2010 Saab 9-5 Design Review

The new 9-5 is about to hit the US market and it looks pretty good thanks in part to it's new owner.

Fresh off the sales floor Saab is in the hands of super car maker Koenigsegg and is free from GM. One of the first cars to be redesigned back to Swedish standards is the 2010 9-5. The car has an updated, stylish and sporty look.

Though, how is the new 9-5 design differentiate itself from the old one?

In 2006 Saab redesigned the 9-5 in a bold manner. The front headlights had darker casings installed making the 9-5 look more aggressive and metal trim was installed. The taillights were not only redesigned but were also reshaped. Though, the interior still had the GM dash and it didn't quite match the exterior.

2010 9-5

The new redesign is even more bold than the previous and looks stylishly futuristic without overdoing it (a lesson learned by the lead designer of the 2002 BMW 7 ) The car sits lower to the ground and is more aerodynamic than the previous model.

The back of the car is where the design really sets itself apart from the old 9-5 design. It really doesn't look like a Saab from the back. Previous models did a good job of gradually changing the design to look updated but still like a 9-5.

The new design takes a leap from the older designs and wipes the board clean. This will be a good thing in a few years but right now it's hard for me to get used to the new rear. It looks like a Lexus LS, but it will grow with time like the front end redesign of the 2006 9-5.




The taillights have an interesting inspiration behind the design. Saab designer, Simon Padian explains the lights "have an ice like character that reflects our Scandinavian heritage." They do look a bit like ice when turned off, imaginative. Plus the wraparound taillight bar is reminiscent of the 96-97 Saab 900. Maybe an homage to the design of Saab's from the 90's?

Plus, they have an nice LED ambient lighting effect that may upstage Audi's lighting effects. The headlight has a single headlight which accentuates the shape of the headlights.
The interior is designed in typical Saab fashion; sporty and simple.

The new look is a good mix of familiar design cues and new inspired design without overdoing it; it may take a little getting used to the back though.

2010 Mercedes E-Class Review

The newly restyled Mercedes E-Class has rolled out onto showroom floors all around America and is turning heads with an all new style for 2010.

Mercedes has always been an iconic leader and technological innovator in the luxury car market. Free from Chrysler now Mercedes Benz has restyled the E-Class is a modern and artistic way that is sure to set some standards for the S and C-Class' of the future.

The new style of the E-Class does a good job of changing without changing too drastically or looking like a different car.

The new E-Class blends styling from the past with the styling of tomorrow. For example, the rear fender lines mimic the fender lines found on the original E-Class from the 1960's.

Here's a video of the lead designer explaining design philosophy:


"The redesigned midlevel luxury sedan promises blissful comfort and panache. While this might seem like nothing new for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan, the updated 2010 model impresses with slightly larger dimensions, sharper bodylines, more high-tech safety technology and a lower starting price than the 2009 model.



Slightly larger inside and out, the E-Class sedan competes against such premium models as the BMW 5 Series, Infiniti M, and Cadillac CTS. Sitting an inch lower to the ground, Sport sedans have squared-off exhaust tips, "twist" rocker panels and a grille with three horizontal bars, above a massive air intake. Luxury-model grilles contain four bars, with a smaller air intake.

Interiors feature an abundant selection of hand-polished burl walnut wood. The sedan's gearshift lever has moved from the floor console to the steering column, operated electronically. Five-level Ambient Lighting, taken from S-Class sedans, aims to reduce eyestrain. E550 Sport sedans have a three-spoke steering wheel with thumb notches (optional for E350 Sport), versus a plain four-spoke wheel for other models. Seats are 14-way power-adjustable.



Heading the list of safety features is newly standard Attention Assist, a drowsiness monitor that tries to alert a dozing driver. Steering-angle sensors consider more than 70 variables, starting with your profile, over the first 20 minutes of driving. An audible warning is accompanied by display of a coffee-cup icon. Standard enhanced Pre-Safe Braking can provide partial or full-power braking in emergencies. Nine airbags are standard, including driver's knee and pelvic bags.

Additional safety items are optional. Radar-based Distronic Plus maintains a pre-set distance from the car ahead, working like an "invisible rubber band," according to Bernhard Glaser, general manager for product management. Night Vision Assist Plus recognizes pedestrians ahead, using twin infrared beams. Adaptive Highbeam Assist provides the best possible illumination, reaching up to 1000 feet ahead. Lane Keeping Assist uses a camera above the windshield to analyze lines in road, delivering three steering-wheel vibrations when the car begins to leave its path. Blind Spot Assist monitors the area 10 feet back and 10 feet to the side.


Today's Mercedes-Benz sedans are lighter on their feet than those from a few years back, while roomy and comfortable for long-distance treks. On reasonably smooth surfaces, occupants of an E550 Luxury sedan can barely discern bumps and other road imperfections. Even when a jolt occurs, it's stifled virtually instantly, transmitting minimal annoyance to the interior.

Mercedes-Benz offers U.S. buyers a choice of two engines, both available in either Luxury or Sport trim level. In E550 sedans, a 5.5-liter V-8 again develops 382 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque, driving a seven-speed automatic transmission. E350 sedans contain a 3.5-liter V-6, still rated at 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet.

Estimated fuel economy is 18/25 miles per gallon (city/highway) for V-6 models, and 16/23 mpg for E550 sedans. Mercedes-Benz's transmission can skip as many as three gear ratios when downshifting, depending on the situation. A Hold function prevents "creep" at stoplights. Instead of coil springs, an Airmatic air suspension is installed on all V-8 sedans.

Transmission downshifts with the V-8 engine are not only impressively smooth, they happen promptly. Gear changes are hardly discernible. Expect assertive, refined acceleration at any speed. On certain surfaces, one Luxury sedan experienced slight steering-wheel vibration; other models felt fine.


Luxury-sedan steering feels too light and slow-responding to suit some drivers, so that sedan doesn't feel wholly comfortable on curves, or even some straight-aways. Shoppers who favor the most confident control might prefer a Sport V-8, which sticks to the pavement with greater tenacity. Steering feels a tad tauter, more in accord with directional changes.

As expected, response is more ordinary in a V-6 model: sufficiently strong, but lacking the V-8's finesse. Still, the V-8 commands a hefty extra cost. In any version, seats keep you neatly in place. Front space is ample all around, though headroom could be a tad higher. The center controller knob isn't easy to make out, but must be studied.

On sale since June '09, the rear-wheel-drive 2010 E350 sedan has a Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price of $48,600 (plus $875 destination charge). That's actually $4,600 lower than the equivalent 2009 model. Choosing an E550 raises the tariff to $56,300; plus another $2,500 if you want 4Matic all-wheel drive. All-wheel drive sedans go on sale in September, followed in November by the superstar 518-horsepower E63 AMG sedan. Mercedes-Benz also intends to introduce a BlueTec diesel sedan next spring.

AutoMedia boasts more than 60,000 pages of original articles, including more than 2,100 features researched and written by leading automotive experts, covering car buying, maintenance and technology. For automotive advice you can trust, read more about the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan, including the latest pricing, rebates and incentives, photo galleries and more, along with details on all Mercedes-Benz Models."