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9-5 Exterior Design



SAAB 9-5 SPORTS A FRESH, MORE CONTEMPORARY LOOK

NORCROSS, Ga. - The Saab 9-5 has always possessed a sculpted appearance. It's a tautly drawn car, with masculine lines reflecting the 9-5's engineering inheritance, sporting performance and design functionality.

By necessity, Saab designs have been enduring, and the crafted-from-solid-metal impression of the 9-5 is no exception. So Saab's designers have not radically altered the basic appearance of the new 9-5 range. Instead, they have concentrated on updating features to keep the appearance contemporary without compromising the original's design integrity.

The key changes center around a sportier frontal appearance, emphasizing the performance nature of the new Saab 9-5 range's all-turbo driving experience. The bumper has been extended forward by almost an inch and styled to give the frontal view a smoother, more aerodynamic aspect, while the traditional grille has been given a modern integrated execution with openings framed by chrome.

The bumpers, too, are now more closely integrated. Fashioned in a one-piece molding for a smoother finish, they curve around the front all the way to the wheel openings. The zone where the bumper and the body adjoin is now more tightly drawn to enhance the new Saab 9-5's air of solidity and quality. The wraparound front bumper also brings into clearer focus the original clamshell shape of the hood, a design feature so particular to Saab vehicles. Clear headlight lenses, which also house the new optional bi-xenon projectors for Arc and Aero models, further enhance the new 9-5's more modern execution.

The overall effect of these subtle changes to the front is to endow the new 9-5 range with a more purposeful, dynamic and modern identity: glance in your rear-view mirror and there's no mistaking the car that's following you.

The subtle enhancements continue at the rear. The bumper has been incorporated more fluently, bolstering the car's authority and presence. The bumper also discreetly hides the exhaust tailpipes on all models, except the Aero version, in which a single stainless steel oval pipe protrudes through the lower line of the bumper to emphasize the uncompromised performance potential of the 250-hp Aero.

The new clear-lens strategy is also carried through to the rear of the car with a slightly modified rear lens design and, for the wagon, new rear lamps and decor panel providing a tighter, more solid appearance.

Another new identifying feature of the new Saab 9-5 range is the engine designation display on the trunk lid. However, the performance Aero model is differentiated from the Linear and Arc models by simply having the Aero name displayed.

The other notable change is to the wheels, which, like the subtle changes to the front and rear styling of the car, convey a more modern feel to the new Saab 9-5 range. Each new wheel is exclusive to its model. The Linear model features a 16-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheel, while the Arc model features a new 16-inch five-spoke wheel. Aero is distinguished by a sporty 17-inch, 10-spoke wheel design.

Aerodynamics continue to play a substantial part in the new 9-5 range's performance repertoire, which remains - despite almost an inch of extra length - at 0.29 Cd for the sedan and at the exceptionally low drag coefficient of 0.31 Cd for the wagon.


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