AIRCRAFT INSPIRED INTERIOR WITH AN EMPHASIS ON PRACTICALITY
NORCROSS, Ga. - "The Saab 9-5 Wagon offers a typical Saab interior: that familiar cockpit feel from behind the wheel, the curved windshield and the firm seats. Current Saab owners will feel at home at once and others will find their way around in seconds," says HÂkan Larsson, the engineer in charge of the development of the Saab 9-5 Wagon interior. "Front seat passengers won't feel or see much of a difference between the wagon and the sedan models," explains HÂkan Larsson. "Basically they are the same with a strong focus on the driver's environment - the aircraft inspired cockpit. The driver's seat offers generous space, even for very tall people." "In the rear seat, however, the passengers will find that the wagon is more spacious, while retaining that special sedan feel. It's not like riding in a box or a van at all."
A Quiet, Civilized Driving Environment
In general, wagons tend to be noisier than sedans. This is a natural phenomenon caused by
the increased volume in the rear of the body. With the Saab 9-5 Wagon, however, rear seat
passengers will feel as if they are riding in a sedan. The car is optimized for
maintaining a very low interior noise level, even without using the standard rigid
foldable parcel shelf. When the rear parcel shelf/cargo cover is in place, the noise
level is even lower. Ease of communication between front and rear occupants was a design
priority. Regardless of driving speed, there's no need to raise voices, a normal level of
speech will do just fine. This is also important for driver control. When the driver
doesn't have to make any extra effort to communicate, he/she can focus on the task at
hand - driving. In terms of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the Saab 9-5 Wagon does
not feature any elaborate new technology. Instead, good NVH characteristics are the
result of extensive testing and attention to detail aimed at meeting the high demands set
by customers in the premium segment.
A Large Rigid Parcel Shelf
A rigid foldable parcel shelf is one of several interesting new features that come with
the Saab 9-5 Wagon. The advantages of a rigid foldable parcel shelf, as opposed to merely
a pullover cargo area cover, are threefold. The more substantial solid parcel shelf
better insulates the passenger compartment from road noise and plays a vital role in
creating a refined, sedan-like interior. It fully covers the cargo area to prevent theft
by obscuring the luggage compartment from outside view. It also provides for more
flexible cargo carrying capacity, allowing the driver to store items on top of it
Class Leading Theft Protection
The Saab 9-5 Wagon leads the premium wagon segment in theft protection by being the only
vehicle, aside from the Saab 9-5 Sedan, that has passed the stringent 2-minute "attack"
test set by the Swedish Theft Protection Association. In this test the car has to
withstand any attempt at forceful entry for two minutes, and can't be driven away in
under five minutes. The 9-5 Wagon's alarm system includes several mechanical and
electronic features including glass breakage sensors and alarm sensors for the doors,
hood and tailgate. Door lock cylinders are designed to break-away from their linkage and
rotate freely if tampered with in entry attempts. The alarm is automatically armed when
the car is locked. All lock mechanisms are encapsulated and sleeved cables, instead of
rods, are used to connect the handles with the locks and latches, making outside
interference virtually impossible. The key can only be removed from the ignition switch
on the center console when reverse gear (with manual transmission) or park (with
automatic transmission) is engaged. When the ignition key is removed, the transmission is
locked in reverse or park - effectively disabling the vehicle from being moved. An
electrical ignition immobilizer makes starting the car without the proper key impossible
by giving each of up to four programmed ignition keys one of over four billion security
codes each time a key is removed from the ignition switch.
Convenient Cargo Hauler
The new Saab 9-5 Wagon offers a convenient, easy to access and versatile cargo area to
support active families or individuals with active lifestyles. The tailgate, feeling
virtually weightless, opens and closes almost effortlessly due to the optimized damping
of the gas struts. The gas struts are integrated into the hinges, providing a clean
appearance and helping to keep the loading area as open as possible. Furthermore, the
tailgate opens wide (91) and high enough (76 inches) for even tall people to stand under
it with sufficient clearance.
