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It’s very Saab… but it just might grow on you. I like it.
What amac said.
Very simple. I’d almost call it chique.
It doesn’t look bloated and disproportionate like so many modern designs. No wings spoilers or cladding. No fuss.
I think it looks ugly, but then again, every single Saab I’ve ever seen looks worse than this – so this is a step up.
yeah! stop asking leading questions! I don’t think it looks bad either.
what I do dislike, though, is how much it looks like a rebadged Malibu…
One needs to see the rear 3/4 view and interior to appreciate the homage to the 900 and 9000, respectively. In that context, I think it succeeds.
But will it bring in much-needed new blood? Methinks not, too polarizing.
Compared to the new Acura TL, this is a beauty!!
If the photo for this post is representative, this Saab isn’t gorgeous, but at least it ain’t Sebring Ugly….
Look alot like a Camry….I don’t mind it either.
Well, it does indeed look like a rebadged Malibu, as compo. suggested. But the Malibu is GM’s best looking car, so that wouldn’t be bad if there were no price premium for the Saab (an I assume that there is).
No Farago, it is just that you haven’t acquired good taste yet.
It looks like somthing Hitler would drive. Very tankish front with euro trash B pillar and back.
I don’t mind it. Nice and clean.
I’m not a huge fan, but I don’t hate it either. To me it just looks a little awkward. But I will say that I like it better after looking through the photo gallery than I did at first glance, as some of the the angles look much better than others. I think what’s killing it for me are the front and rear ends. The middle half of the car is defined by those sleek straight lines, and then when you get to the front and rear bumpers it turns all swoopy and curvy and just doesn’t look right to me, like it doesn’t match the rest of the car.
I wouldn’t say it looks bad per se, but there are definitely some changes I would make to the bumpers and trunk area if I could, and probably the hood as well.
I’ll also add that the interior looks really good to me, especially in the pic with the manual shifter. ;)
Ugly? Yes it is. And thank God for that.
Recent Saabs have been far too anonymized, watered-down, and made “normal”. Saabs in the past were always sort of what you’d expect a Martian to build after you described a car to him over the phone. This is the first Saab to look the way Saabs used to look in over a decade.
Ugly? Saabs were always ugly. And that’s why people loved them so.
Kia Forte. On steroids.
I see definite hints of the 900 sedan…ergo, I love it! I just hope it has that 900 Turbo exhaust note…
Simple.
Clean lines.
I like it…but would like to see a live product.
But like golden2husky said, NOTHIN hurts as much as the TL.
Not ugly. Just bland and boring like the Camcords. I think that SAAB needs this like a moose needs a hat rack.
I’d drive it after a few beers at 2am if nothing else was available…
A bit ugly because its different . But a bit SAABy for a change.
The wagon would be nice…
I can live with it
Saabs are supposed to be ugly, in an over-priced sort of way :)
The wagon would be nice…
I was thinking the same thing. This thing wants to be a wagon. It’s refusing to go full sedan.
Not ugly. But it does look a bit boring to me..
And I’m not used to their new grille too.
It sure doesn’t look SAABy at all. It’s turning into a bangle/accord/toyota/blah mobile like everything else lately.
Boring to look at outside, sadly. At least you can start the car with an ignition between the seats. Who really cares about that anymore anyway.
Saab usually thrives on ugly, but not in this case.
No, in this case, it thrives on Ambien.
Actually, the Malibu comparison would give the win to the Malibu. It’s the slab sided rear quarter I can’t get past. Does it look better than it photographs?
A. Yes, it is truly an uniquely ugly
B. It doesn’t matter. SAAB has taken over the Bruce Willis character in The Sixth Sense.
I don’t think its that bad. It has character – something SAAB has desperately needed.
A lot of what makes cars beautiful comes from their “form following function” origins. The VW Beetle was not really that beautiful, but it was truly loved by generations of people. It was also instantly recognizable, even though changes happened every year.
The same was true with the original Saabs. Everybody knew what it was instantly, but when GM got done homogenizing it, it became a Chev/Vauxhall, and it didn’t matter where the heck they put the ignition switch. It just wasn’t the same, and lost it’s history.
I think it looks great. It’s biggest crime is being almost toounadorned.
When it comes to Saabs, quirky is a good thing. I say: Live and let live. This could be the only good thing coming from GM in twenty years concerning Saabs…
It is beautiful.
Other than the shovelnose, it looks kinda generic. Completely lacking in that quirky something that is Saabiness.
It is beautiful.
I guess there really is a butt for every seat.
The 9-5NG is ok on the outside. Grows on you. Funny that the picture shown here shows the saab rear better than most of the other shots. Some of the details are questionable: the door handles. Hood lifts. That all looks very GM to me.
