A couple of hours before the official unveiling of their new 9-5, the ailing Swedish brand has released pictures and a press release for the new car. (Nice to have Saabsunited for English versions :-D) It’s the Aero-version that’s being presented, and . . . well . . . I don’t know how this car is going to make any impact on car buyers not already into Saab. At the same time, Saab has released a new world-wide commercial campaign on their 9-3X, called Changing Perspective. Saab is a relatively small car manufacturer in the global market, which over the years has driven many innovations, from turbo technology and seat heating to effective use of alternative fuels. “Now we’ll bring back an even larger share of the production and initiatives to Sweden, and then we also want to take a starting point based on what actually makes us unique,” says Annika Priou, Marketing Communications Manager. Good lycka with that.
Long as it’s not “born from jets…”
It took ’em 12 years to come up with this?
(Dear Advertising Agency,
The slogan should read “Advanced boredom has never been more Scandinavian.” And “Changing Perspective” is not really the brightest advertising hook for a) the 9-3, which hasn’t been freshened up since the early pleistocene, and b) the brand spanking new 9-5, which looks exactly like all other Saabs from the past and all the studies they have been ferrying to every motorshow in the last twenty or so years.
Yours etc.,)
that’s a great looking car. You guys are endlessly cynical.
Chrysler 300 meets Chevy Malibu meets a SAAB front end. And not in a bad way…seriously, it looks pretty good.
I’m with NN – I think it’s a very handsome car.
…and no, I’m not part of the Saab cult. I’ve never owned or even driven one.
I seriously don’t get this site… I love reading it, the reviews are good and all BUT:
Here comes a car that looks reasonably good, will be probably nicely built and full of equipment, and hopefully priced correctly. Yet both readers and and the staff can’t get happy about it.
Saab makes IMHO nice good looking cars, and now that they are free from GM they have the chance to go back to what they do best: good, FWD cars with turbo power and unassuming looks. I say, if you don’t like that equation stop complaining about BMW’s Bangle butt or Acura this, Lexus that.
/rant
Well, if they can remove all the visible traces of the GMification of Saab, they’ll be partway there.
If they want to attract more attention in the NA market, they might want to consider selling a reasonably priced diesel wagon. The TTiD engine sounds pretty impressive from what I’ve read about it.
Another ugly car with gun slit windows in a boring color.
Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
IMO (based only on the photo), it’s OK. Doesn’t “stand out”, looks like a lotta other cars. I wouldn’t buy it FOR its looks, but neither do they scare me off. I’ll wait for the CR reviews, etc.
The windows do scream “reduced visibility”. I won’t buy a car if I have to crane my neck just to see if the signal changed to green yet…
now that they [SAAB] are free from GM they have the chance to go back to what they do best: good, FWD cars with turbo power and unassuming looks.
I don’t think it’s unfair to point out that this car is still GM based. I wish SAAB every success but it’s going to be a couple of years before SAAB is going to be able to develop cars that don’t contain the current problems that stem from being based on products that come from squeezed-to-starvation parts suppliers.
While I like the styling of this car, I think that SAAB would actually be better served by a design that is a bit more radical looking. This look seems like it’s part of the GM line-up rather than the independent product of forward-thinking designers.
Still – it ain’t bad, and that’s a good thing.
that’s all I’m seeing. something about the damn C pillar
That is a good looking, and distinctive sedan. Nice simple lines. With that said, the overall body shape is what Buick should have been doing…only because Oldsmobile cannot.
Nice looking Malibu.
Nice looking car. Supposed to come with a 350HP turbo V6 option.
I am not as cynical as some other posters (regarding the Saab, at least).
I think the exterior isn’t any worse than the current crop of FWD mid-size from Sonata to Accord.
Since the Saab is less reliable but more exclusive than a Sonata, I would pay the same price as a Sonata for it. I think most other people would see it the same way. Yeah, $15k would be a reasonable starting point and $22k for the everything included trim sounds right to me.
I would say more Chrysler Imperial concept with a Saab front-end. And really, really not much of a Saab at all, unless you count the Aero-X concept, which is frippery.
If you look at the current 9-5 and even the 9-3, they’re at least Saab-shaped, in a way. The shape here is all wrong. There’s too much heaviness in the design: big wheels, big wheel-well gaps, slab sides, thick hood, droopy trunk, useless greenhouse. Were this, say, the Infiniti M, or if Oldsmobile’s Aurora had survived, it would be ok. It’s not a Saab design at all.
