Saab 9-5

Back in 1998, I worked for a Saab dealership in Exeter, New Hampshire. Starting in the service department before transitioning into a hybrid sales and service role, I took immense pride in our reputation. We held the highest customer service rating in all of New England. Because buying and owning a Saab was a significant investment, I wanted our clients to love these unique vehicles just as much as I did.

My dedication didn't go unnoticed. As the sole customer service representative leading the department, my passion for the job inspired the dealership's owner to send me on an unforgettable trip to Sweden in the summer of 1998.

The highly anticipated Saab 9-5 was preparing to launch worldwide, and I can still remember that summer like it was yesterday. The Swedish engineering development team took me on an exclusive tour of the main factory in Trollhättan. The highlight of the trip was my official introduction to the 9-5. It featured a closed-door viewing of pre-production demo cars, access to a top-secret development building that was strictly off-limits to the public, and a meeting with the "Green Team"—Saab's elite product improvement specialists.

The finale, however, was a trip to the test track. It turned out to be one of the most exhilarating, terrifying moments of my life.

A striking blonde Swedish woman stepped onto the asphalt, locked eyes with me, and smiled. "Someone wants to experience what the 9-5 can really do," she said.

I swallowed hard, thinking, Oh no, what have I gotten myself into?

A brand-new Saab 9-5 clad in sparkling silver metallic paint purred up to the curb. We piled in. She introduced herself as our driver, I introduced myself, and before I could even click my seatbelt, boom—we were flying.

Suddenly, we were motoring around a steeply angled racetrack at well over 100 mph. The centrifugal force pinned me to the leather. I was trapped in the backseat, screaming my absolute brains out, while our driver laughed hysterically, effortlessly handling the car. In the front passenger seat sat another Saab engineer whom I had met back in New Hampshire that spring. He looked back at me, joining his colleague in roaring laughter at my sheer terror.

It was a brilliant, bucket-list trip that I will never forget. While it is deeply saddening that Saab is no more, the spirit of the brand lives on. It is up to us, the true Saab fans, to keep these incredible cars alive.

Now let me tell you about the 9-5. Saab badged the model as the Saab 95, but consistently advertised it as the Saab 9-5, pronounced "nine five" rather than "ninety-five". This model should not be confused with the Saab 95, manufactured from 1959 to 1978.

The first generation 9-5 was available with sedan and station wagon body styles. Aerodynamically, the sedan's drag coefficient is 0.29, and the station wagon's is 0.31 (0.33 for the U.S. version). Introduced in 1999, the wagon features innovations such as floor tracks to secure cargo and a sliding load floor to make loading easier.

The 9-5 was the first production vehicle to offer ventilated seats, as well as asymmetrical turbocharging in the case of the 3.0L V6 engine.[2]

The first-generation 9-5 is powered by Saab's B205 and B235 straight-4 engines, and from 2002 in Europe by an Opel Ecotec X22DTH 2.2 diesel engine (Saab D223L), replaced in 2006 by Fiat's 1.9 JTD 16V diesel engine. A turbocharged version of the General Motors 54° V6 engine, designated by Saab as B308, has a unique asymmetrical low-pressure turbocharger and was available from 1999 to 2003. This engine is available only with an automatic transmission, and cars with this engine installed are distinguishable by their twin tailpipes. The V6 was only available on Arc, SE, and Griffin models. In 2004, the V6 engine was replaced by a high-pressure turbo straight-4 engine rated at 220 hp (164 kW). By 2006 this engine was rated at 260 hp (194 kW) even in the non-Aero or non-sport models made for the US market.