The real question is whether the interior is good, and if SAAB sprung for good quality materials. If yes, they might have a very decent car.
I like it. The styling is…quirky and uses styling cues from the Aero concept, particularly for the greenhouse.
The wagon might look even better.
But no Farago…I wouldn’t use ugly to describe it. Weird, quirky?…yeah. But hey, those words define Saab so it gets a pass from me.
I don’t think it looks too bad, and there are certainly worse looking cars in the world.
I’d take one in a heartbeat.
I like it.
Not ugly at all, although I really dislike the chrome-trimmed headlights on both this and current Saabs. Looks cheap and chinzy to me.
Also +1 to everyone who made wagon comments. This thing is begging for the wagon treatment.
Just another European over-priced four-cylinder FWD car, but not ugly. Almost as good as an Acura for a lot more $$.
Twotone
Aloysius Vampa :
I’d take one in a heartbeat.
The General Government thanks thee for your crafty praise, sir.
Not ugly…..
However it doesn’t stand out. If it drove past I wouldn’t even give it a second thought.
Folks were hammering on the Dodge Caliber earlier. At least you notice it and know what it is.
I would think that a Saab should reach out and grab you….. Not blend in with everything else.
Too high hood and beltline. And, from this picture at least, too steep windshield rake. Saabs used to have huge, wide open greenhouses with a low hood. So did most companies, come to think of it, but Saab kept up the good work longer than most.
I would also like a bit more space around the tires along with smaller rims and taller sidewalls. The pimprim look has gone so far now, I feel it even looks boring. Earlier I found the look nice and only disliked it for ride reasons. Now I find I even like the look of older cars with more sidewall.
Other than that, and compared to most new cars, I don’t find the look that offensive at all.
The styling cues themselves are actually… nice. The problem seems to be that even with such a unique fascia, the overall effect seems to be more conventional than anything else… though the tribute to the old 9000s in the shape of the rear pillars is a nice touch.
The rear overhang is a bit excessive. Other than that it’s just fine – tendentious but clean.
In Saab’s heyday, the reason why their cars became hot commodities was the way they drove, not the way they looked.
Back then, people snapped up Saabs, with their ridiculously overbooster, torbo-lagged four-bangers, because they were a kick to drive compared with the ocmpetition. The truth is that Saabs STILL have ridiculously overboosted fours, so while they way they drive really hasn’t changed, the market has.
Wasn’t there a vintage 70’s-era Rivera…or the Olds Toronado which had a rear somewhat like that regurgitated pig entrails called a SAAB?
http://www.chooseyouritem.com/classics/photos/90500/90944.1966.Oldsmobile.Toronado.jpg
SAAB- I give you two stinking thumbs (God knows where those thumbs have been) DOWN.
Regurgitated pig entrails is classy next to this “euro trash” chic nonsense.
Pretty Nice! I bet it has great seats too.
Does it matter though? Will this even get made? Aren’t they without an owner and burning cash…..
It looks like a modified Malibu with a ridiculous front end
Yes, it is ugly.
After looking at the full set of pics on AB, the back seems like the best part.
And @amac: I feel like it may grow on me too.
i love it. i dont see how anyone could think it looks like a camry & i dont think it looks generic. the greenhouse + front & rear ends are fairly unique. love the full width rear lights too.
imo the fact it is simple is a huge plus. so many cars are far to overstyled these days – the mazda3 makes me ill, M-B is all angles and slashes etc
Let Saab be Saab. Clean design, a little … it’s a big jellybean.
The interior is just as bad as every other Saab. They couldn’t design an interior with a gun to their heads.
That’s beautiful. So clean and without that sort of tortured sheetmetal that keeps showing up as the manufacturers try to out bungle Bangle.
The chrome is a nice touch. The monochromatic look has been beaten to death.
What a relief compared to overwrought designs that have been pumped out lately.
I don’t care for the reflector/taillight that runs the entire width of the rear though. Looks too much like a Dodge Intrepid.Or the new Jaguar. It didn’t make any sense in those applications either.Looks like an after thought.
But the rest of it is well done.
Twotone:
Just another European over-priced four-cylinder FWD car, but not ugly. Almost as good as an Acura for a lot more $$.
You mean almost as UGLY as an Acura for a lot more $$$…
The only thing that will improve the looks of this car and the Acura is a high-speed customization via a brick wall…
Closer to ‘meh’ than full-blown ugly. It would look more proper as a true Hatchback.
Ugly it is not.
Different, certainly
No.
That’s not to say it’s a beauty queen, but I never thought any thing from the querky Swedish company was beautiful, automotively speaking.
