Road Tests Archives - Swadeology

What the Swedish police really thought of the Saab 9-5

There were several articles online a few weeks ago about the Swedish police placing an order for 50 Volkswagens to be used as police cars. Several of them emphasised the fact that the police had not bought Saabs and used this as a judgement against Saab, as if the police didn’t find a current Saab suitable.

That’s some considerable distance from being accurate. The sad fact is that we weren’t able to fill an order for the Swedish police due to our production halt. We could not assure them of delivery by their required date and sadly, they had to shop elsewhere. It had nothing to do with any opinion they held about the car. In fact, they were very keen on the Saab 9-5, as you can see below.

The Swedish police evaluated the Saab 9-5 V6 for operational purposes in September 2010 and I’ve received the OK to share their findings here on Inside Saab. This is a public document and as such, can’t be altered from the original Swedish, but I have been allowed to provide a translation in text.

This is somewhat different to a regular road test. There’s no comments on who the car’s vehicular relatives might be, no whipcrack remarks about re-sale, interior materials or competitive placement. It’s all purely and simply about how the vehicle performs relative to the needs of the police force. The police have to be able to drive the pants off this car if necessary, and still feel confident that the car will be stable and dependable.

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Page 1 provides some details as to the test itself: location, who was present and the type of vehicle tested.

The car is a Saab 9-5 V6 and is noted as being a prototype (i.e. pre-production) vehicle with a chassis setup specifically for the police. The weather was 11 degrees C, with dry and sunny conditions. It also states in summary the tests performed and a pass or fail grade: Brakes, Konbana (slalom), Evasive Actions, Brakes with Evasive Actions, Emergency Driving on Public Roads.

At the bottom, you can see some green text with a check mark, stating that the vehicle is considered suitable as a police car.

Page 2 is concerned with the braking test, checking brake temperatures and braking distances over a session of 10 braking runs.

The tester notes the following:

The vehicle in question had an incorrect type of vacuum pump which affected the braking distance slightly. Overall, there was nothing to complain about, with no fading at all.

Page 3 – ‘Konbana’ is a slalom course (the fun stuff!). Note that the test course was driven without stability control up to 75km/h without incident or difficulty.

The drivers remarks translate as follows:

Fantastic handling, excellent response throughout the manoeuvre. The chassis is impressive. Even without the electronic stability control system there is no problem to run the course.

Page 4

Minimal notes on page 4.

Page 5 – This test was concerned with braking and evasive manoeuvres, conducted at increasing speeds.

The drivers notes from this test:

An extremely stable and flexible chassis. The car does exactly as the driver wants (with) a huge steering response. A really great car, very easy to drive with either under- or oversteer. It lets nothing on the outer wheel, the fact that you can travel at nearly 2.5 tonnes will not even notice. Power steering is very precise and easy to handle.

The chassis is so well prepared and adapted to the weight, to manoeuvre clear without a hitch. Even without a ESP system switched on, no problem taking the car through the course at 105 km/h – which must be considered a new record!

And the final page:

Final remarks:

There is nothing negative to say at all, a fantastic chassis.

Lateral movements at high speeds (~ 220 km / h) are very stable and safe.

Altogether it is estimated that this chassis is the best thing that has ever been tested and therefore awarded the highest rating class: full marks

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So there you see the results for yourself.

These vehicles would have been supplied in the Swedish market and I spoke briefly with Saab’s Director for the Nordic region, Magnus Hansson.

We received great feedback from the Swedish Police, who are as heartbroken as we are that we weren’t able to deliver cars to them this year. Based on their tests, the looks of the car, and word of mouth amongst the Swedish police etc, they would really love to get into our new 9-5s. We can’t wait to renew our relationship with them in the near future.

It’s to our detriment that we weren’t able to fill the order, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be doing our utmost to do so in the future. We’re very proud of our history in terms of supplying quality vehicles for emergency services in Sweden.