About the only nice touch is the wrap-around appearance of the glass, and that’s only done to address what would otherwise be a typical GM extreme-tumblehome gunslit passenger compartment. The fender vents and foglight maws just add insult to injury.
Think it’s very sharp looking (but agree with the comments about its “Malibu-ness”) How it will save Saab from extinction is unclear.
From AW:
Saab says the new 9-5 is the most technically advanced car it has made to date, with an array of high-tech features including an aircraft-inspired head-up information display, bi-xenon adaptive headlights, adaptive cruise control, parking assistance and all-wheel drive.
Seriously? All of these “high-tech features” are cribbed from the competition. Head-up display has been offered on Grand Prix’s for at least 10 years now.
WSN: if reliability was the factor in price adjustment, you could get a Mercedes and BMW for not much more than an Accord.
Overall, your pricing scheme makes no sense other than to say that you are more cynical.
This is not a SAAB–at least design wise. It’s a curious hybrid morphed from three or four other unrelated designs. Too bad, really. If this car represents the “new” SAAB, then design-wise they’ve become another Jaguar. That is, a company with once distinctive character that has now lost any claim to being unique. What’s the point? To be fair, maybe it’s better in person. Pictures often belie reality.
There’s too much heaviness in the design
I think that may have to do with EU pedestrian impact regulations. The classic SAAB 99/900/9000 isn’t legal anymore.
I’m assuming this new car will have the same ghost-in-the-machine electronic system that’s in my 06 Saab. Fun times. Random dashboard idiot lights flashing. Intermittent system and sensor failures. Stereo that craps out when it’s cold (it’s from Sweden, fer cryin’ out loud!). The latest: Driver window goes up-down-up-down-up-down. Farago says most people will always say they love their cars so as not to admit a mistake. Me? I screwed the pooch. I confess. I hate this car down to its black, squeaking, and rattling heart of Scandinavian Lucas Darkness.
It is a very attractive car. This is proof that it is not a real Saab.
It’s not what I would call ugly, but it looks so much like the last one that I doubt the average person would notice the difference, and that’s a serious problem (see 2004 Jag XJ).
Saab is not going to market this against the Sonata at $25K. It’s going to try and sell it in that not quite near-luxury no mans land of $35K, where it will continue to have no buyers.
While most people here are fully aware that Saab has been a GM brand recently, the masses don’t and could care less.
A good friend of ours is convinced her 1998 900 was the last of the “real” Saab’s before GM bought Saab. I have nothing to be gained by bursting her bubble.
I’ve had a few Saabs and enjoyed them, but then again I like outlier cars. I do hope Saab finds their niche again, and I agree they are going to have to get more radical to stand apart.
Another over-priced four-cylinder FWD car.
Twotone
I like it. It’s handsome in an understated way. Approve.
Unique is not a synonym of good.
Another example of the “Incredible Shrinking Greenhouse”.
I guess that good visibility makes a car look too “feminine”.
Thanks, Chrysler, they’re all catching on :-(
Another over-priced four-cylinder FWD car.
In terms of MSRP or in terms of the price you’ll actually pay? The price they put on the window sticker is crazy, the price you actually pay is often quite reasonable.
Looks weird, and not in a good way.
Not much of an assman (hey Kosmo!!), more into breasts; but what a beautiful rearend on that 9-5.
I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder but anybody comparing this beauty to a Sonata or a Malibu should have his retinas checked. Also, anybody who isn’t seeing the tasteful Saab design cues, mainly around the windscreen and the C-pillar. The direct view from the side is especially striking.
US citizens: Your taste, opinions and purchase decisions unfortunately often have a large impact on what is sold in rest of the world. Please make our lives a little better by not letting a company die who is still able to produce such a beautiful design.
Thank you.
The world.
TEXN3 :
August 27th, 2009 at 10:54 am
WSN: if reliability was the factor in price adjustment, you could get a Mercedes and BMW for not much more than an Accord.
Overall, your pricing scheme makes no sense other than to say that you are more cynical.
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Well, at least MB and BMW still got RWD and German badges.
