A Saab 9-5 sedan, seen in Beijing in 2012. The Swedish sedan was painted dark blue with gray five-spoke wheels. It appeared to be in good shape but it was very dusty and a little dirty. License plates are from Jilin Province.
The first generation Saab 9-5 (YS3E) was made from 1997 until 2009. It was facelifted twice during that long production run. The car we have here is a post-first facelift example.
The interior was as dusty as the exterior, but everything seemed in order. The owner used seat covers to protect the original beige leather seats.
He also hung a super cool Chinese lucky knot with Peppa Pig on the rearview mirror. Lucky Knots ward off evil and bring good luck. They are very common in cars in China, usually hanging from the rear-view mirror. In the past, they had a traditional design, sometimes with a portrait of Chairman Mao in the middle. But nowadays they come in all sorts and funky kinds.
Another addition is this after-market Philips-branded infotainment screen. These were very popular in the 2000s. They were cheap too, a simple set could be had for a few hundred yuan. They usually played DVDs, CDs, MP4, and MP3s. Most of these systems worked when the car was driving. There wasn’t any kill switch. And even if there was one, any Chinese mechanic could take care of that.
Large covers over the bench.
The Saab 9-5 was officially marketed in China from 2003 until 2009, but it sold only in small numbers. There were just two options: a base model called Arc and the super speedy Aero. The car we have here is an Arc. Price in 2003 ranged from 459.000 yuan to 529.000 yuan.
The Arc was powered by a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, good for 185 hp and 280 Nm. The gearbox was a five-speed automatic, sending horses to the front wheels.
In China, eight is a lucky number, related to prosperity. This Saab has a double-8 license plate, which is very good. License plates with the number 8 in them have always been in high demand. However, it also has a 4. And that is the most unlucky number, related to death. But two 8s can beat one 4, and that’s even without the help of Peppa Pig.
When engine badges were still beautiful. The dot between 2 and 3 is connected to the 2. So the badge is made out of three components. 2./3/t.
These old Saab sedans are fast becoming very rare in Beijing. They are just getting too old and their engines don’t comply with new emissions regulations, so many are scrapped or shipped to inland provinces where the rules aren’t so strict yet. May this Jilin car survive!
But the Saab 9-5 lived on in China in another way. In 2009, Saab-owner General Motors was in deep trouble. The company sold the rights to the 9-5 and the 9-3 to Chinese automaker BAIC. They turned the 9-5 into the Senova D-series.