Vehicle: 2006 Saab 9-5 sedan automatic with sports and visibility packages
Price as tested: CDN$47180

Performance: The facelifted 9-5 is only powered by one single engine. Gone are the assymetrical turbo V6 and 2.3L light-pressure turbocharged engines in outgoing Linear and Arc. There will be only one trim level with one powerplant to soldier on before the complete replacement arrives. This high-output turbo or what Saab called HOT 2.3L DOHC turbocharged engine is good for 260 ponies and 258 lb/ft of torque. As one would expect from Saab’s legendary turbocharged unit, this one has plenty of bottom end torque due to its maximum torque ranging from 1900 to 4k rpm. The level of refinement is up to usual Saab turbo-4 level given Swede’s expertise of producing excellent small displacement turbo. That’s despite the flexability and NVH have been outgunned by currently the best turbo-4 in the market, VW and Audi’s 2.0T FSI. This HOT has close to no turbo lag with its turbo spools up quickly and swiftly. This engine is either mated with a rubbery 5-speed stick shift or 5-speed manumatic in our tester. The manumatic shifts quite roughly between gears, that’s even with nicely done gear ratios. Both the up and downshifts are very harsh when the driver has the urge to push the car. If you don’t mind the weird clutch take-off and rubbery shifter, take the 5-speed stick.

Handling: Although Saab has claimed they have stiffened up the chassis, 9-5 has started to feel age when the going gets tough. In the past, Aero’s high horsepower feels quite nature in this platform because, back in 2000, this chassis remains quite much better than acceptable. 6 years latter when all the competitions have completely redesigned, this car has got completely outgunned. Other than the chassis flex and torque steer, this car has plenty of understeer and body rolls when pushed. It just doesn’t cut the mustard when it compares to newer competitions. However, steering still feels swift and response. The precision and path traceability remain 9-5′s merits. Saab’s typical substantial Swedish feel remains intact despite the age of the platform. The stiffened up suspension and springs have made 9-5 rides much more poorly on rough pavements, especially on expansion joints. Unfortunately, it doesn’t gain any in the corners.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, braking remains exceptional in typical Saab fashion. The brake pedal feels crisp and solid, with ABS kicks in only when necessary.

Interior: Despite 9-5′s age, its interior remains a comfortable place to spend time with. The world’s most comfortable seats are still inside 9-5′s cockpit. Everything is typical 9-5 except for the rather cheap-looking rotary automatic climate control knobs from GM parts pin. The lack of tilt steering is unacceptable in 21st century.

Conclusion: When Saab first introduced the 9-5 back in 1999, it was such an excellent luxury sports sedan that is able to run with heavyweights like Audi A6 and BMW 5-Series. Just when both Audi and BMW already got a new versions of their existing benchmarks, Saab still producing 9-5 using this aging underpinnings. It will be an even tougher sale with such an ugly facelift and questionable interior switchgears, which aren’t feel upmarket at all. Instead of having a new commercial campaign “born from jet”, Saab should start thinking of a reborn of the 9-5. How times have changed in the marketplace in a short 7 years???

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2006 SAAB 9-5 SEDAN
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Performance: 2/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 2/5