It took me a while to get used to it, but I don’t dislike it. Agree it is a little bland, and the taillights don’t do anything for me. I would prefer the round emblem on the back end instead. But I also don’t see the infamous crappy Saab cupholder that flops out of the dashboard; if that is gone, then Saab has truly lost their way.
Step 1: Slice a Koenigsegg engine in half to create a new slant four in a SAAB traditional layout with equal length half shafts.
Step 2: Place emergency brakes on the front wheels for WRC 180 degree spins.
http://www.seriouswheels.com/jkl/Koenigsegg-CC-Engine.htm
I like it. It’s classy and understated with some nice design queues that let you know it’s a Saab. I think the interior looks really good too, and can easily see spending a lot of road trip time in there.
It’s probably a pretty good car. But Saab needs a freakin’ amazing car right now. And odds are 50/50 as to whether these ever start rolling off the line.
I’d buy one for $35k, but probably not the $50k they’ll want for it. The nice part about that is that used Saab buyers get great deals. Let somebody else eat the depreciation and pick up a slightly used one for $25k in a couple of years.
I like it, though it’s not unique – at least not from this angle.
It looks like the love child of an audi and the new Acura TL to me.
I also like it. Elegant, yet still clearly a Saab.
I would really prefer they go back to making cool, useful 5 door hatchbacks, but if they’re going to make executive-style sedans that one doesn’t look bad in the slightest.
The rear angle view is strange. I think that’s the problem I have with it. At least it’s still recognizable as a Saab, whatever that’s worth. The interior looks typical strange Saab, but if the pics are to be believed, with some quality this time around. I look forward to seeing one in person to see if the hype matched the final product. It could very well turn out to be a great car, but with Saab’s track record it could also very easily turn out to be a real turd. I do like that the Nav is more integrated than it has been in the past and the audio system finally looks up to the competition. The real problem in the USA will be attracting buyers back to the brand. Saab folks I have talked to in this neck of the woods have finally realized that the brand is floundering and lacks any of the brand value of any of the Euro competition, including VW or Volvo.
I agree that the rear looks awkward, at least from that angle. Not the worst design I’ve seen, but it’s less attractive than the competition. I can’t see this leading to a lot more Saab sales.
A Buick by any other name…
Very SAAB… not hideous… I’d make a few changes. A simple rule can be applied here… if BBS LM wheels don’t make it irresistible to me then it is unforgivably ugly.
I agree that the rear looks awkward, at least from that angle.
It reminds me of the 2000 Altima.
I think it’s better looking than the 9-3 (since the 2008 “refresh”), and much more Saab-ish. Another car that GM might have actually fared pretty well on, but too little too late. This 9-5 should have been out 5 years ago.
face, C-/C. average face on cars today: D+. Headlights are awful, there is that pokemon thing going on with them and the open-mouth smile of the grill. But the face is much cleaner than on most cars.
Shape, B+. Average shape on 4 door sedans today: C+/B-
Clean, little that’s fussy, except the wheels.
Not ugly but not as Saabish as my long gone, lime green 99L. Sigh.
I’m a fan. It pays homage to the C900 and 9000, without going nutty-retro. The big fish-face grille is meh, but de rigeur these days I guess. I’m less concerned about what it looks like than whether or not it’s a good driver’s car. If it has a whoopty turbo four, a proper manual trans, and that other-worldy C900T exhaust note, I’m in. Make mine a wagon though…or even better, one of those hated hatchback thingys…
I’ve never seen a pretty Saab, but this is much better than the current 9-5.
looks like a malibu – not bad
As the owner of an ’02 9-5 “aero” wagon, this is recognizable to me as a Saab — probably a good thing. My one real complaint about my Saab doesn’t have to do with how it looks, but how it works. It’s been something of a repair hog — new motor mounts, ECM failure, alternator failure, and now leaking oil seals on a 78K mile engine.
Fix those things, and I’ll take a look at another Saab.
FWIW, the auto trannie and the big turbo on my four is one of the most seamless turbo’ed engine combinations I’ve driven. Still has gobs of torque steer and will change lanes for you automatically if you kick down to full boost at 60 mph! Dr. Piech (of Audi) was correct — throw a lot of torque on a FWD drive and it steers itself. So probably, the higher HP Saabs ought to have AWD standard; let the lower HP versions have FWD.
My personal view is that Saab should stick to the original 4-cyl with turbo model. I have gotten an observed 31 mpg on the highway in my wagon averaging 65-75 mph with the 250 hp engine. My guess is there’s more power available from that engine if you go to direct injection and variable valve timing — which probably would make the turbo even more seamless by increasing the engine’s low-rpm torque before the turbo comes on boost.
