Saab confirmed debut of the long-awaited 9-5 SportWagon at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March, releasing the initial details of the car. The estate version of the 9-5 sedan looks pretty much the same as that, apart from the rear compartment obviously. It makes a good looking station wagon overall.

Saab realized the first thing customers want to know with a estate car is its ability to carry things! So the new 9-5 SportWagon is very well equipped for that. Smart cargo handling features include an adaptable multi-fold floor, flexible U-rail load space configuration and under-floor stowage with a sealed wet storage compartment.  A programmable, powered tailgate is also available. It offers 527 litres of cargo space with the rear seats up, expendable to 1,600 liters.

For ease of loading, the tailgate opens down to bumper level with a lift-over height of only 648 mm. The cargo deck floor is also flush with the tailgate opening to facilitate sliding heavy loads inside. A down-lighter in the tailgate and small sidewall lights provide excellent illumination of the load space at night.

2012 Saab 9-5 SportWagon gets the same all-turbo petrol and diesel powertrain line-up as the 9-5 saloon and can also be ordered with Saab’s XWD all-wheel-drive system and advanced features such as: Saab DriveSense adaptive chassis control, adaptive cruise control (late 2012), Bi-Xenon SmartBeam adaptive lighting, keyless entry and starting, tri-zone air conditioning and a Head-up Display which projects information, aircraft-style in the windshield.

Saab will start taking orders for the 9-5 estate from Spring 2011, but the first deliveries won’t arrive until September. This car is Saab’s next step in the biggest new product offensive in its history of the brand.

“The launch of the 9-5 SportWagon is a much-awaited next step in the roll-out of our new product offensive,” says Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson. “It will take Saab back into the large estate segment where we have established a strong presence in many key markets with our previous offering.”