Start with what the Saab 9-5 is: a 4-door sedan (car) / sedan / 5-door station wagon with Petrol engine, built from 1997 to 2012, when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard. What it meant takes a little longer. The shape is credited to Einar Hareide.
Where it came from
The Saab 9-5 is an executive car, manufactured and marketed by Saab from 1997 to 2012, across two generations. The first generation 9-5 was introduced in 1997 for the 1998 model year, as the replacement of the Saab 9000. At the time, the car represented a significant development for the manufacturer.
In the United States, the 9-5 was introduced in the spring of 1998, for the 1999 model year. The second generation was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 15, 2009 and production began in March 2010. It was the first Saab automobile launched under Spyker Cars' ownership, though developed almost entirely under GM's ownership. Production ceased in 2012 amid Saab's liquidation.
Under the skin
The engine is Petrol engine; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Drive goes through a 4-speed Aisin 50-42LE automatic transmission / automatic (1997–2001) / 5-speed Aisin AF33 transmission / Aisin AF33 automatic (2002–2009) / 5-speed F35 transmission / FM55B03 manua. The wheelbase is 2703 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
In the Saab Automobile line-up the Saab 9-5 has a clear place: it replaced the Saab 9000; the factory was Trollhättan (Trollhättan Assembly), Sweden. The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Toyota Prius, the Subaru Forester, the Cadillac Escalade. Nearby in the Saab Automobile catalogue sit the Saab 60 and the Saab 600.