I am a humble Saab enthusiast who admire the achievements Saab has made the past year. I don't expect Saab to go from being a restrained division in a global automobile company to a technology leading company in one or two years. And so my wishes for my next Saab are humble.
Fuel efficient petrol engine
In my next Saab I want a fuel efficient and low emission petrol engine that produces around 150HP. I live in Norway and can't afford a too powerful engine as the taxation of cars is among other factors calculated on the basis of horsepower and co2 emission. It will be nice if Hirsch can get the engine up to 200HP. My current Saab 9-5 has a diesel engine, which is a good, but I have to admit that I prefer the smoothness and responsiveness of a petrol engine.
Automatic or dual clutch transmission
The engine I want in my next Saab should be connected to an automatic or dual clutch transmission, which does not increase the fuel consumption or emissions compared to a manual transmission. If this isn't doable, then I will take a 6-speed manual transmission.
Electric cross wheel drive
My current Saab has front wheel drive. Most of the time I do not need all wheel drive. And when taking added weight and increased fuel consumption into consideration, I'm not sure if I want cross wheel drive at all. But for my next Saab I want electric cross wheel drive. My understanding is that Saab's upcoming electric rear axle does not increase weight all that much and does not increase the fuel consumption. And so I want the eAAM hybrid all wheel drive. So Saab, please offer this system also with the low output engines!
DriveSense
For improved chassis performance, I want the option to get the next generation DriveSense adaptive suspension. At the moment I haven't made up my mind if I want HiperStrut or not. Do I need it? I don't drive my car like a racer driver, so the answer is probably no. But I guess HiperStrut would be nice as an option.
Head Up Display
Head Up Display is mandatory! Of all the electronic gadgets in the new Saab 9-5, the Head Up Display is without any doubt the last feature I would part with. And it's very Saab-like to offer a feature taken from aviation. Just like Saab did with the Night Panel.
Keyless entry
Apart from the HUD, the most beloved feature in my 9-5 is the keyless entry. It is very nice to not have to get the key to unlock or lock the doors. I just keep the key in my pocket and touch the door handle, that's it! So for my next Saab, I want to stay lazy.
Design
For the design of the car, I trust Victor Muller, Jan Åke Jonsson and Jason Castriota. I am sure that they will see to it that the car gets an unique and beautiful design. The only thing I want to say is hatchback.
That's it. Shouldn't be too difficult to achieve, right? Anyway, I trust that Saab will make the upcoming 9-3 the Saab I am dreaming of! :)
