The 9-5 Aero Saloon

And this is the flagship 9-5: the HOT Aero. HOT, in case you wondered, refers to its High Output-pressure Turbo. That means it's quick with a capital F. Why? Because next to the HOT turbo you'll find a four-cylinder, 2.3-litre, 250bhp engine - a combination more akin to a World Rally car. The 9-5 Aero is the cream of Saab's Scandinavian crop.

And it offers Q-car kudos in the way only a Saab can: svelte and chic in appearance, yet brutal when the hammer's down. Its stylish bodyline befits the engine underneath: a torquey and refined unit, well mated to a 5-speed auto 'box. It can waft you along with only the distant whir of the mechanicals, or deliver you to your destination on a whoosh of turbo boost.

The Aero's body kit is subtle, with 17inch alloy wheels and unique Aero bumpers providing the visual stimulation. The kit is functional too, and neatly displaces the air around the car's silver contours, giving the 'Aero' tag extra credence. The sideskirts hug the floor, and its aggressive stance is accentuated by sitting low on its springs. Shelling out for the Aero-spec gets you a plethora of other gear as standard too: heated leather seats, climate control, parking sensors and electric memory seats are all thrown in.

For a car that sits so low, ride quality is surprisingly supple - without being soft. The damping is well controlled (even over the shoddiest of British lanes) and potholes are neatly dispatched with few of the bumps transmitted back through the wheel. Larger compressions are soaked up and the 9-5 feels on the verge of hover over smooth roads.

250bhp through two front wheels, the mathematician in you will know, means 125bhp per-wheel. That's a lot to ask of any car, and the 9-5 rises to the task. It's not a car you'll find scrabbling for grip - even under full beans exiting a slow corner. Traction control is fitted to most top-end Saab's and works well - reigning in those 250 horses as they champ at the bit to rip through the front tyres. And for a big, front-drive car, it rarely seems nose-heavy - understeer is easily curtailed provided you're not too cocky with your entry speed. Body roll is to be expected of any car this size, but the 9-5's composure mid-corner still apes you to push the right-hand pedal further to the floor. Out of the corner and under heavy acceleration there is some torquesteer, but not enough to distract from the sense of stability the car gives you through the twisty stuff. This car makes speed easy.

Ah, speed. It would be easy to arrive early for any appointment in this thing. At full-pelt the speedo nudges 155mph and 0-60mph is accounted for in 7 seconds. Depress the 'Sport' button atop the gearstick and the 9-5 goes hyper, holding gears longer on upshifts and allowing you to balance the throttle ready to nail it on the other side of an apex. Perhaps the most unnerving thing is the lack of noise it makes while going about its business. At 100mph you forget the ground is passing under the wheels at more than a mile-a-minute, as the engine emits only a small purr, and the wind noise is little more than a whisper.

So the 9-5 is an unconventional, yet effective package. And there is nothing more Saab than that four-cylinder engine on the cusp of turbo-boost. Couple this with the sporting poise of the Aero kit and you have an executive rocket in a league of its own. The 9-5 is distinct, and set well apart from the Teutonic pack. That's something its rivals can't provide and it's what makes the 9-5 the most viable offbeat alternative to its mainstream opponents.

Andy Caddick
Simply-Saab.com