Tailgate Illumination
To make loading and unloading easier in the dark, two lights automatically illuminate the
entire loading area, both inside and outside the car, when the tailgate is opened. These
cargo area illuminating lights are a market-leading feature and compliment the other dome
lights in the passenger area of the wagon.
Adaptive to Varying Cargo Carrying Needs
The cargo area is easy to adapt to different needs. For normal loading, with the rear
seat still up, the 9-5 Wagon offers class-leading cargo capacity of 37 cubic feet. The
floor is flat and there are no awkward corners to get in the way. To increase the cargo
area, the rear seat backrests can be folded down 40, 60 or 100 percent, while still
providing a flat load floor. With the rear seat fully folded, the 9-5 Wagon provides a
very generous 72.9 cubic feet of space.
CargoTracksTM
Saab's new, and unique, standard CargoTracksTM form the basis for safe loading in the
Saab 9-5 Wagon. The two floor-mounted aluminium rails are an example of technology
crossover from the aircraft industry (in aircraft they are used to position and secure
seats and cargo onto the floor). CargoTracksTM utilizes one-grip locks and load securing
belts to make sure that cargo doesn't shift under emergency braking or during an
accident. Due to the user-friendliness and flexibility provided by the CargoTracksTM
system, Saab 9-5 Wagon owners will be more inclined to securely fasten cargo they carry
and drive more safely. Four spring-loaded one-grip locks are included as standard
equipment. They are easily hooked into the track and can also be easily moved along it,
thereby offering maximum flexibility for securing any cargo. Load straps and an elastic
loading net that fit the one-grip locks are available as accessories. When the
CargoTracksTM aren't used, there are specially designed covers for them to keep them
clean and ready for their next use.
Protective Net for Passenger Protection
Among the many accessories available, there is a protective net that can be mounted onto
the rear of the backrest. The net covers the area from the upper part of the rear
backrest to the ceiling where it is hooked into special holders just above the rear seat.
This protective net is designed to prevent any items lying on the hard parcel shelf from
hitting the passengers when braking hard or in an accident. The net can also be used with
the rear backrest folded, because there are holders in the ceiling behind the front seats
as well.
Cargo Guard and Cargo Space Divider
Yet another practical available accessory is a steel cargo guard that can be used, for
example, to keep dogs away from the passenger compartment. A vertical cargo space divider
and a cargo box are also available.
A Unique Sliding Load Floor
The sliding load floor is a very useful accessory for the Saab 9-5 Wagon. Loading cargo
is easy thanks to the low loading height and, available as an option, the sturdy sliding
floor that can be rolled out almost 20 inches. Fully extended, the sliding load floor can
support up to 440 pounds, making it possible for two adults to sit comfortably on it or
use it as a table for a picnic or tailgate party. The sliding floor is invisible when not
in use. It leaves the rear floor completely flat and easy to load. To use the slide,
simply grab the release handle in the floor with one hand, lift and pull backward. The
floor rolls out smoothly on bearings and locks automatically when fully extended. In the
extended position, it's easy to load heavy items at a convenient loading height without
having to lean forward. If the cargo is heavy, two people can stand on either side of the
rolled out floor when they're loading. To roll in the sliding load floor is equally easy.
The lock mechanism is released by pulling the handle and the floor rolls in without
effort. The CargoTracksTM make it particularly simple to secure the cargo and to drive
without risk of the load shifting. When the car carries a heavy load, the sliding floor
will not be lowered into the rear floor of the car (otherwise you'd have to lift the
sliding floor and cargo with one hand). The lock mechanism makes sure that the floor is
safely in place.
Convenience Has High Priority
In total there are 11 places inside the passenger compartment to secure small items.
