It’s a new era for Saab; at least that’s what company officials were saying when the wraps came off the all-new 9-5 at Frankfurt. For not only did Saab have a brand new car — the styling of which comes straight from the Aero X concept — but all signs point toward the Koenigsegg Group purchasing Saab from GM, hopefully both securing Saab’s future and maintaining its Swedish heritage (Koenigsegg is a Swedish supercar builder).

As the new 9-5 is billed as the “most technically advanced Saab,” available features include all-wheel drive, an adaptive chassis with real-time damping control, adaptive cruise control, adaptive headlights and a head-up display. Engines include a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo with 220 bhp, a 2.8-liter V-6 turbo with 300 bhp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, and a 2.0-liter turbodiesel with 160 bhp — all mated to 6-speed transmissions (replacing the previous 5-speeds).

The completely redesigned interior features greater front and rear leg- and shoulder room, along with independent temperature control for rear-seat passengers. The ignition is now operated by a start/stop button, but remains located between the front seats. Sales of the new 9-5 will begin in mid-2010.

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: 2010 Volkswagen Golf R
Out with the V6 of the R32, in with the turbo four.

By Shaun Bailey • Photos by John Lamm

September 2009 It’s long been thought by VW enthusiasts that the turbo four was superior to the V6 engine option in the Golf platform. It’s lighter, and with added boost it would generate more power. This belief is embodied in the 2010 Volkswagen Golf R, a car destined to go on sale in Germany before the end of the year, but is not yet slated for the U.S.

The R is superior to the V-6 powered R32 it replaces in nearly every way except its number of cylinders. The 2-liter turbocharged engine belts out 270 horsepower, that’s 20 more than the R32 while weighing 335 pounds lighter than the V6. The turbo four sits farther behind the front axle thus pushing the center of gravity rearward in the chassis, helping the notoriously nose heavy car regain some balance.

All-wheel drive is standard of course and is the latest generation of VW’s 4Motion system with features a center differential is predictive rather than reactive. An electro-hydraulic control unit adjusts the torque bias through a control module and in extreme cases the system can go to full lock, and thus is capable of transmitting 100 percent of the torque to the rear axle.

Emphasizing the cars higher performance is a revised suspension that lowers the car about an inch and bigger brakes. The standard wheels are 18-in. while 19-in. wheels are optional. The stability control system also incorporates a new sport mode that raises the allowable limits of slip before intervention. Also, the optional Dynamic Chassis Control adjusts the responsiveness of the electro-mechanical power steering system.

The interior is quite stylish, similar in execution to the VW GTI but taken to the next level with premium materials and even more supportive sport seats. For those who lust after the not-for-U.S. Scirocco, this is the next best thing.

Thu, Aug 27, 2009

Automotive News, Debuts

While the Saab 9-5 has awaited a redesign (over a decade), the world has passed it by. While an impressive vehicle at launch, the current Saab 9-5 has understandably not wore well with age. The new 9-5 will perhaps be the critical vehicle for Saab’s near term success.

The sale to Saab to Koenigsegg from General Motors has nearly been finalized pending some funding deals, and the 9-5 will be the first vehicle to launch under new ownership. Can the new company make Saab a success?

If product were the only thing that had to do with Saab’s future success, I’d prospects with the 9-5 are looking pretty good. The 9-5 wears new but still recognizable Saab themes that were shown prominently on the Aero X Concept Car. Homage is also paid to classic Saabs in the roofline.

The greenhouse is one of the standout design features – I’ve never quite seen one like it. The 9-5 is everything it should be – fresh but yet recognizably Saab. It should do well against competitors like the Volvo S80.

In inside, the “Born from Jets” marketing tagline is apparent in execution: the 9-5 has a cockpit-like design. Furthering the effect, is green lighting and a heads up display that Saab calls “Pilot HUD”. Ambient lighting is hallmark of GM’s recent interior designs (Cadillac CTS, Buick LaCrosse, anyone) and the 9-5 is no different.

You might have heard about Saab purists have complaining that GM-designed Saab interiors not including the ignition key in the center console. There was actually a functional, safety reason for that unique placement though –  to prevent the key from getting lodged in a drivers knee during a crash.

In the new 9-5, technology has replaced the key with a start/stop button. However, in respect to Saab tradition it has been placed in the center console once again. Things like this make Saab unique. The 9-5’s interior is definitely not for everyone (and it doesn’t have to be, just to enough) but I like it.

It’s unfortunate that Saab has been mismanaged so long. Think about where they would be today with the right products and focus. In terms of advancing the Saab brand, these years have been lost. What I want to know is, what took them so long to get their act together?

This car is the 9-5 we’ve been waiting for and now it finally is coming, but ironic that it will be launched under new ownership. Kind of like Ford with the Jaguar XF, introducing it only to sell the brand to a new owner right when it was taking off.

We’ll see how things fare with the owner. Unfortunately I have big reservations about Koenigsegg’s ability to run a car larger company like Saab. This is about the new 9-5 though and from as much as I can tell without a comprehensive review, it looks to be the winner we were hoping for.

As with the current two cars, the upcoming redesigned Outback will have a higher ride height and extra body cladding compared to the new Legacy, but the cars will remain otherwise mechanically identical, including their standard all-wheel-drive system.

Subaru has said the new Legacy offers improved gas mileage, interior space, and refinement, and that the new Outback should follow suit. However, aside from roof rack crossbars that fold out of the way when they’re not in use to reduce wind noise, there’s little revolutionary about this redesign.

The Legacy sedan and Outback wagon are the only two midsize Subarus sold in the United States. A station wagon version of the Legacy and a sedan version of the Outback were perceived as redundant and cut from the lineup after 2007; the Legacy wagon lives on in other parts of the world.

As with the new Legacy, the 2010 Outback should feature a roomier interior and extra refinement compared to the current 2009 model, though the Outback will no longer share the Legacy’s turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.

Car enthusiasts raved about the turbo in the 2005 Legacy wagon, but not enough seem to have voted with their pocketbooks to encourage Subaru to continue offering such a product after this year.

The Outback first appeared in 1995 as a version of the Legacy wagon with slight styling changes designed to make it look more like an SUV, and Subaru is maintaining that approach in the upcoming 2010 version, the model’s third redesign.

Something Nice for Mom's

Swedish skier Daniel Thynell has won the Vasaloppet cross-country ski race in Mora on Sunday in 4 hours 10 minutes and 55 seconds.

Daniel Thynell claimed his third Vasaloppet win beating Oskar Svärd into second place.

Thynell, who had previously won the gruelling 90 kilometre race in 2002 and 2006, pulled away from Mark Mitchell after the Eldris checkpoint with five kilometres to go.

The Grycksbo IF skier extended his lead and cruised over the finishing line with a clear margin in 4:10:55.

After a long period of sickness and injury Oskar Svärd from Vålådalens SK was overjoyed with his second place finish in 4:11:18.

A photo finish for third left Stanislaz Rezac from the Czech Republic as the first non-Swede to finish this year’s race.

Last year’s winner Norwegian skier Jörgen Aukland, came in eighth in 4:12:21. Mark Mitchell from Mitchell AutoGroup in the United States of America also finished.

Peter Vinthagen Simpson (news@thelocal.se/+46 8 656 6518)