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Saab 9-5 Wagon combines cargo capacity with a car-like ride
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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MOUNT LAGUNA, Calif. -- Rolling down a narrow black strip on California's S1 route -- which threads across spines of the Vallecito Mountains, low sand desert far below to the east and fir-clad slopes on the west sliding off toward the Pacific Coast -- a new mid-size machine from Sweden's Saab grips asphalt through knotted curves like a slot car locked in the groove of a serpentine track.
With independent suspension elements for springs and shocks floating wheels smoothly over road ripples as tires trace an aggressive line through all bends and kinks on this back road, the Saab expresses itself with nimble movements which mimic a mechanical athlete obviously capable of accomplishing the kind of road tricks you might expect from a sports car.
The fact that this particular vehicle bears an extended roofline encasing the boxy back end of a station wagon and its form looks more like a carpooler's sled than a racy sports machine casts an image incongruent with this lively performance attitude, yet Saab as an automaker has never followed a conventional path in automotive design and the new 9-5 Wagon confirms that point.
Although it may look a station wagon and can carry a wagon's load of goods, this is the station wagon that doesn't behave like one.
That's the Saab premise which confronts the uniquely American passion for bulky truck-based sport-utility vehicles: Design a vehicle with the cargo capacity and practicality of a sport-utility wagon but equip it with the easy-to-maneuver handling traits of a sporty touring sedan and lace it with cushy features of a luxury car.
To create the 9-5 Wagon, Saab's designers started with the 9-5 flagship sedan and rearranged the structure for a wagon's format by extending the roof and wrapping the rear with windows. It contains all of the mechanical and safety attributes of the sedan and employs the same four-cylinder and V6 turbo-charged engines, then installs some clever innovations for practicality, safety and comfort.
For instance, the cargo bay has been engineered to transport cargo exclusively -- there's no rear-facing third seat option because, in the view of Saab's designers, riding back there might not be safe. Instead, aircraft-quality aluminum load tracks in the floor of the bay carry notches to catch and lock tie-down hooks so you may anchor tie straps to hold cargo firmly in place and prevent dangerous load shifts when the vehicle moves around.
Also, the folding seatback of the second-tier bench has special bracing and latches designed to withstand the extreme force of cargo moving forward in a crash. An optional sliding floor, which extends for 20 inches out the rear cargo door, makes it easy to load heavy objects -- or without cargo serves as a table for tailgate dining.
Occupant safety, it seems, becomes an overriding point behind the design of the 9-5 Wagon because Swedes in general rank safety above all other automotive assets and Saab specifically has a long record for safety innovations. Engineers at Saab have devised several innovations for safety which first appeared on the sedan and now become an integral part of the wagon.
Consider the front structure: Instead of deflecting forces from a frontal crash along a single predictable chassis path, this arrangement uses three routes to diffuse the disruptive energy. Steel braces crush like cushions and the defused energy flows up, under and around the passenger compartment, where seatbelts and air bags and safety seats protect riders.
Further, the front structure of this Saab has not one but five different progressive frontal deformation zones. Other deformation areas appear in back and at sides of the vehicle, which also applies side-impact air bags.
And Saab's bucket seats form a rigid and stable support for the side air bags, with anti-submarine ramps under frontal edges to prevent an occupant from slipping under the seatbelt during a severe crash.
Even headrests become active: If the vehicle is hit from the rear, a situation which often produces neck whiplash for riders, front seat headrests quickly move forward and upward slightly to meet the neck and head moving backward. This movement is designed to cradle the head promptly and prevent the painful whiplash effect.
Saab fans will also find some Saab-exclusive traits inside, such as the ignition key switch set on the floorboard between seats where it's out of the way.
Front seats offer optional heaters or even air conditioning, with a three-speed internal blower circulating cool air through perforated leather upholstery.
The 9-5 Wagon shows up in two flavors, as set by power mode. Saab has been a leader in providing a high-powered turbo kick from relatively small but muscular and efficient engines, and these models use the turbos exclusively.
A base 9-5 2.3 Wagon draws from a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbo which Saab labels "Light Pressure Turbo" because it dampens the turbo-boost pressure to trim that pesky power delay of a typical turbo.
The plant hits 170 hp with surprisingly high torque applied, but operates in such frugal manner that it earns superior fuel economy scores.
Add a sporty, short-throw five-speed manual shifter as standard transmission for the turbo-four, or the nice four-speed automatic transmission with electro-hydraulic controls that's also available. Push-button selections let driver switch from normal shift patterns to quick-shift sport mode or a winter mode with higher-gear starts for stemming wheel slippage on a slippery surface.
A second Ecopower for the 9-5 Wagon is offered optionally for the base model or standard for the top trim. The asymmetric turbo-charged 3.0-liter V6 has twin cams on top with a single-bank turbo-charger attached. The design boosts peak torque by 15 percent while allowing longer gearing to improve fuel economy. Output climbs to 200 hp.
Only the four-speed automatic mates with the V6.
Designers of the cockpit for the 9-5 Wagon drew inspiration from the ergonomic arrangement of controls for aircraft. (Before building automobiles beginning in 1949, Saab produced precision aircraft, which continue today -- and the brand name still reflects these aeronautical roots, as Saab is actually an acronym for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, which translates in English to Swedish Airplane Company.)
The interior feels entirely comfortable, with a tilt toward luxury. Power and automatic controls extend even to the 9-5 2.3, but the 9-5 3.0 gets leather seats, deluxe audio equipment, plus electronic traction control. In the rear, the flexible cargo space with a flat floor can be enlarged by folding or even removing the bench seat.
1999 SAAB 9-5 WAGON
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1999 SAAB 95 WAGON Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size luxury wagon |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size luxury wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
106.4 inches |
| Overall Length: |
189.3 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.3-L I4 Turbo
DOHC 3.0-L V6 Turbo
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| Transmission: |
I4: Manual/5, Auto/4
V6: Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/EBD |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side) |
| Gas Mileage: |
I4: 21/28 mpg
V6: 19/25 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 32,425 to $ 39,745 |
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