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Better pictures of the Saab 9-3 that never was.

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These are slightly better. But the design is still weird. Awkward from most angles.
I really don’t think this would have saved Saab. It it was the final design.

The last 9-5 looks great. I was lucky to sit in it before the company went under.
But this is just not right…

Conversation 2 comments

  1. Saabs United is reporting these were the preliminary sketches and that Castriotta states the final version was "much more athletic." I agree that the idea is there but it doesn't quite flow.

    The last 9-5 has great road presence. Saw two recently on the DC beltway. Shame they didn't have what it took to recover from GM.

  2. Really weird proportions. Those rear doors look tiny. The lower crease on the side isn't right. The integration between bumpers and fenders is all wrong. It look more like a random stress crack than a design element.

    I do like how the rear seems to get narrow. That's got some potential.

    The front is all big and fat, but all new cars are doing this because of pedestrian impact standards.

    I hope that this was one of those design studies where they incorporate several different proposals, and not a final production-approved car.

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