Bins in the lower front door panels are supplemented by stowage pockets under the leading
edge of the front seats, map pockets in the seatbacks, a glove box and a bin under the
hinged lid of the front center armrest. There are also small elastic net pockets on the
lower part of each B-pillar to store a compact umbrella or folded magazine. There are
five additional storage compartments in the rear cargo area of the 9-5 Wagon. Four
cupholders are provided. One is placed vertically in a slot near the center of the
instrument panel, cleverly twisting into position to form a horizontal support ring.
Another detachable cupholder is under the front center armrest, while two more are
spring-loaded at the forward edge of the folding armrest in the rear. A duct from the air
conditioning system is fed to the glove compartment to keep drinks chilled or chocolate
bars from melting in hot weather. Fully open, the sliding vent can chill the glove
compartment to about refrigerator temperature, or 45 degrees F.
Advanced Heating, Ventilation and Climate Control
All Saab 9-5 Wagon models in the U.S. market feature a fully automatic climate control
(ACC) system that requires only temperature selection. Since many drivers like to be
slightly cooler or warmer than the passengers, Saab has developed an ACC system that
groups all the passengers (front and rear) together in one zone, rather than simply
separating the left and right hand sides of the car. Air for the driver's zone can be up
to 9 degrees cooler or warmer than the air for the rest of the cabin. The ACC features a
dedicated microprocessor that assesses the readings from five separate sensors, then
optimizes temperature, air distribution, recirculation and fan speed settings to produce
the most effective cabin climate. Outside temperature readings are delivered to the
controller by the high-speed data bus from the main sensor used for the engine management
unit. A second sensor mounted in the roof console measures the cabin temperature. A
sun-load sensor on top of the instrument panel measures both the angle and elevation of
the sun relative to the car, as well as the sun's intensity. The processor then
calculates how much left/right or upper/lower compensation is needed by the air
distribution system to provide the selected cabin temperature balance, using a Saab
patented algorithm. Separate left and right outlet temperature sensors close the control
loop by checking that the system has produced the desired effect. Each of seven
face-level vents provided in the cabin-three for the driver, two for the front passenger
and two in the rear of the center console-can be adjusted or shut off separately. For
optimized defroster/demister control there are two outlets on each side of the dashboard,
one for the middle part of the windshield in front of the driver and passenger, and the
other directed toward the lower part of the windshield. Demister vents are also provided
for each side window. Green-tinted heat-absorbent glass is standard, preventing about 50%
of the sun's thermal radiation from entering the cabin, reducing the energy required to
drive the AC compressor.
Premium Audio Systems with Steering Wheel Controls
The Saab 9-5 Wagon audio systems are designed to complement the advanced interior,
following the Saab ergonomic philosophy of being functional and extremely easy to use.
Supplementary controls for the most frequently used audio functions (volume up/down,
audio source, seek and selection of preset stations) are repeated on either side of the
airbag housing in the center of the steering wheel, within easy thumb-reach of the rim.
Main audio controls and push buttons are located in the center dashboard above the
climate control system. All Saab 9-5's include an in-dash CD player and integrated tape
cassette deck as standard equipment. The Saab 9-5 Wagon uses components tailored to the
wagon's interior by renowned hi-fidelity experts Harman/Kardon. With a power amplifier
rated at 200 watts and a total of nine speakers, the sound quality is nothing less than
superb. The system can also operate an optional trunk-mounted six-disc CD autochanger,
for which the 9-5 Wagon is prewired. A dual radio antenna integrated into the rear side
windows eliminates the need for an exterior aerial. The antenna has a signal-boosting
amplifier that reduces reception difficulties. The radio works together with the antenna
amplifier to automatically select the signal from whichever antenna can supply the best
reception.
Unique Rear Window Wiper Design
To maintain good rearward vision, the Saab 9-5 Wagon has been equipped with a unique rear
window wiper design that incorporates a nozzle built into the wiper arm. Another
innovation is the connection of the rear wiper to the transmission system. Whenever the
front wipers are active and the transmission is shifted into reverse, the rear wiper will
automatically clean the rear window. The wiper is deactivated as soon as the transmission
is taken out of reverse.
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