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02/08/2010

Saab move into new UK offices

FORMER General Motors-owned Saab has moved to brand new head offices in Milton Keynes.

The UK arm of the Swedish company will now be based at Cranfield's Technology Park adjoining Cranfield University in Milton Keynes.

The move ‘fits perfectly' with Saab's aerospace heritage, says the firm, as the University is acknowledged as being a leading postgraduate centre for technology, engineering and aerospace.

The announcement comes after a period of uncertainty for the former GM-owned company. Acquired by Spyker in May 2010, Saab hopes to build upon its already strong brand heritage, and its new head office is a step towards that goal.

Managing Director of Saab GB Jonathan Nash said: ‘We are very excited - moving into our new head offices is an important milestone in the separation process and for the future of an independent Saab GB.'

Forming a significant part of that future is the launch of the new Saab 9-5 saloon. Unveiled in early July, the 9-5 is the first car built by the independent Spyker-Saab company that hopes to re-establish the presence of the Swedish marque globally. 


20/07/2010

Saab 95 scores highly in new RoadTestReports

The 9-5 is a car built for comfort, rather than excitement. It handles perfectly well on the road, especially for something so big: it's stable and well balanced, the steering is feelsome and accurate, and, when fitted, the Haldex 4 XWD all wheel drive adds lots of grip to the formula. But the ride is a more dominant element in the 9-5's on-road manners, thanks to no less than three suspension options. For the diesels and base 1.6-litre petrol unit, there's a combination of MacPherson strut at the front and multi-link at the rear, which is very comfortable, especially when combined with 17-inch wheels.

The 2.0T has the front struts and a Linked H-arm suspension at the rear that Saab claims resists cornering forces more effectively: it certainly ensured that an upsizing of the wheels to 19 inches had no serious effect on the quality of the ride. The range-topping 2.8T combines this H-arm with a HiPerStrut (High Performance Strut) at the front that Saab claims improves handling characteristics. We found that it ensured an unruffled ride, even when negotiating broken, ridged surfaces, the damping soaking almost all the imperfections. The build quality of the new 9-5, however, appears to be very good, which it has to be to compete with the likes of Audi and BMW. The exterior appears sturdy, with consistent shutlines on the cars we tested; the cabin was also well screwed together, with high-quality plastics and leather or part-leather on the seats.

Overall RoadTestReports says 4 out of 5 stars to read the full report please click here