Saab 9-5 Aero Turbo6 XWD 2011 Review

Price guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $75,900 (Vector) $94,900 (Aero)
Options fitted (not included in above price): Rear seat entertainment $2800, sunroof $2750, edge 19-inch alloy wheels $2,000 (Vector) $500 (Aero)
Crash rating: TBC
Fuel: 95 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 9.4 (Vector), 11.3 (Aero)
CO2 emissions (g/km): 217 (Vector), 262 (Aero)
Also consider: Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Jaguar XF, Lexus GS, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Volvo S80

About our ratings

Saab is a courageous car maker. To build something like the 9-5, a vehicle so distinctive in a world full of analogous design cues and congenital features, is something to be admired.

Borrowing design cues from no other brand but its own, Saab has concocted a curious blend of sleek lines that would never be mistaken for a Lexus, BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

As one of the most polarising vehicles to arrive in the CN garage in quite some time, opinion was divided over whether it's an attractive design. But for the aficionados (all three of them, the cynics will argue) it hits the nail on the head, with a subtle tip of the hat to Saabs of a bygone era, melded with a modern look that doesn't try anything overtly retro.

There's also a touch of angry Viking in the front end design; the designers at Saab HQ in Trolhattan having crafted conservative headlight clusters, flanked by a large grille that results in a strangely antagonistic face.

Saab's aviation heritage hasn't been left out either; the sloping roofline and blacked out A and B pillars a delicate homage to an aircraft canopy.

Saab's unique design ethos continues unabated at the rear, with clean, contemporary brake light clusters that sweep up and around the corners of the car. Perhaps the only aspect of the design that didn't gel was the solid rear LED brake stripe that covers the entire width of the rear bumper.

Apart from a visual style that sets it apart from its competitors, the 9-5 could just be the most exclusive European luxury car to arrive on local shores. Saab expects to sell around 100 9-5 models in Australia for the year, or about the same amount as Audi's R8 supercar.

The 9-5's interior isn't quite as striking as the exterior (there are some leftover relics from the General Motors ownership period) but if nothing else it's exceedingly comfortable. The seating position is excellent, with supple, nicely contoured cushioning and good side bolsters.

Convenience features like USB and Bluetooth connectivity are welcome, as is the heads-up display, which if you desire projects your speed and engine revs onto the windscreen so you needn't take your eyes off the road ahead.

Most other things expected of a modern luxury car are taken care of, including automatic xenon headlights, heated seats, colour touch-screen with sat nav, leather trim, climate control, electric park brake, and a nicely engineered Harman/Kardon surround-sound 11-speaker stereo.

However, radar-based cruise control that rivals such as Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class offer as an option, is not currently available.

Though the instrument cluster is relatively conservative with standardised fonts and generic needles, it's good to see the classic turbo boost gauge has returned for active duty.

Another nice touch is the high resolution multi-function liquid crystal display that sits inside the circumference of the speedometer and can be easily toggled via the indicator stalk to display various trip computer and navigation data. We also liked the night panel that turns off all lighting in the cockpit except for the speedometer.

We're also pleased to note the trademark Saab ignition barrel near the hand brake lever is no more (as is the hand brake lever) thanks to the adoption of a proximity key and an engine 'start' button. But there is a little nacelle for the key fob to fit into that should mollify the purists.

The interior is nicely finished for the most part with lots of leather upholstery and soft touch dash plastics, and when a velvety ride quality is also part of the equation, the result is a car with a distinct luxury feel. Even when the turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines are pumping full boost, the car never feels jittery or rushed, and the cabin remains relatively well insulated from outside noise at most road speeds.

It should be mentioned that the latest Saab 9-5 is a very large car; at just over five metres it’s longer than all three of its main rivals (Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6). The upside is plenty of rear seat stretch-out space for two tall adults, and with 513 litres the boot tunnels deep into the car.

The Aero model also gets DVD screens and headphones and, with the audio piped through the surround sound stereo, Lord of the Rings sounded sensational.

