Saab test drive 9-5 2001-2005 sedan

Something special

Saab has always found the opportunity to offer something special as the most demanding of its customers - a charged version of a serial car. Such in the late 50s was the Saab 93 Gran Turismo 750 - this is one of the first examples. Such is the Saab 9-3 Viggen - one of the last.

 

And the very last one is a version of the Aero Saab 9-3 and 9-5 models, which appeared last fall.

 

For the first time, the car with Aero was added to the name saw the light at the car dealership in Brussels in 1984. It was the Saab 900 Turbo 16 Aero (in some markets was sold as Turbo 16S), equipped with a new 16-valve turbocharged engine (175 hp, 273 Nm). The audience reacted to the novelty extremely favorably, and since then the Aero versions have firmly settled in the Nyshirok model series of the company. To the aerodynamic nine hundred soon the same nine -thousandth was added. And when Saab 9-3 and 9-5 appeared, Aero modifications were not long in coming-they were presented in September 1999 in Frankfurt.

 

Saab cars are not very frequent guests of the Motor magazine. The reasons for this are objective (not too frequent change of models), and subjective. To make up for the gap, we took the SAAB 9-5 Aero sedan, almost the coolest car of the company. Almost - because of an automatic box. But first things first...

 

Outwardly, 9-5 Aero from the usual nine to five is distinguished primarily by an aerodynamic body kit. The car body is surrounded around the perimeter with spoilers and threshold overlays, which is why the car looks lower. However, not only therefore - in the Aero version, the body is lowered by about 10 mm. Wheels with larger, 17 -inch discs - it took to place the front brake discs of increased diameter. What else? Chromely nozzle of oval section on the exhaust pipe. And, of course, Aero inscriptions on the front wings ...

 

In the rear bumper, I noticed several holes. As it turned out, they are located in the distance that help when moving in reverse - the equipment of the machine turned out to be sufficiently sophisticated. Confirmation of this is the salon. Torpedo with a wood insert, leather seats with heating and ventilation (only in front), an electric hatch, climate control ... All this is of course great, but the driver’s workplace does not affect - why does an air conditioner need if you can’t do it Set up the car for yourself?

 

You can’t say this about Saab 9-5. The seat has all possible adjustments, moreover, electrified and with memory. It is equipped, etc. An active headrest, which, with a strong blow, moves forward and upward, preventing injuries of the cervical vertebrae. The steering column is also adjustable, so soon I got comfortable and set about inspection of the cabin.

 

Ergonomics - on Yat, all controls are logically located. The combination of devices, a rectangular panel with buttons in the center of the torpedo - all this is done so that the driver feels a little pilot of the aircraft (for example, the Night Panel button occurs - to muffle the brightness of the lighting glow at night).

 

The interior is striking in the thoroughness of the development of parts and the quality of manufacture. The only exception, in my opinion, was ventilation deflectors with some sluggish manageability. On the skin of the tunnel - in the Saabov traditions - there is a ignition lock, and on the inner panel of the driver's door with a very interesting, unusual plastic, the remote opening buttons of the trunk and the lid of the bay neck are carried out.

 

Let's see how in the back seat ... It turned out that it was surprisingly spacious - but the driver's seat was put up to a two -meter height. (I involuntarily recalled the new Volvo V70 station wagon, which was in our hands on the same days. In absentia, these cars are not quite correct - now it’s not a pair test, but the sensations of the Saab sedan are more than the Volvo station wagon.)

 

I return behind the wheel, once again noting to myself its convenience. The leather upholstery of the rim is well held by the hands, some duplicate buttons of audio systems with a radio and CD changer are placed on the sides of the hub.

 

You can enjoy the coziness of the interior Saab for a long time, but - it's time to go. Turn the key ... The engine is almost not heard at idle, but I intend to force it to sing in full voice - we are heading to the Khodynsky field ...

 

It is appropriate to recall here that the Aero version is inherently different from the usual Saab 9-5 mainly the engine. The fact that this is the same turbocharged 2.3 liters of a four, which is equipped with an ordinary nine to five, it seems only at first glance. The difference is in the pressure of the boost. In the B235E motor, which is installed on the SAAB 9-5, it is 0.55 bar (power 170 hp), and in the B235R aero-version can reach 1.4 bar. Accordingly, the power rises to 230 hp. Interestingly, for this I had to replace the turbocharger - Garrett with Mitsubishi.

 

But Saab engineers were chasing not so much behind the power as the torque, which rose to 350 nm in the range of 1900-4000 rpm. (Machines with an automatic box limited the moment 330 Nm - regretted the transmission, for the mechanical box, on the contrary, they introduced the Overboost mode, which for a short time even more raises the pressure of the boost and torque - up to 370 nm.)

 

The movement in the non -bureau of the traffic flow almost does not give out the ability of the engine. After switching the box to the sports mode, it went more fun, but on the roads clogged with cars it is better not to risk it. Moreover, we are already approaching Khodynka.

 

The beauty of the closed route is in the absence of other participants in the movement and in the presence of enough space to correct errors when piloting. The ring is not ready yet - long -term construction (I wonder if they will have time to finish everything by the beginning of the racing season?). But there is still where to walk around ...

 

On the runway, the speed exceeded 180 km/h, but Aero did not give the slightest hint of the desire to take off - on the contrary, as if he had grown on the road. Suspension 9-5 Aero (in front of Macpherson, behind an independent multi-link, both on subframes) is noticeably tougher and shorter than just 9-5. At high speed, she showed herself perfectly, defects in the runway line - bitumen seams, cracks and fossa - did not cause damage to the course stability. For active steering and quick restraints, such a suspension is what is needed. As for comfort, they had to sacrifice slightly - a compromise between comfort and controllability is inevitable. But only slightly - the rolls in corners could be reduced. By the way, the suspension was pierced on the first sewer hatch, however, without consequences for a wheel disk and rubber.

 

Dynamics - at a height, a hundred car is gaining in 8.2 seconds. With sharp manipulations with the gear pedal, they sometimes switched somehow not very confidently, with small deeds, but if you drown the pedal to the floor, which quickly gained speed of the engine compensated everything. It is a pity that there was no machine with mechanics - according to passport data, it accelerates to hundreds for 1.3 seconds. faster.

 

The brake mechanisms with the front disks of increased diameter are perfectly coping with their task. At the same time, the course is pleasantly elastic for the brake pedal unusually small, but the information content is high - you can easily dose the effort attached.

 

When dumping and adding gas in the turn Saab 9-5, Aero shows mainly typical front-wheel drive habits. High -speed steering revealed one feature. Despite the fact that the car obeys the steering wheel well and it should definitely be where it is driven, with an increase in the speed of the car reaction to the fast turns of the steering wheel became slower - an increase in insufficient rotation.

 

But in general ... Saab 9-5 Aero once again proved the justice of the assertion that the better the chassis of the car is made and was brought, the easier it is for the driver to find contact with him. I did not have to control a small plane (and, probably, I will not come), but I think that the feeling of the flight that this machine gives, albeit without separation from the ground, is close enough to reality.

 

Sergey Ivanov

 
 
 

Source: Motor magazine [No. 5/2000]