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Saab 9-5 Aero: business-focused fast Saab

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30 March 2011

Saab 9-5 Saloon Aero 2.0 TTiD 190PS business car road test report

Saab 9-5 Saloon Aero 2.0 TTiD 190PS

Saab 9-5 Saloon Aero 2.0 TTiD 190PS

What is it?

AERO models have always had a special place in the Saab range: additional turbo performance, stylish looks and fabulous alloy wheels are all desirable Saab Aero trademarks. And they are all served up here in this twin turbo diesel Aero model, which is clearly aimed at business users with CO2 emissions below the critical 160g/km capital allowances tax break. Price of the Saab 9-5 Aero 2.0 TTiD is £32,165.

What’s hot?

  • Graceful 9-5 styling given more urgent Aero appearance
  • Which includes fabulous 19inch Turbine Aero alloy wheels
  • There’s brushed metal decor trim and alloy pedals, too
  • Plus a deep-hearted twin-turbo diesel engine with 400Nm torque…
  • …that provides astonishing mid-range turbo-thrust performance
  • Yet 159g/km CO2 keeps it the right side of key 160g/km WDA tax break
  • Secure on the road, the big car feels agile, lithe with good brakes
  • And there’s acres of space for driver and all passengers
  • While optional leather sport seats (£1535) are good-looking, comfortable
  • The boot is so large you’ll need an OS map to find your way out
  • Excellent headlamps (but BiXenon units are £410 extra)
  • Bluetooth mobile phone preparation easy to set up

What’s not?

  • Diesel engine is just too unrefined at start-up and low speeds
  • Reverse and first gear selection too indistinct…easy to wrong-slot
  • Some of trim and finishings not good enough for this class
  • Despite official 47.1mpg we only saw 30.8mpg in mixed driving
  • Desirable options (eg touchscreen sat-nav) bump up price to giddy £38k
  • Off-boost engine can be caught flat-footed

What you need to Know?

P11D Value: 31,955
Monthly Rental*: 436 (CH)/£524 (PCH)
Tax Band when posted: 23%, 24%, 25%
Monthly BiK: Click link for BIK
Engine: 2.0-litre twin turbo 4cyl diesel
CO2 Emissions: 159g/km
Power/torque: 190PS/400Nm
Economy: 47.1mpg

Monthly contract hire (CH) and personal contract hire (PCH) rentals generated by Concept Vehicle Leasing. Based on a 36 month lease at 10,000 miles a year, 3+35 payments.

Business Car Manager Road Test Rating

There is so much to like about this car. The fact that it’s here at all after the GM ownership debacle is celebration enough. There’s more, though. The fact that the styling is so attractive and so adventurous, the interior so Saab-spacious, the engine so Saab push-you-to-the-horizon turbocharged, and those Aero alloy wheels so brilliantly Saab-esque, makes you want this prestige rival to the German triumvirate to be successful. But its pricing is expensive, and that engine just too unrefined at this price level to be anything other than a qualified approval. If you want a Saab 9-5, there’s better value elsewhere in the range – despite the car’s obvious business car benefits.

What was optional on our test car?

Premium Natural Leather Sport Seat Pack, Black – £1535; Metallic Paint – £540; Satellite Navigation, 8-ins colour touchscreen, 6-channel audio output, TMC, Hard disc map data storage, 10GB hard disc music storage – £1230; DAB radio – £310; Bi-xenon SmartBeam headlights with headlight washers – £410; Convenience Pack Plus (Electric folding mirrors; Keyless entry, Dual electric front seats 8-way adjustable with power height adjustment and lumbar support with driver’s memory function) – £515; Dark tinted side and rear windows – £310; DriveSense chassis (Continuous Damping Control, Electronic Limited Slip Differential) – £975. On the road price including optional extras: £37,990.

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Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

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