Saab has all the safety angles covered, with eight airbags as standard, stability control, ABS, traction control and cornering brake control, plus third generation Saab active head restraints.

We had the chance to test two variants back-to-back: the Vector4 and the Aero, both turbocharged petrol models.

Priced at $75,900, the Vector4 is a front-wheel drive sedan powered by a 2.0-litre turbo engine pumping through a six-speed automatic transmission. It's not the fastest European luxo-saloon on the market, but neither is it sluggish, the turbo kick coming on smoothly but purposefully as the revs rise.

Vital statistics for the engine are 162kW at 5300rpm and 350Nm at 2500rpm, and it's the low 2500rpm torque peak that helps motivate the car's 1725kg kerb weight without feeling too lardy off the line.

The official figure is 8.5 seconds for the zero to 100km/h dash.

While the 2.0-litre engine doesn't have as much accelerative punch as the 2.8-litre V6 turbo in the Aero model, the Vector4 has a more appealing and involving power delivery, particularly as the revs rise.

Overtaking at freeway speeds posed no problem and the six-speed ’box proved to be a diligent operator, dropping a couple of cogs swiftly when needed, yet providing smooth, refined shifts in 60km/h zones.

Fuel consumption is quoted at 9.4L/100km, but the reality is more like 12.0L/100km if you end up doing a lot of urban driving.

The Saab 9-5 Vector4 is a satisfying car to drive in a range of different situations, and easy to operate too, but it was the vehicle's balanced ride quality that left a lasting impression. The car delivers a suitably cultured on-road feel, easily absorbing imperfections in the road. It's not quite as refined as an E-Class Merc, but the gap isn't a chasm either.

The brakes are rather large, 321mm front and 315mm rear discs, and though the initial pedal feel is soft (in keeping with the car's luxury pretensions), there's plenty of stopping power when you dig the boot in.

While the steering feels a little lifeless -- there's not a great deal of feedback when changing directions through corners -- it has good response to driver input and this makes the car feel less bulky and more wieldy than it should.

Priced at $94,900, the 9-5 Aero commands an almost $20,000 premium over the Vector4, but in hindsight I'm not convinced it's worth it.

The extra body kit looked great, adding a subtle menace to proceedings, as did the 19-inch wheels and other extras including sports seat, Saab Advanced Park Assist and Smart Beam cornering xenon headlights. But in the real world these features didn't dramatically change the way the car felt.

The DriveSense system that comes standard on the 9-5 Aero was pretty nifty, with three modes on offer (Sport, Comfort and Intelligent). But the difference between the sporty and comfy settings weren’t significant, and the standard suspension tune on the Vector4 was so well sorted the benefit of the DriveSense real-time damping system was marginal at best.

But with an all-wheel drive setup as standard, not to mention a more powerful and larger displacement V6 engine and eye-catching 19-inch tyres, the Aero motivated with more purpose than the Vector4.

It had a more sure-footed feel on the road, which was also due to a lower ride height and an extra 220kg of mass, and the steering had more weight to it too which was conveyed through a thicker steering wheel rim.

Like the Vector4, the Aero glided along with a minimum of fuss on most road surfaces, was suitably quiet and kept all occupants cosseted in the lap of luxury.

Despite the heftier 1945kg kerb weight, the Aero was a nicer vehicle to pilot through a bend in the road and the mild torque steer that occurred on the Vector4 was nowhere to be seen on the Aero. The 9-5 Aero is also substantially quicker off the line, taking 6.9 seconds to reach 100km/h.

Peak power from the GM-sourced (and Melbourne-made) V6 block is 221kW at 5500rpm while torque of 400Nm peaks at 2000rpm.

Like the inline four-cylinder engine the 2.8-litre V6's twin-scroll turbocharger spooled up quickly and there's only a smidgen of turbo lag. But where the four-cylinder felt stronger as the revs rose the V6 maintained a relatively – less exciting - flat torque curve.

Nailing the accelerator pedal was still an enjoyable experience, but if the engine was a TV show it would be broadcast in black and white. It just felt a little bland at higher revs, and was devoid of the character its European six-cylinder rivals impart.

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