HATCHING A PLAN (some text hidden) --NONE--

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Introductionword count: 99

Saab's 9000CS series is a car that has rapidly slipped into obscurity. Most associate the 9000 label with the car that shared a chassis with the dinosaur Fiat Croma and Lancia Thema way back in 1982. By contrast, the 9000CD's successor, the 9-5 is hailed as a refreshingly modern car but it didn't get that way overnight. Throughout its development the 9000 was steadily refined and the CD models are very well built. Tracking down a decent used example can put you behind the wheel of a very underrated car that the market has yet to wake up to.

Modelsword count: 21

Models Covered:Second generation 9000 5dr hatch 1991-1998:2.0i, 2.3i, 2.3i turbo, 3.0 V6 [base, CSE, T16, XS, Ecopower, Anniversary Edition, Carlsson, Aero]

Historyword count: 287

Although the 9000 does trace its roots back to the ill-fated 'Group 4' experiment with Lancia and Fiat, it emerged a far more class competitive car than the Thema and Croma. The range was seriously revised in 1991 when the suspension was revised, the chassis was made stiffer and anti lock brakes and catalytic converters were fitted to all models. The saloon and the hatch versions were now badged differently, the four-door cars being badged 9000CD and the five-door versions 9000CS. A sporty S model made a brief appearance in 1991, ending production in 1992. With alloy wheels, an electric sunroof, leather trim and walnut dash it now makes a good buy for the committed 9000 watcher. CSE models replaced the S. Ecopower engines debuted in 1992. These were turbocharged versions of the 2.0-litre and 2.3-litre units using a light pressure turbo to improve efficiency and driveability. For once the focus wasn't on big numbers. Don't confuse a 2.3-litre light pressure turbo - badged Eco or Eco E - with the full-blown 2.3-litre Turbo model). In 1993, the Carlsson was replaced by an Aero model with a slightly different look but much the same performance formula. After General Motors took control of the Trollhattan Company, the 24-valve V6 from the Vauxhall Omega was installed in top models in 1994. Twin airbags, reach adjustable steering columns and colour keyed bumpers subsequently made a relatively late appearance in the 9000CS range. In 1997, the saloon CD models were replaced by the all-new 9-5. The five-door CS continued, however, with Anniversary models appearing in 1997, but was itself deleted at the end of 1998, Saab deciding that the market for five-door executive hatches was too small to be worth pursuing.

What You Getword count: 146

A solid Swede that's safer than just about everything else on the road - 30% safer in fact, than comparable mainstream rivals like the Vauxhall Carlton, Renault 25 and Ford Granada. It is the safest executive model of its era you can buy, statistically tougher in an accident than say a BMW 5 Series or a Volvo 940. Nor is that Saab's marketing talk. Sweden's leading insurance company Folksam judged the 9000 to be the country's safest car - for a third year running. It was also assessed as one of the safest cars in the United States by HLDI, the Highway Loss Data Institute. The 9000 is surprisingly large inside and has a huge boot capacity of between 22.1 and 56.5cuft. Most cars came well equipped, with CSE models featuring air conditioning, cruise control, central locking and anti-lock brakes as well as a driver's airbag.

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