SAAB 900
Generations Timeline, Specs and Pictures
The 1994 model of the Saab 900 represents the second generation of this model which is now based on the Opel Vectra platform and even shares some parts with this car.
Also called the “new generation”, this new series of the Saab 900 came with multiple engine versions which could produce between 130 and 185 horsepower. This new generation of Saab 900 received multiple awards, including the “Best Buy” award of Consumers’ Digest in 1996, the “Top Car in its Price Class” of American Automobile Association and the “Family Car of the Year” of Motoring ‘94, Canada.
The 900 was more known as a coupe or a convertible, but the Swedish carmaker also made it a four-door sedan.
In 1994, Saab was already under GM’s roof and had to comply with the new management rules. Yet, the Swedish engineers were too stubborn to accept the changes, and they still made the cars in their own way. General Motors told them to use the GM2900 platform and build a successor for the 900, and that’s what Saab did, but only after it improved the car to a level that only a small part of the vehicle shared its components with its GM siblings, such as the Opel/Vauxhall Vectra.
At the front, the 900 featured Saab’s specific grille with chromed trims on the grille and horizontal, rectangular headlights with corner-mounted turn signals. Its wrapped-around bumper sported a set of fog lights on the outer area and a grille in the middle. The mid-size Swedish vehicle showed the specific Saab profile in sedan shape, with a sloped rear end in a Kammback design.
Inside, the cabin was designed around the driver. It kept the Saab-specific features such as the key-fob between the front seats and the tall instrument cluster extended over the center stack. The front bucket seats provided good side support thanks to their bolstered areas. In the back, a split-folding bench could accommodate three people. As for the trunk was a class leader and provided between 602 liters (21.2 cu-ft) and up to 1,600 liters (56.5 cu-ft) with the rear seats folded.
Under the hood, Saab installed a choice of three inline-four engines developed by the Swedish brand and a 2.5-liter V-6 carried over from General Motors. The carmaker offered a unique option for the transmission, named Sensonic. It was, in short, a manual gearbox with an electronically controlled clutch, which was needed only when starting but not while driving.