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On Saab 9-4x road tests

We’ve had a pretty good run with Saab 9-4x road tests. The 9-4x is an outstanding entry into the crossover segment for Saab and early 9-4x road tests confirmed what we thought about our new vehicle.

There have been a couple of reports in the last week, however, that are a cause for concern. The one that I’d like to respond to here is a short test from Car and Driver, which popped up on my feeds earlier today.

So how does a motoring journalist raise the hairs on the back of my neck and inspire a response article with as little as his first eleven words?

What Is It?

It’s a Cadillac SRX crossover in Swedish clothing

I’m not here to pick a fight with Car & Driver, but this opening is so formulaic and it doesn’t do justice to what’s supposed to be a review by one of America’s premier sources of automotive information.

More than that, though, it’s just plain inaccurate.

Continue reading On Saab 9-4x road tests

Saabosphere – links we like this week (big weekend edition)

Forgive the lack of postings here over the weekend but it was a BIG three days on the road, travelling 1,140kms in a Saab 9-4x between Friday and Sunday afternoon.

I’ll be writing about it all in the coming days, but we took in the Midnight Sun Rally in Västerås on Saturday and then some time in Stockholm on Sunday. I tried to call in on a few friends to give them a test drive but they seemed to be on vacation and wouldn’t answer the door:

Note to editors: That is what’s referred to as subtle humour. Please ensure that you’re knickers don’t get in a twist.

I’ll have all the action from Saturday morning’s rallying and some great Saab pics from both Västerås and Stockholm coming later on.

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Must Read – I think I’ll do a “must read” every week from now on. if you’re only going to hit one link on this entry for further reading, the must read is the one.

Today’s Must Read is from Autoweek. Their editors have recently noted their thoughts on the Saab 9-5 Aero they have in their long-term test fleet and they make for some good reading. There are six editors thoughts recorded. Here’s a sample from just one of them:

I find the car’s styling is attractive in a classic sense. I suspect it will still look good once the last payment is made. Inside, the car is functional and offers just the right Saab-style appointments and extras, such as the Saab-centric center-mounted ignition button and mandatory turbo boost gauge, the clean center stack, the huge sunroof covered by a linen sunshade, the well-bolstered leather seats, and flat-bottomed thick leather-wrapped steering wheel. I still miss the artistic Transformer like pop-out cupholders, but I can forgo that stuff for this overall better car.

If you only read one article here, make it this one.

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Speaking of long term test vehicles, CAR Magazine have just picked up a Saab 9-5 TTiD in Laser Red. Because fire engines are cool, OK?

There are no long-term test drive thoughts, yet, just the specifications (and boy, did they ever have a good time with the options list!)

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A reader of the Globe and Mail writes in to them and asks “Can Saab Survive? Should I buy one?” Many jokes follow (it’s part of the columnist’s schtik) before they conclude that No, the reader shouldn’t buy a Saab, or a Volvo, for that matter.

My advice – check out the cars for yourself. You wouldn’t go to a butcher to get your shoes repaired so why go to a newspaper to get a definitive answer on what car you should buy? Newspapers are to there to provide opinions, but your own opinion is just as valid as theirs and the only way to make your mind up is to check the car out for yourself.

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The Motor Report recently tested the Saab 9-5 Vector in Australia. They complained about the price of the vehicle but found it to be a good driver, over all.

What got me confused was their comparison at the end, comparing the 9-5 Vector to a BMW 325i (amongst others). They concede that the BMW feels asthmatic and cramped compared to the 9-5, but feels more ‘planted’ on the road. The last comment is fair enough because that is BMW’s forte, but it just seemed like a strange comparison to make given the different emphasis each vehicle has.

As I said, check them out for yourselves, according to your own priorities and tastes.

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The last few years have taken their toll and we have some work to do in Australia when it comes to customer satisfaction levels.

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It was nice to see our batch of Saab 9-6 images got picked up by a few motoring websites. There are a lot of interesting stories to tell here at Saab and I’m looking forward to sharing more of them – especially from the Saab Museum.