For most people, the brand of Saab doesn’t have much more prestige than Honda or Hyundai. Even if Saab sells these things at $20k average (and assuming Saab can produce fast enough at a profit), it still won’t out-sell Sonata.
Saab is finished–period, end of story. GM has utterly and completely abandoned the brand in the US. One of their largest dealers has not sold a single car in over 60 days. Can’t lease ’em, banks won’t finance ’em either.
It’s over.
Vega :
August 27th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder but anybody comparing this beauty to a Sonata or a Malibu should have his retinas checked.
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“Beauty” is a strong word for this thing. It’s not bad looking, that all. As in the Sonata is not bad looking either.
It doesn’t look like a Malibu, it looks like a Grand Prix.
Seriously, that was my first thought–why is there a Grand Prix pic in this SAAB story?
@Davekaybsc
but it looks so much like the last one that I doubt the average person would notice the difference
I don’t agree with this at all. Everything is different – the stance, the greenhouse, the main character line running down the side, C-pillar, slope of the trunk and the rear-sloping roofline. I’ve owned two 9-5s and I see little similarity.
That being said, I like this design, and it does have some Saab design cues (windshield/A-pillar, C-pillar), but ultimately it isn’t very Saab-like. I agree with others who have said that something a little more distinctive would’ve been more fitting. As a fan of the marque, I hope this car is a success, but I’ll be looking for more innovation in future models.
Unique is not a synonym of good.
This is a fair point…
However, here’s the question that has to be asked:
Why buy a SAAB?
If a SAAB is not unique in some way, why not just buy a Malibu or a Camry?
Lokkii
It is impossible to say before anyone has had a chance to drive this thing, but I would wager that this 9-5 will have far better driving dynamics than a Camry or a ‘bu.
Of course, I don’t see much potential for cross-shopping here; this will likely start in the mid $30K’s, trying to do battle with the C-class, 3 series, et al.
The new 9-5 is to the Malibu as the old 9-7X was to the Trailblazer
A few thoughts from a current new Saab owner:
1. It looks OK to me – better than the current one, and nicely understated. I am awaiting the wagon version in a couple years, I don’t do sedans. Scandinavians are not a showy bunch – you want showy, buy a damned Cadillac.
2. As European cars go, Saabs are extremely reliable these days. Certainly better than most American cars, not as good as some Japanese cars, but I would infinitely rather pay to maintain a Saab than a Subaru. Saab certainly screwed the pooch with the early 9-3SS – they tried to go a little too high tech with the electronics and it took them a few years and abandoning the fibre-optic based stereo to get it right. My ’08 9-3 SportCombi has been flawless. A 9-3 is NEVER going to be as reliable as a Corolla, it has a lot more stuff to break. You will never need to replace the turbo in your Corolla, nor will you likely have a problem with the SID or the remote closing auto-up windows and sunroof, or fix the power memory seats since it likely has none of those features. And that is the sort of stuff that goes wrong with Saabs and other European cars. On the other hand, they don’t rust and are usually mechanically strong.
3. The price (MSRP anyway) is going to be more like $45K-55K – maybe even near $60K for a 350hp AWD Aero Wagon when that comes out.
The 9-3 is $30K-$45K MSRP. I do think both are overpriced by about $8-10K. But Saab intends the new 9-5 to compete with the AWD versions of the A6 and 5-series, and have you priced what one of THOSE babies retails for these days? This car was designed to be AWD from the get-go.
4. The guy who is comparing this to a Sonata – are you on drugs dude? Seriously? Have you EVER driven a $45K European car?? A Sonata is not even in the same universe of driving appeal or comfort. I rent cars CONSTANTLY as I travel for work, and have driven many a brand-new Sonata right up to 2009. They compare only in that they have 4 wheels and get you from place to place. If that is all you care about then I guess you should just ignore the fact that Saab even exists. And mind you, I think the Sonata is a perfectly decent car – I would certainly prefer one to a Camry.
5. Unlike many, I have thanks for GM. Without GM, Saab would have died 15 years ago. GM (of Europe) has excellent engineers, and very good platforms. They just have disfunctional management. Saab is not Chevy, they were pretty much left alone to do thier own thing in the 9-5 and 9-3SS development era. A little too much IMHO on the early 9-3SS – that FO stereo should never have seen the light of day. So yes, those cars and the new 9-5 have some GM roots, but ultimately they are better and cheaper cars than the NG900 and 9000 that came before them. There is NO comparison to the reliability of a 10yo 9-5 and a 10yo 9000, for example.
