New Saab 9-5 spotted testing

Supercar firm Koenigsegg may now own Saab, but troubled GM is still testing the new 9-5 to its limits.

Our snappers caught the new mid-size saloon hurtling around the ‘ring as it underwent some late stage testing.

The current 9-5 is now 12 years old, though a few facelifts have kept it fresh, it’s time for an all-new model.

Our exclusive new shots show the 9-5 will stick pretty closely to Saab’s classic design language. However it does have a refreshed grille and will have a coupe-style swooping rear window and rear hatch.

Based on GM’s Epsilon II platform, which the Vauxhall Insignia also uses, the new Saab 9-5 is set to make a bigger impact in the mid-size exec market. To differentiate it from the Insignia the 9-5 will have a stiffer suspension set up, different steering characteristics and a wider array of electronics.

It’s also 14cm longer and five cm wider than the current car. The extra size also means extra weight though.

The engine line up won’t change from the current set – a 2.0-litre turbo with 210bhp, a cleaner version of the current 1.9TiD diesel, and a range topping AWD 360bhp 3.6-litre turbocharged V6. Saab will also jump on the hybrid wagon – using GM’s 2.8-litre V6 as a base.

We’ll know more about the all-new 9-5 later this year.