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And finally, for those with an interest in advertising…… Business Insider has a study into which parts of an advertisement get the most viewing time from both men and women.

There are three ads used in the study – a woman in a bikini, a woman in a pair of sneakers (yes, just sneakers) and an ad for the Saab 9-5.

Check it out and see some of the finer details that ad people have to think about. (link is to the 9-5 pages only, if you want to look at ladies in bikinis and sneakers then you’ll have to do so consciously 🙂 )

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The end of the weekend saw my wife and I attend the conclusion of Fallens Dagar here in Trollhattan. The fireworks were something to behold as they go off right above your head. There’s also the release of water from the Göta älv, which is quite picturesque at 11pm.

Video by zaibase, on Youtube.

If you want suggestions for a good time to visit Trollhattan, either during the Saab Festival or during Fallens Dagar are pretty good, and occasionally those two events are on at the same time.

Saabosphere – links we liked this week

There’s an event on Facebook called Save Saab. We didn’t create it, but I’m sure all Saab employees and fans appreciate the fact that it’s there.

The event is tomorrow and the location – the whole world. It’s a non-geographic event. A show of support. Go to the event page and click “I’m attending” to show your support. We really do appreciate all of you.

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Whilst our executive team are working their tails off to ensure the liquidity we need to proceed, there are plenty of pundits lining up to write our obituary. We’re a big, fat, easy target.

With that in mind, it’s been nice to see someone looking at alternative points of view. Matt De Bord at BNET has taken a look at three ways Saab might survive the current situation.

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At what age do you consider it OK for your booster-seat-age child to buckle themselves in?

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If you’ve ever wondered if, or how, your Saab addiction might effect your partner, then this article is for you. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable story of Saab addiction written by Barbara Scully, a Saab-widow from Ireland.

I felt so moved by it that I left a comment in support (of her husband! 🙂 )

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Some reviews that are worth a look……

Car and Driver have done a short review of the 2.0T version of the Saab 9-5 sedan. I found it quite heartening because the 2.0T has been my personal preference when it comes to this car. It was nice to see they also commended the ‘smaller’ 9-5.

…..the 9-5 sedan is by far Saab’s best product in recent memory……
[the 2.0T’s] competent dynamics and roughly 10-grand-cheaper point of entry make it the deal of the lineup.

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The Age newspaper in Australia has reviewed the Saab 9-5 and think it’s a great car, but the situation with the company stops them short of recommending it strongly. (Video)

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The Independent (UK) has published a very good review of the Saab 9-5 SportCombi based on a pre-release drive. It makes for some very good reading…..

Would it make me buy a 9-5 Sportwagon over an obvious German rival? I do believe it would

……And the picture accompanying it is one of the best photos of the Combi I’ve seen.

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I’d like to send a small note of well-wishing to some good friends, Rune and Anna, who got married on the weekend.

You might remember them from the 2,000km trip to northern Sweden that I took a few weeks ago. That trip was to pick up Rune’s car after some accident repairs. Today, the same car played a role in their wedding day.

Congratulations, guys. Wish so much that we could have been there.

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Saabosphere – Saab links we liked this week

Inside Saab now has a video page where you can watch all the groovy videos we produce.

We also have a playlist on Youtube.

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Saab participated in a fuel economy challenge in Spain just over a week ago and ended up winning a comparative test during the event.

The ALD Ecomotion Tour was hosted by ALD Automotive Company, a group dedicated to leasing and fleet management. The test involved nine different manufacturers. Vehicles were assessed according to their manufacturers fuel economy ratings and were driven to see how far below the stated fuel economy the driver could achieve.

It’s not stated in the reports that I’ve seen, but I’m told that the Saab 9-5 participating in the test was a Saab 9-5 2.0 TiD 160cv Vector Auto. The car was driven by a journalist accompanied by a member of the team from Saab Spain. Driving the 9-5 along the 350km course, they managed to achieve a 17% reduction from the fuel economy rating stated on the vehicle sales sheet – the biggest reduction achieved by any of the manufacturers participating.