6. Sadly, the high-waisted bulbous nose look is here to stay due to safety regulations. European pedestrian impact regulation pretty much require a high, bluff nose. Side-impact expectations require high sides and nasty thick pillars. I personally would glady trade off passive safety for the ability to see out of the car, but nobody is asking me my opinion. The great unwashed seem to like cars they can’t see out of, makes them feel safe, like a horse with blinders on I guess.
For most people, the brand of Saab doesn’t have much more prestige than Honda or Hyundai.
The whole point to a Volvo or a SAAB is that it’s more expensive than a Honda or a Hyundai.
SAABs are still popular in the weathier and older money suburbs of Boston. A woman in a 9-5 wagon says, I’m a SAHM with family money and my husband teaches at HBS. It’s a way of saying, “I could easily chose to buy a E-Class wagon or a Range Rover but that would be gauche.”
A 9-3 is NEVER going to be as reliable as a Corolla, it has a lot more stuff to break.
A LS 460 has a lot more stuff than either a 9-3 or a Corolla and it’s much more reliable than either of them.
As European cars go, Saabs are extremely reliable these days. Certainly better than most American cars, not as good as some Japanese cars, but I would infinitely rather pay to maintain a Saab than a Subaru.
For the life of me I just don’t see the point of spending more money to keep an already overpriced car running when there are plenty of better lower or same priced options available. I think the phrase here is “style over substance”.
I remember my days in the 70’s driving old VW Beetles. I loved them, even if I froze to death in the winter and had to fix electrical ground points every so often. But Beetles were cool. No way in hell would I put up with that kind of bullshit nowadys!
@jmo
An LS 460 costs 2X+ as much as a 9-3, and has but a little more stuff, not a lot. Has a lot more air inside certainly. And I VERY much doubt that an LS460 is going to be as reliable as a Corolla over the long haul. Stuff wears out. If it isn’t there, you won’t have to fix it. I would say the most reliable car you can buy today is probably the $9999 Nissan Versa that doesn’t even have A/C. Nothing on it to break!
The difference is that if you have a problem with an LS460, the Lexus dealer is going to make you feel really great about the experience of getting it fixed. THAT is truly Lexus’s thing – the dealer experience is amazing. We’ve had Lexi in the family. They are just cars, stuff breaks, usually the doodads just like every other luxury car. The difference is that they have a magical way of making you not care and forget all about it. My Aunt had the sunroof crap out on her ES350 just out of warranty. She called the dealer, they came to her office and got the car, dropped off a current model year loaner, returned the car imaculately detailed, fixed, with no bill to be seen. “we are so sorry, we took care of it for you” But that doesn’t make the car itself anything more than a gussied-up fancy Camry. My Saab is a much nicer car to drive.
If only Saab could manage to copy THAT, they would really shift some cars. But Saab dealers do generaly suck. Just like most new-car dealers. :-)
Actually – this really should be a question to the B&B:
How does Toyota seem to enforce this aspect of Lexus with their dealerships? Why do they seem to be SO much better than any other brand? Here in Portland, the Toyota and Lexus dealers are owned by the same company, yet their reputations are 180 degrees apart. The Toyota dealer is considered a greedy crook, but every Lexus owner RAVES about the Lexus dealership!
moedaman,
If you look at the long term reliablity numbers a Camry might have 1.3 problems after 3 years vs. a SAAB or C-Class having 2.5. It’s not like one is never in the shop and the other is in ever two weeks. It’s one trip to the shop vs. two trips to the shop over a number of years – in most cases.
And I VERY much doubt that an LS460 is going to be as reliable as a Corolla over the long haul.
You may doubt it but it is true. An 1990 LS400 is going to be in better shape and have fewer problems than a 1990 Corolla.
If you theory is true – explain why the Prius is such a super reliable car?
If it isn’t there, you won’t have to fix it. I would say the most reliable car you can buy today is probably the $9999 Nissan Versa that doesn’t even have A/C. Nothing on it to break!
Where your theory falls down is a $9999 Versa costs $9999 because Nissan engineers used cheap parts designed to meet a very low price target.
