Top Safety Pick

2011 Saab 9-5

large luxury car / 4-door sedan

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Other available safety features

Optional lane departure warning

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 2010-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Saab 9-5 Aero 4-door 4wd

The Saab 9-5 was redesigned for the 2010 model year. Its size and weight were increased sufficiently to reclassify it as a large luxury car. (Earlier models were classified as midsize luxury/near luxury cars.) Frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Saab.

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

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF1015
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	2
Left (cm)	7
Center (cm)	8
Right (cm)	6
Brake pedal (cm)	1
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	1
Right (cm)	1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	1
Rearward (cm)	-3
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	1

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF1015
Head
HIC-15	276
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.4
Extension bending moment (Nm)	11
Maximum Nij	0.29
Chest maximum compression (mm)	30
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	0.2
Femur force - right (kN)	0.3
Knee displacement - left (mm)	0
Knee displacement - right (mm)	0
Maximum tibia index - left	0.32
Maximum tibia index - right	0.55
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	1.6
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	2.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	53
Right	54

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2010-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2010 Saab 9-5 Aero 4-door 4wd with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front and rear seat-mounted torso airbags

The Saab 9-5 was redesigned for the 2010 model year. Its size and weight were increased sufficiently to reclassify it as a large luxury car, and it now shares its basic body design with the Buick LaCrosse. (Earlier models were classified as midsize luxury/near luxury cars.) Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Saab.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
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

Technical measurements for this test

Test ID	VTS1015
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-22.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS1015
Head HIC-15	363
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.1
Compression (kN)	0.2
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	43
Lateral force (kN)	1.8
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	37
Average deflection (mm)	35
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	3.92
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.66
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	2.0
Acetabulum force (kN)	2.2
Combined force (kN)	3.9
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.5
L-M moment (Nm)	57
A-P moment (Nm)	29

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS1015
Head HIC-15	97
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.3
Compression (kN)	0.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	19
Lateral force (kN)
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	13
Average deflection (mm)	10
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	3.92
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.66
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	0.3
Acetabulum force (kN)	2.3
Combined force (kN)	2.2
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.2
L-M moment (Nm)	63
A-P moment (Nm)	17

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2010-12 models

Tested vehicle: 2011 Saab 9-5 Premium 4-door

Overall evaluation
Curb weight	3,832 lbs
Peak force	22,434 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio	5.85

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Power cloth seats (AHR)

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Power cloth seats (AHR)
Geometry
Backset (mm)	32
Distance below top of head (mm)	-10
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g)	11.9
Head contact time (ms)	59
Force rating	1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	47
Max neck tension (N)	519

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.