"THE SAAB 9-5 WAGON HAS A DYNAMIC APPEAL, A CLEAN LOOK AND STRONG SAAB BRAND IDENTITY"
Simon Padian, Saab Automobile designer
NORCROSS, Ga. - "We wanted to give the Saab 9-5 Wagon a more dynamic feel than what is usually found in a wagon. Instead of aiming for a box-like load-carrier, we decided to go for something with a visual appeal worthy of the Saab brand", says Simon Padian, one of the designers at Saab Automobile responsible for the exterior and interior design of the new Saab 9-5 Wagon. The Saab 9-5 Sedan and Wagon models were developed simultaneously. "There is a strong link between the two cars, but to us it was important that the Wagon not just be an add-on variant of the Sedan," states Simon Padian. "We wanted the Saab 9-5 Wagon to have it's own identity." As a result, the two cars only have the front in common. The rest, starting with the roof and the rear doors, is unique to the 9-5 Wagon. By making fundamental changes Saab Automobile's designers gave the wagon an appeal of its own. "If we'd kept the doors and roof from the sedan, like most manufacturers do, we would not have been able to achieve this dynamic result," said Padian.
A Strong Saab Brand Identity
To meet the first design objective, avoiding a box-like shape, restraint was used to
insure the cargo area of the car was not over-emphasised. Many competitors accentuate the
appearance of volume in the car by almost exclusively using glass along the sides. "Our
approach features a clean and efficient design, continuous flowing feature lines and
surfaces without distracting interruptions. The roofline is long. It starts at the front
of the A-pillar and extends along the entire roof, around the rear and back on the other
side. Another long feature line follows the C-pillar, extending around the back of the
car and up on the other side." "By using this styling approach, we emphasise the C-pillar
to break up the length of the car and give it a strong waistline. All of this gives
direction to the car too. To make the C-pillar even more dominant, the D-pillar has been
'blacked out', using rear glass and a wraparound effect. Thanks to the rake of the rear
screen, the impression of forward, dynamic movement is stressed even further." "Even
though we've given the rear end of the car a strong identity, it's not completely at odds
with the Saab 9-5 Sedan model," explains Simon Padian. "The band theme of the rear lamps
is still there, and together with the rear window graphic it gives the car a wide, low
look."
Aerodynamics Played an Important Part in Design Development Work
With a drag coefficient of only 0.31, the new Saab 9-5 Wagon places itself among the very
best in the premium wagon segment. This low drag coefficient is the outcome of Saab
Automobile's ambition to design a car with low fuel consumption, in relation to its
weight and performance, and extremely good stability. These were the main criteria when
Saab Automobile decided to extend its range with a wagon model. The sleek aerodynamic
properties of the Saab 9-5 Wagon are immediately apparent when looking at the design of
the rear of the car. A lot of effort has been put into designing a car that will pass
through the air with as little friction as possible. Most of the attention was
concentrated on the rear edge of the roof, because the airflow at the rear has a great
effect on both drag and lift forces. After numerous experiments and testing in wind
tunnels and on high-speed test tracks, Saab engineers found that a small "lip" would
provide a distinct separation of the airflow at the rear roof edge. "We had expected that
a slight drop-off at the rear end of the roof would be the most efficient way of leading
the airflow down and reduce turbulent airflow. But after a lot of development work and
experiments, we found that a small 'lip' at the rear end gave the result we wanted: A
clear separation of airflow. This design reduced drag without adding any lift forces."
High Speed Stability and Low Wind Noise
A great deal of effort was also put into perfecting the curvature around the corners of
the car, especially around the D-pillars. The Saab 9-5 Wagon's design is very successful
at providing the car with a clear separation of airflow around the sides, adding to the
stability of the car at high speed. Both the aerodynamics and high-speed characteristics
have gone through extensive and extremely successful testing in wind tunnels and at the
Nardo high-speed test track in Italy. The 9-5 Wagon's sleek aerodynamics have also
greatly reduced wind noise to such low levels that Saab engineers had to find the
quietest wind tunnels to even get a reading, because operational background noises were
too high. Even accessories, like the roof rack and the rear bridge spoiler, have been
tested in wind tunnels for minimized wind noise. The end result is a high performance,
sleek and dynamic wagon that, with 37 cubic feet of cargo capacity (rear seat up) and
72.9 cubic feet of space (rear seat fully folded), is also one of the roomiest in its
class.
A Rear Rubbing Strip And Roof Rails Offer Integrated Functionality
The Saab 9-5 Wagon is equipped with a replaceable extended rubbing strip on the upper
surface of the rear bumper to minimize the risk of scratching the paint when loading and
unloading the car. Cargo carrying versatility is enhanced by including roof rails as
standard equipment. The rails are an integral part of the design of the car with lines
that fully compliment the arc of the roof pillars.
A Clean Functional Interior
"When it comes to the interior, the aim was to maximize the space available and to create
a clean functional environment with an emphasis on loading capacity," says Anders
Gustafsson, interior designer. "This had to be done without creating conflicts with the
overall design objectives, and therefore we felt it was important to have a rigid,
removable and folding parcel shelf that adds to the quality image of the interior. Other
important benefits of the rigid parcel shelf is that it discourages theft by keeping
luggage out of sight, and better insulates the passenger compartment from road noises. "
CargoTracksTM
In the luggage compartment, the Saab 9-5 Wagon has a unique and direct carry-over from
the aircraft industry, a pair of aluminium load securing CargoTracksTM. Saab's
CargoTracksTM are the same concept as the load securing rails used to secure passenger
seats in aircraft. They're very easy to operate and will encourage the safe loading of
cargo.
