A wondrous white Saab 9-5, Spotted in China in the Lido area in Beijing. The good Swede was in fine shape, a bit dusty and dirty but the body was sound, no big dents, no rust in sight, and all parts appeared original, including the sporty three-spoke alloys. The first generation Saab 9-5 was manufactured from 1997 until 2009 with a major facelift in 2001. This is an original pre-facelifted example.
The first generation Saab 9-5 lives on until today as the Beijing Auto Senova D70, formerly known as the Beijing Auto D-Series. The Beijing Auto Industry Corporation (BAIC) bought the rights to the 9-5 and second generation Saab 9-3 (Senova D60) from General Motors in 2009, the deal included the Saab 2.0 turbo and 2.3 turbo four-cylinder petrol engines.
Seats are a bit worn but the interior looks all right overall. Wood panel around the gear lever. Keyhole on the center tunnel. Weird cup holder is Chinese after-market. The pre-facelift first-generation Saab 9-5 was only available with those very 2.0 turbo and 2.3 turbo engines that have now ended up in China. The first diesel engine, an Isuzu-sourced Dmax 3.0 V6 (!), was added only after the facelift.
Darkened windows, slight damage on the rear bumper. The Saab 9-5 was never officially imported into China so how this fine white example ended up in the capital is a mystery. Blue license plates are as old as the car, so it has been around town for a while.
SE was a mid-range trim level.
Faded ‘ELF’ sticker indicates this 9-5 was originally sold to France, and somehow moved on to China. We are sure happy she is here, may she ride a million miles more.
NEVS, the current owner of Saab, has reorganized and, with its new Chinese partners, plans to produce in Tianjin.
Good. But Saab’s do not go well on Chinese food. They like sildfish and aquavit best.
The weird cup holder is factory.
It’s spring loaded into the dash and pivots when deploying.
https://youtu.be/yMxsf7PA95E