2004 Saab 9-5

midsize luxury car / 4-door sedan

2004 Saab 9-5 4-door sedan

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2002-09 models built after November 2001

Tested vehicle: 2002 Saab 9-5 Arc 4-door

The Saab 9-5 was re-engineered for the 2002 model year with structural changes to improve occupant protection in frontal crashes. All 2002 and later 9-5 models manufactured after November 2001 also include airbag modifications to further improve occupant protection (note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door).

The tested car was manufactured after the modifications had been made.

The frontal offset crash test ratings also apply to the station wagon version of the 9-5, known as the SportCombi, beginning with 2002 and later models manufactured after November 2001.

The 9-5 was modestly restyled for the 2006 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head hit the B-pillar, roof rail, and head restraint during rebound. Head accelerations from these hits were low.

Forces on the right knee and lower leg were high enough to indicate the possibility of injuries.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0208
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 12
Left (cm) 15
Center (cm) 15
Right (cm) 17
Brake pedal (cm) 10
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 4
Right (cm) 2
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 3
Rearward (cm) 1
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 4

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0208
Head
HIC-15 206
Peak gs at hard contact 34
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm) 15
Maximum Nij 0.27
Chest maximum compression (mm) 29
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 2.6
Femur force - right (kN) 5.0
Knee displacement - left (mm) 1
Knee displacement - right (mm) 13
Maximum tibia index - left 0.40
Maximum tibia index - right 0.90
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.3
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 5.4
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 105
Right 76

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 1999-2009 models

Tested vehicle: 2004 Saab 9-5 Arc 4-door with standard front seat-mounted combination head and torso airbags

The Saab 9-5 was introduced in the 1999 model year. Although engineering changes were made to improve frontal crashworthiness beginning with 2002 models built after November 2001, these changes were not expected to affect side-impact performance.

The 9-5 was modestly restyled for the 2006 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
The dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door and the window glass and window sill of the rear door. The pillar is required by federal standard to provide some protection for occupants' heads. The impacts with the window glass and sill did not produce high head injury measures, but the head protection is inadequate.

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbag and damage to the occupant compartment.

Action shot taken during the side impact crash test showing the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbag.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy's head was hit by the pillar behind the rear passenger door and the window glass and window sill of the rear door.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0409
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -2.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0409
Head HIC-15 186
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.1
Compression (kN) 0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 39
Lateral force (kN) 1.7
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 26
Average deflection (mm) 20
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.73
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.39
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 2.9
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.0
Combined force (kN) 5.7
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.8
L-M moment (Nm) 63
A-P moment (Nm) 34

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0409
Head HIC-15 281
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.9
Compression (kN) 1.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 40
Lateral force (kN) 1.8
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 44
Average deflection (mm) 33
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.75
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.62
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.1
Acetabulum force (kN) 2.8
Combined force (kN) 3.3
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 1.0
L-M moment (Nm) 161
A-P moment (Nm) -48

About the original side crash test