History
The 9000 was launched to the motoring press at a conference at Kolmården Game Park on 24 May 1984[13] and 1985 in the European market. This original model called "Saab 9000 Turbo 16" was a five-door hatchback, only available with a manual gearbox and the 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with 16 valves, already known from the 900. Maximum power was quoted to be 175 hp-metric without a catalytic converter. The 9000 has Drag coefficient of Cd 0.34, very competitive for the time.[14] Earlier on in the development, the PRV engine had also been considered as well as the Ford Vulcan engine from the upcoming Ford Taurus.[10]
The Saab 9000 was awarded Best Prestige Car 1985 by the French magazine L'Action Automobile.[15] Cars built in the first year had problems with weak structural rigidity and developed a reputation for cracks and fatigue if fitted with tow hooks or sunroofs.[6] Earlier production 9000s were not able to pass the American crash test standards but the car was continuously reinforced during its production run.[6]
At the end of 1985, for the 1986 model year, the 9000 was rolled out in the most important foreign market: the US. It was fitted with the 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, now with exhaust gas purification via catalytic converter and was rated at 160 hp-metric.[16] Saab also introduced a fuel injected naturally aspirated engine for the 9000 during the same year, available in all of Saab's markets. This engine is rated at 125 hp-metric with catalytic converters and 128 hp-metric without catalytic converters. The naturally aspirated engine is based on the turbocharged engine and features four valves per cylinder, electronic ignition, and a knock sensor.
In the autumn of 1986, Saab organised a record attempt with the 9000, which received much attention in the US and internationally, at the Alabama International Motor Speedway at Talladega, now the Talladega Superspeedway. "Saab Turbo--In The Long Run" took place over 20 days and 20 nights. "The main purpose of the Long Run project is to test the endurance of our cars as part of our ongoing testing program," explained Olle Granlund, head of Saab's engine and transmission department and the person in charge of this project.[17] All three 9000 Turbo 16s passed the 100,000 km mark in 21 days, the lead car breaking 21 international and two world speed records in the process. In memory of this event, Saab sold special models of its cars named "Talladega" in the prospective years, not only for the 9000 but also for other model series. Furthermore, the event was repeated 10 years later in 1996 with models of the "NG 900".[18]
For the 1987 model year a 4-speed automatic transmission made by ZF became available. For the 1988 model year, Saab introduced a 4-door saloon variant of the 9000 known as the CD. The front of the Sedan was different (more modern) and more streamlined than the hatchback model. This involved smoothing the edges of the headlamps and grille and sloping the front outwards. Saab adapted the design of the saloon to the current facelift of the 900, which had already received a similar new front-end design for the 1987 model year. This re-design marked a departure from the more upright front styling of the 1984 model, which was also similar to the old design of the 900 from 1978 to 1986.
From MY 1988, all 9000 variants were equipped with a Saab Information Display (SID) which showed fuel consumption, distance to an empty fuel tank, alternator output voltage, outside temperature, and lowest battery voltage during vehicle start.[19] If the outside temperature fell to -3 to 3 °C, the temperature display is automatically selected to warn of possible black ice road conditions. A separate pictogram monitored door and hatch opening and exterior light bulb condition.[20] 1988 also marked the introduction of pyrotechnic seat belt tensioners for the front seats.[21] Saab Direct Ignition (DI) was also introduced in 1988 with the 9000 CD and its B202 turbocharged engine.
For the model year 1989 also the B202 turbo engine built in the CC got the new DI motor management. The output of the B202 turbo increased slightly from 160 to 163 hp-metric DIN for the catalyzed turbo model and from 125 to 128 hp-metric DIN for the catalyzed, naturally aspirated engine, and from 128 to 133 hp-metric DIN in the uncatalyzed model.
For the 1990 model year, Saab introduced the newly developed and enlarged B234 2.3-litre engine, rated at 146 hp-metric for the naturally aspirated variation and always equipped with a catalyst. This version develops 150 hp in US-market cars. From autumn 1990 for the 1991 model year in Europe (autumn 1991 in US), the new engine also became available also with a turbocharger, rated at 195 hp-metric. Unlike the other engines, each of which was also used in the 900 classic, the B234 engine was only used in the 9000 (and later in the 900 NG in the version without turbo).
For the 1991 (Europe) and 1992 (US) model year, Saab also adopted the sloping front design of the CD as an short-lived facelift for the CC hatchback without touching the rear. With this, the flat front design of the 90, 99, 900 and the origin 9000 was finally over. But this design existed only for a single year on the CC in most markets (the CD notchback retained its old design until the 1994 model year). Also new during 1991 was the ozone-friendly air-conditioning system using R134a - the first in the world. Saab also offered conversion kits for existing, air conditioned 9000 models.[22]
The next bigger facelift for the 9000 5-door hatchback was followed by the introduction of a partial redesign for the 1992 model year in Europe (for 1993 model year in the US), known as the CS. At the release of the CS, the original hatchback variant from 1985–1991/1992 model years was retrospectively designated CC to differentiate it from the newer model. The "old" CC continued to be sold alongside the facelifted model in some markets as an entry-level model and particularly in the US, where the new CS was not available until 1993.[23]
A new turbocharger management system, Trionic 5 and later Trionic 7, was equipped from the 1993 model year onwards in engines with DI (the Trionic system used resistor spark plugs to detect for engine knock in place of the knock sensors incorporated into the engine block in the previous APC system). The model range was also revised to provide some uniformity to the model designations on all markets. They became CS/CSE and CD/CDE:
In principle, both trim levels could be combined with the engines available in the respective model year and market. This means that even a "simple" CS could be ordered with the 200 hp turbocharged engine, for example.
For the 1995 model year, a 3.0-litre B308 V6 engine from General Motors rated at 210 PS was introduced as standard for the CDE trim and optional for the CSE trim. However, the engine was not offered in all markets.
- the CS / CD were equipped with basic equipment
- the CSE / CDE came with most available equipment from factory
End of production
The four-door CD/E models were discontinued in all markets in summer 1997 (already discontinued in the US in summer 1995). The production of the performance-oriented Aero model also ended in summer 1997. Only 1,400 units of the 9000 were produced for the final model year pf 1998 (starting in August 1997), and of these, only 400 were exported to the United States, the main foreign market for Saab. In 1997, Saab introduced the successor of the 9000 called the 9-5.