An LS 460 or a Prius has parts where engineers were given the go-ahead to build them to a standard rather than a price.
krhodes1 :
August 27th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
4. The guy who is comparing this to a Sonata – are you on drugs dude? Seriously? Have you EVER driven a $45K European car?? A Sonata is not even in the same universe of driving appeal or comfort.
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The problem is, when the term “$45K European car” is mentioned, almost no one would come up with a Saab.
You argument stands if this is a $45k BMW that you are talking about. But the Saab 9-5 just doesn’t do it. Even if a buyer cannot afford a 535, there is Volvo before Saab is considered.
If you look at the long term reliablity numbers a Camry might have 1.3 problems after 3 years vs. a SAAB or C-Class having 2.5.
This is why we need to understand averages.
What this actually means is that most Camries and 9-3s have very few issues. Some Camries might have two or three. Some Saabs will have double that, and they’ll be spectacular when they do.
The important figure to understand is cost to own. Saabs have always been very, very bad at this, especially as the miles creep up. Three years is still within the warranty period—come and see me at five or seven years and over 60K.
I’ve owned a Saab. I was a member of a Saab club and knew others who did. When these cars break, they do often and at great expense.
@JMO
Are Prius (Prii?) really that reliable? I had one as a rental recently. Couple years old, 30K miles. Lots of rattles and clunks, didn’t want to “boot up” a few times. Didn’t want to engage drive a few times – had to switch it off and on again. I was getting pretty nervous about that. And utterly awful to drive. They are basically a cheap economy car with an expensive drivetrain. A Corolla wagon (if they still sold such) would be infinitely more sensible. And don’t give me the line about all the taxicab Prius with 300K miles on them – I worked for a courier company in college that used to put 3-400K miles on late ’80s Ford Escorts. Just about anything will go 3-400K if you never shut them off and just drive them around the clock for a few years.
And seriously? A 1990 Lexus will be more reliable than a 1990 Corolla? Those old Corollas are like cockroaches, the only thing that kills them is rust. Which admittedly does a pretty good job of it here. The air suspension alone on those old LS’s gets them junked all the time. Broken timing belts too. No different than any other luxury car – they get cheap, then get into the hands of owners who don’t / can’t maintain them properly. I don’t see ratty LS’s around anymore, they have all gone to the yards. Even the cheap U-pick yard near me always has a few.
@WSN
Assume you do not live in New England? Saabs and Volvos are more common than Chevys here. And most 5-series are WELL above $60k as optioned on dealer lots. And, as someone else put it, considered awfully ostentatious around here.
@psarhjinian
I have had an ’85 900T with over 200K on it. It was reasonably reliable. Stuff wore out and got fixed. Nothing that I would call particularly unusual for any car with 200K miles. Same with my current ’92 900T Convertible with 192K on it. Stuff wears out, it gets fixed. It’s OLD. Before I bought my ’08, I had a ’95 900SE with 80K on it. This car was bulletproof in the two years and 30K miles I ownedit, despite being 14 years old. Not one single thing went wrong other than routine maintenance. I also had an ’00 9-5 Wagon. Again, nothing at all but scheduled maintenance and wear items from 40K to 100K. On the ’08, I have a sidemarker light that fills up with water when it rains and a loose piece on the roofrack that occasionally whistles. Both will be fixed at the first service. I fully expect this car to be just as reliable as all the rest of the Saabs I have owned. More so, actually since I bought it new and it will always be maintained properly.
And seriously? A 1990 Lexus will be more reliable than a 1990 Corolla? Those old Corollas are like cockroaches, the only thing that kills them is rust.
I can’t get you the Consumer Reports link as it’s behind the pay wall. But, after 10 years an LS will have fewer problems than a Corolla. I think it was LS .18 problems and a Corolla .25 problems. A VW (as much as I love them) averages 2.2 problems after 10 years.
And as for the Prius has, after 8 years, proven itself to be very reliable. Again, I can’t get you the CR link – but the numbers speak for themselfes.
2007 SAAB sold close to 25 000 cars in its homemarket Sweden.
Last year close to 20 000.
This year?
January to end of july (official statistics from BilSweden)
only 4 578 cars …
Sales in Europe and the US is even worse.
This cannot go on for ever.
There is no Obama in Sweden, and SAAB will need more than a Koeningsegg – something like an egg of Columbus.
