Anyone who has ever owned a Saab will tell you they are solid, safe and sensible — now you can add sexy to the list. The first product to emerge from the Scandinavian car maker following its sale from General Motors to the Dutch performance car manufacturer, Spyker, the low-slung 9-5 saloon heralds a bright future.

The clean, sculpted shape swoops low from a deep grille, flanked with curving headlamps, around fuselage-smooth bodywork and wraparound windows, to a muscular rear end with hints of Aston Martin.

Sleek, sophisticated and guaranteed to stand out from the crowd, the new Saab 9-5 Saloon is as different inside as it is on the outside.

The driver-focused cockpit is traditional Saab, but the deep centre console sweeps up at a shallow angle around the driver into the main instrument display.

Deeply recessed main dials include an aircraft instrument-style speed read-out. Driver displays, including an optional head-up display in the windscreen (pictured), are predominantly illuminated in a bright signature Saab green.

The car’s ignition, now a start/stop button, remains between the front seats, next to the gearshift.

The 'Night Panel' button, another unique Saab feature, allows you switch off all the main instrument illumination, except the speedometer, making night driving much less distracting.

Where Saab has always scored its highest points is in its quietly confident ride and handling and the 9-5 saloon has literally raised the game.

The test model came with the so-called DriveSense system, which allows driver control of suspension damping, at the flick of a knob next to the gearshift.

‘Intelligent’ mode adjusts the car’s handling characteristics in response to driving style, so when the car is being driven hard, the damper action is automatically stiffened to improve body control and roadholding; throttle pedal movement is shortened for a faster response and steering assistance is reduced for a more direct feel.

‘Sport’ mode locks in those stiffer, more responsive settings, but by contrast, ‘Comfort’ mode improves ride refinement by enabling a softer range of adjustment for the dampers and a smoother throttle pedal action and helps deliver the best fuel economy.

The test model came in Aero specification, with 19-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlamps, twin tailpipes and a lowered sport chassis, with a 10mm lower ride height, stiffer front anti-roll bar, and stiffer springs and dampers .

Six-speed transmission is standard across the 9-5 range, as is turbocharging, both on petrol models, which go from a modest 1.6 to a fiery 300 horsepower 2.8-litre V6, and the two 2.0-litre diesels on offer, a 160 horsepower, single turbo unit delivering CO2 emissions of just 139 g/km, and the test model’s twin-turbo 190 hp version, which also comes in all-wheel-drive.

If the new 9-5 is a taste of things to come, Saab seems set for a sensational future.

Auto facts Saab 9-5 saloon Aero 2.0 TTiD

Price: £32,165

Insurance group: 29E (1-50)

Fuel consumption (Combined): 47.1mpg

Top speed: 143mph

Length: 500.8cm/197.1in

Width: 186.8cm/73.5in

Luggage capacity: 18.2 cu ft

Fuel tank capacity: 70 litres

Co2 emissions: 159g/km

Warranty: Three years/60,000 milesv