Three weeks ago, we caught what is arguably our best look yet of the new
Saab 9-5 under a thin cover at Saab's headquarters. Now, the Saab fans who dug up those pictures have come across a pair of renderings purported to be highly accurate depictions of the upcoming 9-5 sedan and wagon.Last week, the fans over at Saabs United got their hands on these renderings from an inside source at Saab, only to take them off their website at Saab's request a few hours later, though not before they had spread across the internet. Saab's request lends a fair amount of credibility to the authenticity of the renderings, and from what we see here, we hope they're accurate. We'll find out for sure when the cars, along with the new 9-4x, make their debut, which is promised for later this year and expected at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
After waiting patiently for over 10 years for something more substantial than a minor cosmetic or mechanical update, the Saab 9-5 is finally getting a true redesign and a much-needed move to GM's new Epsilon II platform. Not much is known about the new 9-5's mechanicals, but it will likely share powertrains with its platform mates. That means it could borrow the 2.4L Ecotec four-cylinder or 3.0L or 3.6L high-feature V-6 from
the new Buick LaCrosse or possibly even the turbocharged 2.8L V-6 from
the new Opel OPC. From either sibling it could also borrow an AWD powertrain like its little brother, the 9-3.What we can tell from these renderings, should they be accurate, is that the 9-5 will truly look like a Saab. To support that conclusion, we point you to the flat roof and long C-pillars, which follow a nearly flat, shallow slope that from this angle is highly reminiscent of hatchback Saabs of old, though this car would still appear to have a separate trunk rather than a hatch. Rumor has it, though, that this rendering may not be a completely accurate portrayal of the 9-5's roofline and C-pillars, but we won't know for sure until we see the real car. Up front, the big, long nose is a clear evolution of the current family nose and appears to incorporate Audi-like thin turn signals running in a small stripe above the fog lights. Small vents behind the wheels offer a new take on a classic design element, one a bit less jarring than the large vents often found on today's sports cars.
Though there doesn't yet appear to be a real Saab 900-esque hatch in the mix, the 9-5 will also be offered as a wagon for those desiring more cargo space. This ain't your daddy's Buick Roadmaster, though. It's far more similar to
the new Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback with a steeply raked rear window and hatch. Where Saab separates itself from the herd is in the back window itself, which wraps around the C-pillars beyond the edges of the actual hatch. Combined with the reverse-wedge greenhouse, sharp, sculpted tail lights and twin chrome tail pipes, the 9-5 wagon looks more like a sports car than family hauler.