For now, with the company’s future in question, I can’t imagine investing $30-$40K in a new Saab, no matter how attractive it appears to be.
It’s growing on me. It lacks the awesomeness of the Aero X concept, especially in the interior, but what do you expect for a car designed by GM?
The side & 3/4 rear angles are better than the pic here. I am waiting for the wagon.
I really like the styling, especially the interior. They made a real effort to make it look like a SAAB. The instrument panel layout reminds me of my 1986 900.
Let’s all pause to recall that just a couple of months ago Fritz Henderson was musing publicly that the new 9-5 was such a great car that he wanted to keep Saab.
It looks more upscale, more of a luxury car than the current one, but not necessarily better. It looks more bulked up like a Lexus ES 350. It reminds me of the styling cue change that Volvo did when it went from the boxy S70 to the more rounded S80 styling.
The 2002-2005 9-5 sedan is a GREAT looking car. The pre-2008 refresh 9-3 is also a great looking car. I don’t care for the new black outline on the tail lights of the refreshed 9-3, but the front looks a little better. Overall though, I prefer the pre-2008 9-3 styling.
Reminds me of the Chrysler 200C concept.
It’s growing on me, but again, will it actually see production?
I dunno…
Looks like pretty much every other wind-tunnel creature out there, but with a few few Saab design elements grafted on – you know, from when they actually were distintive.
Saab and Volvo, back in the day were not afraid to try new shapes and designs – Saab 96 to 99/900, or Volvo Amazon to the 140/240 series. There is nothing meaningfully distintive about this car, unless it has a hatch, which would be something.
Since nearly all manufacturers seem to follow the exact same design mold, I suppose the value and sales of this one, if it happens, will come down to driving dynamics. If it’s nothing special like the last one, unless I need a hatch in this class, I’d probably rather go Infiniti or Lexus for reliable luxury or a BMW for RWD spirited driving.
Still, best of luck to Saab getting back on their feet – I hope they do get sales and survive, despite bitter commentaries like this one.
This car isn’t ugly, but it looks like every other vehicle in it’s category. In other words it doesn’t look like a SAAB at all. It doesn’t give anyone a real reason to buy it. Especially when you can buy a Malibu for less than half the price.
It looks like a Plus Sized Acura TL
I think generally quite well done.
My styling gripe is with the rear quarter panel — fender well. The rear fender well doesn’t match the profile of the front fender very well, with the rear one having a smaller pudgy profile that makes the rear end look wimpy.
I loves it.
If the design incorporated the grill and fascia from the original 99 it would be even hotter.
It looks like an Altima.
It looks like a Malibu.
It looks like a Acura.
it looks like an Intrepid.
It looks like a Chrysler.
It looks like a Camry.
It looks like a Buick.
It looks like you all don’t know how to add anything meaningful to the debate.
Not exactly ugly . . . . definitely weird in a Swedish way.
Certainly not my cup of tea.
It is not ugly at all… it is DIFFERENT. I like different, and I not only think it is not ugly, but it is actually attractive. Derivative? Nope. Cookie cutter “German” style? Nope. The clean lines are very scandinavian, and tailored. I like it a lot.
The exterior looks better in these photos: http://www.autospies.com/news/2010-Saab-9-5-Can-The-New-Face-Turn-Saab-Around-46371/ Charcoal gray is a good color for it, too.
The dash is hideous, though. I understand that they’re reaching for their heritage, but it doesn’t work here. There’s no way that I could sit down behind the wheel and face that every day.
The Saab 9-5 is frankly butt ugly; the design screams Committee Car; the design group apparently was trying to come up with a design that would appeal to everybody and will probably wind up
pleasing nobody. But then the last Saab that I thought had any character was the 900.
It is the Ugliest SAAB to date!!!!!!!!! and I am a huge SAAB fan and currently own a modified 00′ Viggen
Did I mention I hate itand it is the ugliest SAAB to date!!!! Koenigsegg please hurry with the relacement 9-5 and put this piece of shit with a GM engine out of its misery!
GM/SAAB THANKS for embarrassment and the fucking garbage!
All of you SAAB fans are trying to convince yourselves that this is “SAABish” and ok to look at…..ITS A JOKE!
I think the exterior is sufficiently non-offensive and pays hommage to Saab tradition without being retro. The interior is less of a success. For a brand that prides itself on ergonomics the centre console with the hundreds of tiny buttons is a proper disaster. The air vents are cool, though.
It looks like they unpimped a Chrysler 300. Doesn’t look bad to me.
It’s simply gorgeous.