Stig Östlund

fredag, november 18, 2011

Saab's 9-5 Reflects a Struggling Automaker




From the net

SAAB'S 9-5 SEDAN is elegant in appearance, but its performance is underwhelming. The interior plastic is flimsy and cheap and its other luxury touches simply aren't up to the competition. (LYRA SOLOCHEK  / ST. PETERSBURG TIMES)
By PETER COUTURE & LYRA SOLOCHEK / ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
Published: Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 11:25 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 11:25 p.m.


You may not realize this, but Saab — that quirky Swedish carmaker — is still in business. Just barely. Saab hasn't sent a car down the assembly line since this spring because of dire financial troubles that forced it to seek bankruptcy protection and may end with its sale to a Chinese conglomerate. So into this uncertain future rides the 9-5, which is based on a platform courtesy of former owner GM and is the sedan's first redesign in years. The 9-5 reflects the state of a carmaker struggling to survive and still sporting the DNA of its former parent.
Appearance: The design is refreshing because it doesn't look like every other midsize luxury sedan on the road. There are definite styling cues from the past, which is most evident in the way the slanted roof recalls the short, almost truncated lines of classic Saabs. Overall, the car is long and elegant, with silver-tone trim for headlights, grille and door handles. We also liked the five-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels and "oak metallic" body color. The look is the car's best feature.

Performance: The 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder accelerates well enough, but it won't wow you. The gear changes of the 6-speed automatic seemed choppy. The car has been praised for its steering, but we found the feel somewhat disconnected. The ride of this front-wheel driver is engineered more toward the comfort end of the spectrum despite three available driving modes: comfort, intelligent and sport.
Interior: Remember, we called Saab quirky. The quiet cabin is Exhibit A, with touches such as egg-crate air vents, monochromatic gauges backlit in green and speedometer and turbo-boost gauges that resemble aircraft instrumentation, a nod to Saab's aviation history. Alas, the rest of the dash and console are notable only for the cheapness of the plastics, which seem to have come from the GM parts bin of a few years back. Peter found both the turn signal and center console between the seats flimsy and cheap. The navigation screen nicely complements a list of gadgetry: lane-departure warning, cornering headlights, rain sensor, auto dimming mirrors and parking assist. But the head-up display, which sat too low for Peter even after adjustments, seems like an afterthought. The well-bolstered leather seats were comfortable with power adjustments on both front seats.
The bottom line: Saab is in a holding pattern (pun intended), so at the moment the 9-5's fit and finish and luxury touches aren't up to those of the competition. It might be better to wait out their storm.

Read more >> http://www.theledger.com/article/20111117/NEWS/111119328?p=2&tc=pg

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