, what a feature 🙂
I too really like the look of the displays in the new 9-5 and 9-4X. I find them very calming and well set-up. I know it has taken some knocks because it’s redundant, but the altimeter display option for my speed always “wows” guests I drive around. Night panel does its thing also, when needed.
Dave, You are so right. In my line of business aerospace research we have done both the cognitive ask well as the perceptual work on some of Saabs vehicles with wings. Saab green is it! Why should a Saab driver not have the same work environment as a fighter pilot. The OG 900 and the 9000 was in many ways the very best instrument cluster of its time and still beats many if they where in production. Things started to go sour in 2002 when the 9-5 Aero got a silver-metral fake look instrument panel. To much contrast in the… Read more »
Got to agree with Dave. No question I would choose the white needle and green number & cruise light over the amber ones at night in a car. Fighter pilots might disagree but driving is not that “hectic” in a Saab 😉 The green and amber looks nicer though -during day time- but I always rather take the NG 9-3 for a long highway trip after sunset as it’s so much pleasing to the eye. I’ve actually put black insulating tap on lights that have been annoying me in the past so I’m pretty hard core when it comes to… Read more »
This instrument cluster is a powerful statement even today, especially within this brushed metal 9-5 dash. Please please please send this picture to the entire TDC @ Saab and to both Mr. Pang’s and say that all the people that didn’t buy a Saab from VM want that and will buy Saabs in a jiffy if they have that.
+10000
!!!!1!!!!one!!!
I wish they (saab engineers) would have used orange needles on the NG9-5.
+95
I wish they would have used orange needles on the ng 9-3.
This made me laugh. I WISH I had a house that size to try that in! But I’m sure by ‘home’ you mean ‘general area where you live, and not ‘house’ 🙂
Perhaps he thought at the driver´s seat is your home? 🙂
Hey guys,
“Home is where my heart is”
That is actually a nice picture. Considering it was taken whilst driving at speed. Needles all nicely balanced at half engine temp/half Fuel. I have seen displays that look flashier-thhe VW Red and Blue is very nice-until you drive for miles at night and get a headache. Saab did much research allied to the aerospace industry and came up with Orange and green for very specific reasons-one being it is the most easily readable combination over long periods. They used it to such great affect-many people now recognise its true value (and Saab stopped using it just as people started… Read more »
I’m afraid I believe the Saab instrument panels peaked with the C900. Why? Precisely because there’s no over-done backlighting or internal illumination. Especially at night, our eyes need all of the help they can get to maintain decent vision. Actual visible light sources are IMHO poor in this context; lighting inside the vehicle should be subtle, all-indirect, and not generate extraneous ‘spill’. The reflective lighting in the C900 is fantastic, since it increases the focal length to the source, only those parts designed to reflect actually reflect, and ‘spill’ is dealt with by the all-black surroundings. Any exposed LED, for… Read more »
+1 on the reflected binnacle idea as long as it is still Orange/Green!
Seriously though…almost everyone is going digital or LCD/pseudo Analogue and frankly I am not a fan of this new jump.
on the Jag XJ it is detailed but still seems one dimensional, it is hard and sharp, it stabs your eyes, over long periods to me it seems “flickery” like an old TV.
it needs to be way better than that-at the moment it is a gimmick, I guess a single LCD panel is cheaper to make than 6 different mechanical guages too.
Very interesting input regarding the Jag. I thought analog LCD instruments to be a good idea, but if it doesn’t look well..
The opportunities of course are marvelous. A consumption gauge came to my mind, with dual needles, one for present consumption, and one for the average. Everybody could have needlesin their preferred colour etc.
There are now 3D LCDs that work without additional glasses. Wonder whether that would help.
The more I think about using an autosteroscopic display in the instrument cluster, the more I like the idea 🙂 ; at least if the resolution is appropriate.
You could really do anything with it. Like implementing the gorgeous AeroX 3D instruments. Or completely adapting the look to whatever a car manufacturer wants (remember, the Phoenix platform is offered to outside customers as well!) . Total freedom; even after the purchase. Integrated into IQon, hence even third party developpers might provide skins/set-ups. In full “physical” look. Wow!
Here is a demonstration of different set-ups for the Jag XJ. Only experimental at this stage:
http://www.insideline.com/jaguar/a-dash-of-the-future.html
I liked it, even though I criticized the CUEUE (?) concept from Cadillac as being to much of a toy.
The first generation Lexus LS400 had warning and status lights that were projected, from the top overhang of the dashboard, into the instrument cluster in a holographic effect. It also had speedometer and tachometer gauges which were white numbers with white needles, with a beautiful result.
Are we going to just talk about it, or do something about it?
All constructive ideas should be forwarded to the design team and Jason Castriota, right?
It would be nice to have in new cars an optional hi-res colour display with configurable patterns (f.e. tachometer layout) and colour combinations + possibility to create new ones under certain conditions.
What I would like to have in a new SAAB SAAB: 1- A strong body, similar to that of a SAAB 900 Classic 2- The front wind shield, the left and right hand side mirrors (With their blind spot) of an old SAAB 900 Classic 3- The instrument cluster (gauge meters) of the first generation of SAAB 9-3 4- The Vent knobs which were introduced in the dashboard of the first generation of SAAB 9-3. 5- The hard acceleration of SAAB 99, but with modifications to overcome the problem of Turbo lag especially at take off from standstill. 6- A… Read more »
I am a nostalgic Saab driver and this instruments are the nicest! 🙂
Saab Sport 1965
I like 9-3´s intrument panel even though I like C900 a lot. Cannot say which one I like best? Here´s 9-3 at cold night:
I must confess that when I sold my last 9-5 Aero and picked up my new 9-3, I missed the orange, but after a few months of living with the purist green / white combination in the 9-3 I am totally in love with it, especially in night panel mode.
