2002 Saab 9-5 Sedan - It's Absolutely... Ur... Original
Those that know Saabs either love them or hate them. There are few who straddle the Swedish car company's proverbial fence. What gives? Are Saabs so weird that they can disenfranchise an entire demographic of the populace? Yes and no. Yes they're different enough to cause BMW and Lexus drivers to go cross-eyed in disorientation when sliding into the driver's seat, but their dynamic performance will often convert even the most jaded critic.
What's so different about them? Let's begin at the beginning. Saab never followed the status-quo when it departed from its aviation roots to develop the experimental Ursaab, completed in 1947. Ur is Swedish for original, which the code-designated 92 definitely was. Stylist Sixten Sason's aerodynamic shape was wind-cheating even by today's standards, with a drag coefficient of 0.32. The Trollhättan company went on to produce the production 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 900, 90 and 9000, as well as a variety of sports and rally cars ranging from the Monster to the Catherina and Sonett... oh and lest I forget the 1966 Toad.
Today the GM owned subsidiary uses Opel derived architecture to manufacture the 9-3 and 9-5, much more conventional compared to their forefathers but still upsetting the staid automotive apple cart. The ignition key slots into the lower console mounted switch, which makes perfect sense if you've ever had a full key ring irritatingly smack you on the knees over and over. Most Saabs have been 3 or 5-door hatchbacks, popular in Europe but less so to North American drivers. I don't know why, as next to the wagon a more practical car can't be found.