1999 Saab 5-Sep Review

Saab long has been known for tough, idiosyncratic cars that were most popular in rugged regions such as New England.

That's no recipe for success in today's fiercely competitive market, especially since nearly half of all new vehicle buyers are opting for trucks such as sport/utility vehicles instead of cars.

Nobody knows that better than General Motors, which owns half of Saab and has become impatient with the automaker's lack of success in this country.

Hence, we have the new, roomy, ultrasafe Saab 9-5 sedan, which has a peculiar name but a mainstream European appearance.

The ``9-5'' (pronounced ``nine five'') succeeds the 9000 model, which has a four-digit name. According to Saab's model digit numbering system, the 9-5 should be called the ``90000''--giving it a five-digit name. But that's an unwieldy name, with too many zeros. So Saab picked ``9-5,'' because that designation is short for ``90000''--which has five digits.

With Saab's model numbering system, all Saab model names have started with a ``9''--the first being the 1950 ``92.''

The $29,995-to-$36,800 9-5 goes on sale April 2 as a 1999 model. The aged 9000 sedan was saddled with an unpopular hatchback design, but the 9-5 has a conventional trunk. It's based on GM's German Opel Vectra sedan, using the same floorpan and V-6 engine. But GM, which also controls Saab, wisely let the Swedish automaker's ingenious engineers develop most of the 9-5.

That's why the front-wheel-drive 9-5 has items such as ventilated front seats with perforated leather and small fans that prevent a body from getting clammy. And front head restraints that pivot forward in a rear-end crash to minimize whiplash.

There's even a ``night panel'' that lets a driver turn off all dashboard information illuminated at night, leaving only the speedometer lit. Vents in the center door posts even help clear rear windows of moisture during cold weather. Curiously, with all the attention to detail, the rear side windows don't roll all the way down.

Saabs long have been ultrasafe, and the 9-5 is the safest ever. Its design diffuses front-end crash forces along three paths through the car, instead of just one or two. Saab wanted ``predictable deformation'' behavior in crashes so it could optimize the design of the seat belts, air bags, dashboard and interior items to reduce the risk of occupant injuries.

While Saab was out to ``out-safety'' Volvo, its engineers were given orders by GM to make the 9-5 sexy enough to lure those who also be looking at, say, a BMW or Lexus.

That's right--the 9-5 is plunked in the ``near-luxury'' car market and thus competes against the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Audi, Infiniti and Volvo.

Whew! Those are tough rivals for a car from an automaker that most Americans know little about, although Saab has been selling cars via a crazy-quilt distribution system in this country since the 1950s--when its cars had two-stroke engines that called for mixing oil with gasoline.

For sure, Saab convertibles have been hot stuff in trendy, affluent circles on the East and West coasts for a decade, but that model is a limited-production item.

GM hopes the 9-5 finally will be the model that firmly puts Saab on the map in this country.

Saab fans like high-output four-cylinder engines and some 40 percent order manual transmissions. So the base 9-5 model ($29,995) available with a manual and turbocharged, 2-liter four-cylinder--is the most ``Saab-like'' model.

That 185-horsepower model also is the most fun. But many near-luxury car buyers want at least six cylinders and thus are expected to get the $33,750 V-6 or top-line $36,800 9-5 V-6 SE, which I tested.

The split between four- and six-cylinder 9-5 models is expected to shake out on a 50-50 basis.

The turbocharged 3-liter V-6 produces 200 horsepower and comes only with a slick four-speed automatic transmission, which is optional for the base model. The four-cylinder does 0-60 m.p.h. in eight seconds, but the V-6 hits that mark in just 7.4 seconds and is noticeably stronger at all speeds.

In fact, the V-6 has the punch of at least a 4-liter V-6. That's partly because of its asymmetric turbocharging system, which gets its name because the highly responsive small turbo only runs off exhaust gases from the V-6's forward bank of three cylinders. The setup results in no turbo lag, which annoyingly characterized early turbo models from nearly all automakers--including Saab.

The four-cylinder model delivers an estimated 21 m.p.g. in the city and 28 on highways with the manual and 18 and 27 with the automatic, while the V-6/automatic combo provides 18 and 26.

The manual transmission shifter thankfully doesn't Saab's vague, old rubbery action. And the responsive automatic has normal, sport and winter modes.

The 9-5 is plenty roomy. Four 6-footers fit comfortably. The large front bucket seats are supportive, and even the center of the big rear seat is acceptable for a fifth occupant--although a center rear armrest with fold out cupholders also can occupy that space.

Saab long has been a builder of fighter airplanes, so the 9-5 has a very low wind drag and an aircraft-style instrument panel. Its interior has nifty touchs, such as elegant-looking chromed door handles and real wood trim. But nothing is overdone just to convey a ``luxury'' feel.

Still, the door locks sound out of place--emitting a clunky sound when activated. And the directional signal and wiper control stalks feel like they belong in a cheaper car. However, there are dual-zone climate controls, six high-pressure jet washer nozzles for windshield cleaning and an air-conditioned glovebox for storing soft candy or drinks during summer drives.

A fair amount of road noise enters the cabin at higher speeds, although it otherwise is very quiet. Thick front windshield pillars hinder visibility.

My test V-6 SE model had good handling and a suspension that easily absorbed nasty bumps. But it lacked the sharpness of sportier Saabs because it is tuned more for comfort than sport. Even the brake pedal had a soft feel, although braking was quite good and there's a standard anti-lock system. The V-6 models have standard traction control to provide more grip on slippery roads.

The trunk is absolutely huge, and the rear seat folds forward to provide almost station-wagon style cargo space. In fact, a 9-5 station wagon and high-performance version of the four-cylinder model arrive in a year.

It remains to be seen if Saab can lure a good number of buyers to showrooms to check out the 9-5. It's definitely worth a long look.