I’ve even taken a few pics of the whole dash at night http://bit.ly/ulZkzG
One element that isn’t quite as iconic on my 9-3 though, is the turbo gauge!
Nice post.
Using science the needle should have an equal or lower frequency wavelength (in the visible light spectrum of course) in order for the eye not to encounter strain.If the light is indirect-it matters less as the intensity is less due to attenuation/refraction -Thylmuc’s point above, this is why greens oranges and reds are typical needle colours in established analogue instrumentation. such a differentiation in colour also allows the periferal vision of the onlooker to determine needle position without actually looking directly at the guage and after time this aids unconscious scanning of the panel, where the information is transferred without… Read more »
Maybe in a near future this can be easily personalized but never forgetting security of course. If all gauges were digital, one could create a suitable color combination (although for me it will always be green) and even a custom dash layout. Doesn’t the Nissan GTR allow some customization of this sort ?
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The future has been & gone….
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/Simon_Jenkins/Opel%2520Monza/MonzaDash.jpg%3F1276716404&imgrefurl=http://www.pistonheads.com/xforums/topic.asp%3Fh%3D0%26f%3D23%26t%3D1018178%26i%3D100%26mid%3D0%26nmt%3D&h=1944&w=2592&sz=267&tbnid=4irOICC0VYJYPM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=122&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dopel%2Bmonza%2Bgse%2Bdashboard%2Bimages%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=opel+monza+gse+dashboard+images&docid=wClL0eMQ2Qaw7M&sa=X&ei=DG6tToSxEsSb8QPc0fW0Cw&ved=0CCMQ9QEwAQ&dur=1965
Still sexy:
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.trollhattansaab.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2008/03/9000aerointerior.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic.php%3Ff%3D1%26t%3D57536%26start%3D0&h=653&w=499&sz=120&tbnid=pgjtyEPblMOd2M:&tbnh=103&tbnw=79&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsaab%2B9000%2Bdashboard%2Bimages%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=saab+9000+dashboard+images&docid=pciknMetW32chM&sa=X&ei=dm6tTvDzD4ar8APo3MGuCw&ved=0CCAQ9QEwAA&dur=153
I like it, it is unique, but anyhow the colors seem to be a bit outdated like the old DOS – black and green. The 9-3 with white, green, red is nice. Perhaps nearly preserve the design and change the colors, some winter / ice colors ? From the ergonomic point of view you should use black signs and white background more often, but of course this might be a bit boring. Perhaps have a look into a modern aeroplane ? Photoshop? And I think the turbo gauge could be in each Saab, it´s something people look at, it is… Read more »
What’s the matter with DOS..or BASH for that matter.? 😉
No, what I meant to say is that I really, really love the cluster in my OG9-3, Especially when nicely wrapped up in Carbon.
It is not so much all other rational reasons that other has listed, it is just a feeling of coming home and feeling good
I would love to have all of the HUD gadgets, but for now I am using my very clever Android phone.
And for the record I also love the dash that Bengt in Scania links to.
No bash, just a thought – didn´t know that I would hurt an IT specialist. 😉
The classic 900 had one of the best dashboards (speedometer cluster) but the 9000 had the better overall dash design. Orange pointers on black with white numbers and green lighting is the best. The new fad to have a big display inside the speedometer and make the pointed short is bad.
The interior of a Saab, dashboard, instrument cluster, and seats, are one of the strong points of Saabs. Winter handling, handling in good weather, and safety are others. Hopefully, the new owners will appreciate these core values.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aeomaster32/3001348914/
How do you improve on the perfection of the 9000?
Years ago, aircraft had red lighting so that “night vision” for seeing outside was not compromised. Bright white light causes the pupils to close, and the red light helped in this regard.
’93 SAAB 900i 2.1 16V cockpit 🙂
Thanks for the reminder. Hi beam was one of them that got taped during the winter.
hi beam on 🙂
Here is my idea… Make a digital, Jaguar-like gauge cluster with the option to switch from a modern look to a classic look. Think yahoo email, where you can view their new look or classic. Probably won’t happen, but I think its a great idea!
I totally agree with Red J. I switch between driving a MY99 9-3 and a MY06 9-5 (Dame Edna). Eventhough the MY06 9-5 is a much better car as a whole, everytime I drive the 9-3 I always think of its instrumentation and radio controls as being much better examples of good user interface (or HMI = Human Machine Interface). However, eventhough the user interface of the 9-3 is better I still better like the greenish/white colours of the 9-5 instrumentation. As Saab has the intention of being to cars what Apple is to IT-related gadgets Saab must get back… Read more »
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Way back in 1987, when my ‘new’ 9000SE [UK edition with wood door caps, etc] with the Saab airflow kit fitted {aka; Carlsson], I went to the Pub, with some Mates & they were all astonished when the dash lights were switched on…..The most comment was ‘It’s like being in an aeroplane…..Oh, so right!!