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The 2011 Saab 9-5 Aero Sedan has been driven and reviewed by Motor Authority:

We’re glad we finally got the chance to get a first drive and spend some quality time with the 2011 Saab 9-5 sedan, as it’s quite possibly one of the best new efforts of the model year, with a cohesive design that takes a different direction than the main luxury sport-sedan current; an excellent, spacious interior; and a great mix of supreme isolation, driver involvement, and uniquely Saab character throughout.

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It looks like Motorexpo in London was a success, with a record 410,000 visitors attending the event at Canary Wharf. The Saab 9-5 SportCombi was in attendance and if you went to MotorExpo then I hope you enjoyed seeing the next addition to Saab’s lineup.

There’s some related good news in this for Saab fans in eastern Canada.

MotorExpo is expanding and will be on in Toronto from the 20th to the 24th June. That’s just a few days away from now and yes, Saab will be at the show. I’m not sure what range of vehicles will be there for visitors to see in Canada (it’s not the same vehicles as were seen in London) but it’s great to see Saab at this show.

Motorexpo will also be on in New York later this year.

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It’s nice to see the Saab 9-5’s IIHS Top Safety Pick award for the 9-5 Sedan getting some coverage on the web.

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For a bit of deeper reading, try out James May’s assessment of the role and function of the cup holder.

He has an opinion on the Saab cupholder, of course, and unfortunately it’s not a favourable one. That’s OK, as the cupholder had a two-fold purpose – to hold drinks and to make people go “wow”. It does both quite well, even if it doesn’t win big scores in James’ pedantry tests.

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Have a great weekend!

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An update from the Saab 9-4x test drive in Washington DC

Saab are hosting automotive journalists from around the world this week, for a test drive of the all new Saab 9-4x. I brought you a few images from the first day of the event, yesterday. Today, we’ll take a look at how things are going, as well as giving you a peek behind the curtain as to what actually goes on at these events. Do automotive journalists really have the best jobs in the world?

First, the update.

I’ve been in touch with Mikael Jacobsson, who is the Product Manager for the Saab 9-4x. He summed up the event in one word – SUCCESS!

The event itself has gone wonderfully well, but better than that, the reception given to the car from the automotive press has been uniformly positive.

The scenic Swedish-like route we are driving is fantastic, but more importantly the journalists have been extremely positive about the car. The design, handling, comfort, versatility, features and technologies – the entire car has been getting superlatives. This is something we’ve thought ourselves for a while, but now we can start to share it. The media the first to drive the 9-4x. Our dealers and customers will follow soon. Can’t wait to hear their feedback.

Here are some images from day 2 of the test drive event. Click to enlarge.

PhoeniX is at the event and everyone wants to stand near it, even Victor Muller, the Chairman of Saab Automobile……

Product Manager Mikael Jacobsson gives the media a few lessons (on XWD technology, perhaps?)…..

The new head of Saab Cars North America, Tim Colbeck, addresses the cameras alongside PhoeniX…..

The Saab 9-4x shows some light and shade. This is the first time I’ve seen a darker color in Aero trim, which looks fantastic.

Peter Dorrich, the father of the Saab 9-4x and sister vehicle from Cadillac, addresses some questions from the motoring media.

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So……

What exactly goes on that these events? Do automotive journalists have it as good as everyone thinks?

Here’s the program for the Saab 9-4x test drive event. 25 US media persons went through this program today and a dozen or so from Europe will do the same tomorrow.

Attendees arrive the night before their scheduled drive day and share a dinner with the Saab team.
The next morning, there’s breakfast, followed by a brief product presentation, before attendees go to the House of Sweden in Washington, to collect their cars.
The morning drive session starts at 0830 and continues through to 1330, with a stop halfway at Swedenburg Estate winery for a driver change (and hopefully not too much sampling of the estate’s product by the next driver)
Lunch is at 1330 at Magnolia on the Mills
The afternoon drive begins, concluding at 1600 at the Ritz Hotel (the start point)
Then they wind up, clean the cars and do it all again….

