Who is Saab?
Saab began as a Swedish aircraft maker and later became known for distinctive cars with an individual, practical character. Its cars often paired a restrained design with useful touches shaped by the company’s aviation roots. General Motors became its owner in the 2000s; Saab Automobile entered bankruptcy in 2011.
Which Saab models are covered?
The range runs from the classic 900 and 9000 to the 9-3 and 9-5, the longest-running nameplates in this line-up. The 900, sold from 1984 to 1998, helped establish Saab’s reputation for distinctive hatchbacks. The larger 9000 followed from 1986 to 1998, giving the range a spacious executive car.
The 9-3 and 9-5 both arrived in 1999. The 9-3 carried Saab’s compact executive role through 2015, while the 9-5 served as the larger model through 2013. Later additions broadened the range: the 9-2X ran from 2005 to 2006, the 9-7X from 2005 to 2009, and the 9-3X and 9-4X brought crossover-style choices for shorter periods.
How did Saab’s range develop?
Across the years represented here, the line-up moved from the 900 and 9000 to the newer 9-3 and 9-5, then added models with a more versatile, raised stance. The 9-3X was sold from 2010 to 2012, and the 9-4X from 2011 to 2012. The range also included the 9-2X and 9-7X, both brief entries in the mid-2000s.
In the European Union’s official registration figures, the 9-3 was Saab’s leading model in 2010–2015, with 50,616 registrations. The 9-5 recorded 15,736 in 2010–2013, while the 9-3X recorded 892 in 2010–2012. These figures show the 9-3 at the heart of Saab’s later European range.
Where do Saab figures appear?
Saab models appear in official figures for the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. European and UK figures use European test procedures such as WLTP or the earlier NEDC, while the US EPA and Canada’s NRCan use their own procedures, including Canada’s 5-cycle test. Results across markets are not directly interchangeable.
This page brings together Saab’s model years from 1984 to 2015. It is a useful overview of a Swedish maker whose range changed from classic hatchbacks and executive cars to later crossovers, while keeping the 9-3 and 9-5 as its central models.
Questions and answers
What was Saab best known for?
Saab was a Swedish car maker with roots in aircraft manufacturing, known for distinctive, practical cars and an individual design character.
Which Saab models ran the longest?
The 9-3 ran from 1999 to 2015, the 9-5 from 1999 to 2013, and the 900 from 1984 to 1998.
Did Saab offer electric or hybrid models?
The Saab models listed here are not identified as electric or hybrid, so this overview does not describe an electrified Saab model.
In which markets are Saab figures listed?
Official figures appear for the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.