9000 Series II

Saab’s 9000 hatch came in for a thorough facelift in early ’92, with a redesigned, pointier nose, new hatch tailgate flanked by restyled horizontal taillights, and revised bumpers.

The body was strengthened (torsionally by 25 per cent), which brought welcome safety, security and refinement rises.

The 110kW/212Nm 2.3-litre DOHC 16V four-cylinder engine was employed in the CSi hatchback and CD GLE sedan, while its 147kW/330Nm turbocharged 2.3 sister was slotted into the 9000 CS 2.3T and CS Turbo S hatchbacks, as well as the unchanged 9000 CD Turbo sedan.

The 9000 sedans received the new nose treatment and body upgrade in early ’93.

That’s when the lower-pollution 2.3-litre four-cylinder engines came along, developing 108kW/205Nm in naturally aspirated and 147kW/294Nm in turbo formats (9000 CSE and Aero hatch), while a very low-pollution 125kW/260Nm 2.3 9000 model known as the CS ECOPOWER hatch was released from September ’93 to March ‘96.

That engine was then transferred to the ’96 9000 CD sedan, ’96 9000 CS hatch, and ’97 9000 CS Anniversary hatch.

For two years from early ’95 the 9000 CDE and 9000 Griffin sedans offered the model’s only V6 power – courtesy of a General Motors’ built 155kW/270Nm 3.0-litre DOHC 24V unit mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic.

The 9000 range was finally replaced by the all-new 9-5 sedan and wagon from late ’97 and mid-’99 respectively.