Saab
9-5
| Front and side impact rating |
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Pedestrian test rating |
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Test Scores: Front 13(81%) Side 18(100%) Overall 31(91%) Pedestrian 12(33%)
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Of the
cars here, the Saab 9-5 provided the best protection for
the driver and passenger in the frontal impact. It also
gained full marks for its performance in the side-impact
test, meaning that the car easily passes new legislation
taking effect from October. The Saab-brand child
restraints used for the tests were rear facing, but in the
side impact recorded unusually high chest accelerations,
indicating a risk of injury was present. The 9-5's
pedestrian protection rated as average, but there was a
high risk of serious injury to their lower limbs.
The Saab 9-5 was found to the best-performing car in its
group when it was first tested in 1998, and scored four
stars for driver and passenger protection in frontal and
side impact. Saab commissioned a pole test to prove that
the head-protecting airbag that has been fitted as
standard safety equipment on the 9-5 since its
introduction during August 1997, will pass the
requirements demanded. This it has done, proving that the
car remains the safest that Euro NCAP has yet tested. The
head-protecting device is a seat-mounted thorax airbag
that has an upper chamber purpose-designed to improve
protection for the driver's and front passenger's heads. |
Impact
Protection
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| Driver
Front Impact |
Passenger
Front Impact |
Driver
Side Impact |
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Frontal
Impact
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| The
passenger compartment remained stable, although there were
small signs of movement around the door frame. The
driver's airbag provided a stable contact but was not
fully deployed when his head struck it. A well-designed
knee bolster provided good load spreading over the knees.
However, it was insufficient to protect the driver's upper
legs from high loads should his knees hit unforgiving
areas around the steering column. |
Side
Impact
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| An
effective head and thorax side airbag deployed to protect
the driver from serious injury – his head was cushioned
by the airbag, which protects against hitting objects
outside the car. As yet, Euro NCAP cannot test for this,
so unfortunately it does not add to the score. Padding
around the upper seatbelt anchorage provided further
protection. The seat side wing, supported by the airbag,
protected the driver's chest. A lower section of the door
trim helped protect his pelvis. |
Child
Restraint
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| The
Saab-recommended rear-facing restraints used for testing
proved compatible with the car belts. But while they
worked well in the frontal impact, they did not restrain
the dummies' heads in the side impact. What's more, the
pictogram warning of the dangers of fitting a child
restraint in the airbagged front passenger seat is not
easily understood. Labelling on the child seats themselves
was confusing, too. It warned against fitting in the front
passenger seat, but also showed how to fit it there.
Finally, the route the adult seat belt should follow to
fit the restraint facing forward was incorrectly marked. |
Pedestrian
Protection
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| The
Saab's bonnet offered more good than poor protection, but
the best the car's bumper and bonnet leading edge offered
was weak protection in one place. |
Model
history and safety equipment
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| The
9-5 was introduced in Aug '97. Twin front airbags, side
airbags (head and thorax), belt pre-tensioners and load
limiters, head restraints (with whiplash mitigation
system), anti-lock brakes and power assisted steering are
fitted as standard to cars sold in the EU. |
| Make,
model and hand of drive |
Saab
9-5 2.0 LHD |
| Body
type |
4-door
saloon |
| Model
year |
1998 |
| Kerb
weight |
1485
kg |
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