NEW SAAB 9-5 WAGON DELIVERS VERSATILITY WITH SPORTS SEDAN-LIKE DRIVING CAPABILITIES
NORCROSS, Ga. - In every sense, the Saab 9-5 Wagon is an extremely sporting and dynamic car. As with any Saab, it combines an inspiring driving experience with high levels of safety. Additionally, it's useful for the everyday needs of both families and people who enjoy being active and want a car that reflects their lifestyle. Unlike many wagon versions of cars, the Saab 9-5 Wagon is not just an add-on design. Even though it shares many components with the Saab 9-5 Sedan, the Saab 9-5 Wagon was planned, conceived and styled separately as a wagon from the very beginning. It features a roof and rear doors that are different from the sedan model. This relative clean-sheet approach is why the design works as a whole. There are no awkward shapes or strange add-on solutions. The new car offers everything that a Wagon in the segment needs - delivered in a Saab package.
Driver in Control
The Saab 9-5 Wagon driving characteristics and driver/car interaction are superb. Even though it
is a large car, it drives like a premium sports sedan from behind the wheel. It handles easily,
smoothly and predictably. High speed and directional stability are extremely good and the
steering response is very precise, even with a maximum payload. The Saab 9-5 chassis features
isolated front and rear sub-frames, MacPherson front struts and a multi-link independent rear
suspension. The springs, roll bars and shock absorbers have been calibrated to retain good
handling with an adaptation to the effects of weight, center of gravity and inertia. Typical of
the aeronautical inspiration in all Saab designs, the new Saab 9-5 Wagon has a drag coefficient
of only 0.31, among the best in its segment.
Saab Ecopower Turbo Engines
As with the Saab 9-5 Sedan, there are two engine variants available in the new Saab 9-5 Wagon: a
3.0L V-6 asymmetrically turbocharged engine, and a 2.3L four-cylinder light pressure turbocharged
engine. Both engines are members of the Saab Ecopower family. The 3.0L V-6 generates 200 hp at
5,000 rpm and strong maximum torque of 229 lb.-ft. at only 2,500 rpm. The 2.3L four produces 170
hp at 5,500 rpm and maximum torque of 207 lb.-ft. at just 1,800 rpm. True to Saab's engine
design philosophy, the strong low-end maximum torque is available all the way to 3,500 rpm on the
four and 4,000 rpm on the V-6, providing power on-demand for real world driving needs.
Excellent Riding Comfort
One of the most interesting aspects of the Saab 9-5 Wagon is that it offers the loading capacity
and versatility of a wagon together with the interior feeling of a sedan. The levels of noise,
vibration and harshness are low, in line with that expected of a premium sedan. This makes for
excellent ride comfort and very low interior noise levels. Wind noise is so low that only a few
wind tunnels could be used for measurement because the operational noise levels of others were
too loud.
Flexible Cargo Capacity
The cargo loading area is flexible to meet varying needs. Either one or both sides of the split
fold-down rear seat can be folded or removed to make room for cargo. Loading cargo is easy
thanks to the low loading height and, available as an option, the sturdy sliding floor that can
be rolled out almost 20 inches. Fully extended, the sliding floor can support up to 440 lbs..
The cargo area features an innovation from the aircraft industry that Saab calls CargoTracksTM.
In aircraft, they are used to secure seats as well as cargo. In the Saab 9-5 Wagon,
CargoTracksTM is a standard feature for securing cargo. CargoTracksTM is a system of rails with
one-grip locks and special belts to make sure that the cargo doesn't shift under emergency
braking or in an accident. CargoTracksTM is a crucial feature to help insure a high level of
in-car safety. A lot of attention has been given to providing practical and versatile loading.
The tailgate opens high enough for an average adult to stand beneath it. It is designed to
operate smoothly - requiring very little effort. Furthermore, the tailgate illumination is
highly effective and lights up both the entire loading area in the car and the ground behind it.
A number of cargo handling accessories, such as straps, elastic nets, cargo guards and a complete
roof rack system are available for the car. They cater to the active lifestyles of likely Saab
9-5 Wagon owners, whether loading the back or putting cargo on the standard roof rails.
Cockpit Interior
The interior of the Saab 9-5 Wagon is very clean, functional and spacious with sufficient room
for tall drivers. The driver's environment is thoroughly Saab with the traditional cockpit
interior and special attention to ergonomics and driver control. The hard, foldable parcel shelf
adds to the sedan-like refinement of the Saab 9-5 Wagon and contributes to theft protection by
concealing the loading area from outside view. The Automatic Climate Control system offers two
temperature zones, one for the driver and one for the passengers. An electrostatically charged
pollen filter comes standard as well as an additional charcoal filter for removing odors and
annoying fumes from the incoming air. The state-of-the-art theft protection systems introduced in
the Saab 9-5 Sedan are also standard equipment in the Saab 9-5 Wagon. In essence, this means
that the Saab 9-5 Wagon meets the very stringent 2-minute 'attack' requirements set by the
Swedish Theft Protection Agency. The Saab 9-5 Sedan was the first car to meet these rigorous
standards and now the Saab 9-5 Wagon is the first wagon to do the same.
Real-life Safety
The Saab 9-5 Wagon is fully in line with the renowned Saab Real-life Safety philosophy. This
means that the car is designed for optimised safety on the roads, not just for laboratory
testing. The new wagon has been taken through 40 different crash test configurations, though
only 11 of them are required by law. The front and rear structures of the Saab 9-5 Wagon, like
the sedan model, incorporate three robust load paths on each side of the chassis that distribute
crash energy over a broad area to lessen the force of an impact on the passenger compartment.
The Saab 9-5 Wagon's side impact protection systems are also the same as those found on the
sedan. The pendulum design "B" pillar is integrated into the safety cage construction to
dissipate side-impact crash energy downward, where the human body is stronger and less
susceptible to injury. Saab's head and torso protecting dual-stage side airbags are mounted in
the outside bolsters of the front seatbacks to complement the protection provided by the pendulum
"B" pillar design. Additional protection is provided by Saab's new force-reducing front
seat-belt and pre-tensioner design. These allow for gentler restraint of the occupant's forward
motion to reduce the risk of belt-induced injuries in collisions. The Saab 9-5 Wagon also
features the Saab Active Head Restraint (SAHR) system as standard equipment to reduce the risk of
whiplash injuries. This world-first safety feature effectively limits the front seat occupants'
head movement during a rear-end collision. Since the SAHR system is fully mechanical, it can
function time and again as needed and there are no specific parts that have to be replaced after
its use in an accident.