Saab announces U.S. 9-5 pricing, leads with range-topping Aero

2010 Saab 9-5 – click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve just returned from the grand opening of Saab’s new North American headquarters in Royal Oak, Michigan, where the newly emancipated automaker has just priced its pivotal new 9-5 for the U.S. market.

Saab will launch its new 9-5 lineup with the 2010 model year Aero sedan carrying a price of $49,990. The all-wheel drive 300-horsepower, 2.8-liter V6 turbo four-door will actually sit atop the range, with an entry-level 2011 model with Saab’s 2.0-liter turbo powerplant coming on stream shortly thereafter with a promised MSRP of “under $40,000.”

That’s ambitious pricing in what already amounts to a very crowded and competent sandbox. For reference’s sake, the 2010 Infiniti M37x starts at $48,400 and brings 330 horses to the table, while Cadillac’s CTS rings up at $43,465 in comparable all-wheel drive trim with a 304-hp 3.6-liter. The European establishment rings up at $48,925 for Mercedes-Benz’s 268-hp E350, and BMW’s new 2011 528i will start at $44,500, though both of those segment stalwarts are rear-drive and tend to run comparatively thin on standard equipment.

According to Saab’s hand-out press release (sorry, no digital version available yet!), the Aero will feature a six-speed automatic gearbox with paddleshifters, so apparently no manual transmission will be available with the V6 – at least at launch. Saab does, however, promise its superb XWD all-wheel drive system, power leather seats, dual-zone HVAC, and a cooled glovebox (a longtime brand staple) among other standard features. Options will include items like a heads-up display, lane-departure warning technology, and a Harman-Kardon surround sound stereo.

The first 9-5 models are slated to go on sale in July, with the 2.0T models arriving hard on its heels. No word yet on 9-5 SportCombi pricing or availability, but we expect the two-box model to go on sale in about a year.

Gallery: 2010 Saab 9-5