SPY PICS: Saab's 9-5 odds on to reach production?

The lensmen at Carparazzi have zoomed in on the upcoming, all-new Saab 9-5 not long before its unveiling at this year's Frankfurt motor show.

Previous long-lens pics of the big Saab on test have revealed little more than the hunky proportions, but these shots show considerably more detail, giving us a clearer picture of how the car is configured.

The impressions of an increase in size remain, with the car showing evidence of a claimed 140mm wheelbase stretch that contributes to a pleasing proportional balance. The tapered, almost hatch-like rear deck is even more evident, although little else points to the 9-5 -- like the current, long-running model -- being anything other than a four-door sedan. What will happen with the C-pillars remains open to conjecture, but let's hope there'll be something to relieve what looks to be an enormous potential blind spot.

In profile view, the Saab -- the proto is running on what look like at least 19-inch wheels -- appears quite long and slinky, with big overhangs front and rear. The upshot of that, we'd imagine, is a much bigger interior with more rear-seat legroom than the already acceptable current car. Saab designers have apparently imbued the new 9-5 with the signature beetle-browed look for the windscreen and, presumably, protection from the errant elks that run wild in Sweden.

It is generally accepted that the 9-5 will be based on the GM Epsilon II platform underpinning the current 9-3, stretched and widened appropriately.

The engine lineup could be expected to mirror that of today's 9-3 range that includes four-cylinder petrol and diesel, plus a Holden-sourced V6. There remains talk of a high-efficiency, small capacity petrol engine that delivers similar power and flexibility to Volkswagen's impressive turbo/supercharged Twincharger engine, using just a turbocharger.

Underlying all this is Saab's viability as a company now that the ties have been broken with GM following a request for a "reorganisation" as a separate corporate entity under Swedish law (more here). The arrangement apparently gives the company three months to stabilise its position and seek new investors.

The new arrangements -- as well as GM's desire to rid itself of Opel (more here) -- would appear to point at an even greater chance the new Saab will be sourced from the company's Trollhattan plant, along with the next 9-3. Previously, it was rumoured that Opel might build this new generation of 9-5. That seems an unlikely prospect now.

In the pipeline for Saab in Australia are three significant new models: the 9-5 pictured here, the Subaru Outback-style 9-3X SUV (more here), and the bigger than VW Tiguan 9-4X model that was revealed in concept form at the 2008 Detroit motor show. Artist's impressions of how the new 9-5 will look in production trim have been included with the spy pics reproduced here.

-- with Carparazzi

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