The 9-5 Mk2 that never was...

[Steve McF]

Apparently, I read somewhere that Saab had a new 9-5 engineered and ready for production around 2005, but for some reason GM aborted the whole thing. It used a GM platform, and I am not sure why GM would pull the plug at such a late stage (although they nearly did with the 9-5 that has just come out too :-o ).

Instead the Dame Edna facelift emerged, and Saab faced the same "aging product" jibes in the press that haunted MG Rover.

Well, if this stillborn 9-5 Mk2 did exist, are there any pictures of it anywhere? Does it look like the original, or like the new one?

I can't for the life of me remember where I read about the 2005 "new" 9-5, and am struggling to find any info on it at all :-o

[Leon TurboX]

Iirc gm fell out of bed with fiat on that,  fiat currently using the developed platform in alfa 159 amongst others.

[welshwizard]

I think the car was on a platform that was to be shared with the larger Alfas....this went the way of the dodo when GMs relationship with Fiat Auto (which spawned the Corsa/Grande Punto, Croma and Sedici (via Fuji Heavy Industries)) ended...

Then because Vectra sales were falling away rapidly GM prioritised the Insignia at the 9-5s expense.  And forced Saab to develop the BLS.

I would venture to say that since some of the NG9-5 features are similar to the Dame Edna and the current 9-3, the design we know must have been the design signed off some time ago.  It would be good to know if there is a book being issued like the one for the NG900, 9-3SS and 9-5 by Anders Tunberg....

[Steve McF]

I've just found this link:
http://www.saabhistory.com/category/9-5/page/3/

It seems 2005 might be a bit optimistic, it looks like GM shelved it all in 2002.....so maybe the car wasn't even off the drawing board :-o

[Audax]

GM flogged the platform to Alfa and it got used for the Alfa 159.