"We have made the world’s safest car"
The new Saab 9-5 is the safest car to ever have left the assembly line in Trollhättan. Last year it received five stars in Euro NCAP’s new and comprehensive crash test. The first large Saab car, the model 9000, was appointed by Folksam as Sweden’s safest car in real accidents.
Top score
Since then, Saab’s safety has often been rewarded with top marks in crash tests. In December last year, the result of the new 9-5 was presented: Five stars according to Euro NCAP’s new crash test standards. The new Saab car got higher scores than the Mercedes E-Class, which is the only competitor tested under the new norms. Chief engineer Mats Fägerhag doesn’t even sounds a bit boastful when he observes:
- We have made the world’s safest car.
Gyro detects rolling
In the new 9-5, Saab has developed the safety systems even a few steps further. All outer seats are fitted with side airbags and dual pre-tensioner to tighten both the diagonal and the horizontal part of the safety belt. Side curtains cover the side windows all the way from the front to the rear window and also covers the windscreen pillars.
- In some oblique collisions, we have seen that the front-seat passengers can hit the pillars, says Mats Fägerhag.
Even when the car crashes head-on, the side curtains will deploy, and also if the car should roll. A gyrometer detects if the car is about to roll.
110 cars crashed
Before the 9-5 was ready for test drives, Saab had destroyed 110 cars in crash tests. 71 different types of tests have been conducted, including collision with an artificial moose. Saab and Volvo are the only manufacturers in the automotive world to do the moose crash test.