The looks of the 9-5?
Well, it looks like its not ever going to be produced.
The car does nothing for me. No distinctive cues, no unique styling, nothing that says “Look, I’m different, I’m interesting, take a look at me.”
It’s tantamount to looking at a Corolla. Or a Roper refrigerator. Not even a single spark of interest.
It looks a lot like a Camry to me…
krhodes1 :
August 27th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
@WSN
Assume you do not live in New England? Saabs and Volvos are more common than Chevys here. And most 5-series are WELL above $60k as optioned on dealer lots. And, as someone else put it, considered awfully ostentatious around here.
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I live in Canada. It’s far colder here with far more snow in the winter.
In my city, among luxury cars, BMW 3-series and Lexus IS are the most often seen models. Not too many Volvo’s and Subaru’s, but you can still spot them once in a while.
Saab? I saw about one late model Saab every year. Probably would have a better chance at a dealer, but I don’t know if there is one.
If 5-series are too expensive, there is still the Infinite M (or Lexus GS) to choose from. They are about CND$50k~60k here. (As a reference, MSRP of a Camry V6 is about $30k with no leather.) If you can get past the styling, Acura TL is at $40k here. Can this 9-5 beat M35/M45 or the TL?
“For most people, the brand of Saab doesn’t have much more prestige than Honda or Hyundai. Even if Saab sells these things at $20k average (and assuming Saab can produce fast enough at a profit), it still won’t out-sell Sonata.”
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The Hyundai dealership experience in my city sucks! I’ve been to 3 dealers for my ’07 Sonata and the service advisor attitude for simple things like scheduled servicing is both patronizing and surly. They make a big deal of getting me an appointment even if it is 3-4 weeks down the road, like they’re doing me a favour. If Hyundai has visions of going upmarket they’re not going to get there with that attitude or customer service. Contrast that with my wife’s Saab dealership experience which is pleasant with no drama. Hell they’ll even try to squeeze her in the same day even if they’re busy. Maybe that’s why all the Hyundai dealers in my city have large unsold Azera and Genesis inventory.
I have a black Aero convertible. Here in Texas Saabs are way rare. I get many compliments on my car. It makes up for the long trips to the dealer (only 1 left in these parts), but the car has been quite reliable.
Count me as satisfied.
My brother just bought an 07 9-3 with 15k. Good thing it’s still under warranty. More niggling problems than you could shake a stick at. I seriously considered an 07 9-5. Love the body style, but the reliability and warranty fulfilment (or lack thereof) scared me off.
Personally, if Saab gets their poop in a group, I’d definitely consider a new one. Love the body style and fortunately, Saabs are still pretty much a hoot to drive when turboed.
Here’s hoping that Saab makes a comback and survives. God knows we need an alternative to all the Malibus, Accords and 33Xs on the road.
To sell a brand that needs to be aligned with other upscale manufacturers like BMW, Volvo, Lexus and Infiniti, Saab is going to have to offer a value proposition that lets them leapfrog the others. The answer? Go the Hyundai and Kia route and offer a 6yr/60,000 bumper to bumper and and 10yr/120,000 drivetrain warranty. And don’t forget to price competitively.
OK, first off, that 9-5 is butt ugly. Secondly, Saab’s are fantastic underrated vehicles, and I am glad they are since it allows me to purchase them used for a song and a dance. I have owned several and the engineering and technology are generally superb and usually far ahead of the competition. As an example, the often and unjustly berated, NG900 was way ahead of its time. It took Mazda(mazda speed 3, basically a cloned ng900) 13 years after the premiere of NG900 to come out with a comparable vehicle. My NG900 gets 30+ mpg and with some very cheap mods produces over 215hp (stock 185hp). The comfort is top notch and the roomy hatchback allowed me to transport a 500cc motorcycle in the trunk. I was going to get a new car but could not find any vehicles that compare in terms of comfort, power and cargo capacity to my 13 year old 173,000 mile NG900. Having said that, the 2002-2009 Saabs are a joke. They’re run of the mill sedans-totally lame and unsaab like. Saab needs to get back to its roots. Turbo charged hatchbacks that are safe and look different. A turbo diesel, AWD hatchback with an understated design would bring me into the dealer showroom. Are you listening Mr. Saab man????