So, do you think automotive journalists have the best job in the world?

This is definitely nice, and it’d be great to be driving the Saab 9-4x in the countryside. Unfortunately, however, for every Saab 9-4x they get to drive, they also have to drive a bunch of small, generic city cars or bland family sedans.

I’m not suggesting you feel sorry for them, not by any means. It’s just a matter of perspective. Hopefully Saab are giving them all some pretty nice perspective right now.

Saab 9-4x testing in Washington DC

The Saab 9-4x did its first round of press testing for long-lead press back in March. That event was pretty quiet at the time and the resulting road tests only just came out last week.

Today was Day 1 of a week long press event for short-lead journalists and I guess you could say it’s a ‘bigger’ event for the purposes our reportage here on Inside Saab. Firstly, we’ll start to see results coming through very quickly. Keep your eyes out for Saab 9-4x road reports in the next day or so. Second, there are more journalists involved in the event. And finally, we’ve got pictures!

There are more than two 9-4x’s involved in this event, of course, but here’s a pair awaiting their test drives.

The new head of Saab Cars North America, Tim Colbeck, whose appointment was announced only hours earlier, was present at the event. Tim is speaking here with Saab’s design chief, Jason Castriota.

Saab Automobile Chairman (a.k.a “the boss”) Victor Muller holds court with the assembled press prior to hitting the road……

…. and again, providing some media footage from the event.

The primary focus of this event is to expose the Saab 9-4x to the US motoring press. The US will be the main target market for this vehicle, even though it will also be sold elsewhere. That’s not to say that European media isn’t present there. Many will ‘cross the pond’ in order to get their first drive in the 9-4x this week.

in fact, Swedish journalist with Svenska Dagbladet, Karin Henriksson, seems to be the first reporter to get a news story in from this event. You can read her thoughts (in Swedish) here.

The Saab 9-4x drive event continues all week, with different journalists driving the vehicles each day. I’m sure there will be plenty more to read as the week progresses.

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Saab 9-4x test drives now appearing online

It’s very exciting for us here at Saab to see test drive reports of the Saab 9-4x now appearing online. Long-lead publications had an opportunity to drive the Saab 9-4x at an event in the United States back in March. Reports from that event are now appearing online.

Automobile Magazine (US)

On the drive’s scenic parkways, feverishly expanding freeways, and gentle byways, the 9-4X Aero’s chassis was pleasantly tied down. At the same time, it capably sopped up the few bumps we could find to throw at it, with decent ride comfort despite rolling on high-style, twenty-inch wheels.

Autocar (UK)

….the new Saab 9-4X is more sporty and – to our eyes – more appealing than the Cadillac SRX with which it shares a factory. Its dynamic act is certainly polished enough to bear comparison with flagship petrol version of the Lexus RX and Infiniti EX.

Car & Driver (US)

….ride quality is surprisingly supple in both suspension settings; no noise finds its way into the cabin via the suspension; and the six-speed auto is much smoother than the SRX turbo’s we tested last August.

Motor Trend (US)

The interior and exterior styling are unmistakably Saab, with Swedish quality and minimalism. The materials used in the interior look and feel apropos of the luxury class into which the 9-4x is slotted. The exterior will stand out in a crowd of German and Japanese crossovers, while still looking reserved and understated.

Expressen (Sweden)

(The) 9-4X is a serious competitor for the title of best mid-sized SUV on the planet. And I’m not joking. The car is better than the Volvo XC60, better than the BMW X3 and better than the Lexus RX.

Short-lead publications will have an opportunity to drive the Saab 9-4x very soon at an event in Washington DC. Keep an eye out in the next few weeks for more road tests appearing online.

The Saab 9-4x should be appearing in US dealer showrooms soon.