WHILE Saab is going through a financial sauna with alternating cold and hot sessions and a lot of detail is hidden by the steam of publicity it would be easy to miss a very healthy and trim model which has emerged, the 9-5 saloon.

It is closely developed from the acclaimed concept car and while embracing a lot of tried and tested and further developed powertrains, it wraps everything in a totally new body and packs in a lot of highly desirable driver features.

Essentially there are 16 manual or automatic models based on 177 and 217bhp 2.0 petrol engines as well as a 2.8 V6 delivering 296bhp, and 187 and 188bhp diesels, with two or four wheel drive and priced between £27,260 and £38,585.

The new four-door body style pays homage to the Saab 900 series in some elements but also breaks new ground for the company in others and my Aero 2.0 TTiD 4 test model turned a lot of heads and produced many favourable comments. It seems the Saab fan club is not only surviving, but growing.

For the new model series, Saab has introduced a comparatively simple line up of Vector SE and Aero but added four wheel drive and a very low emissions diesel engine, which will find favour with business users as well as economy minded owners.

The big body has a boot which holds 515 litres but inside the cabin it is very roomy indeed. It will very easily sit four, and even take five without too much difficulty, and it is brimming with equipment which can include a Head Up Display, the usual powered windows, mirrors, climate control, MP3 with CD and Bluetooth.

It gets stability control as you would expect but the four-wheel-drive option gives it an extra edge on wintry roads and puts it alongside the Audi quattro system. Like the quattro, Saab's all wheel drive system requires no additional input from the driver as it simply comes into play as and when needed.

The four-cylinder 16v 1,956cc engine packs a hefty punch with minimum turbo-lag pushing out 295lb/ft at just 1,750rpm and a useful 190ps coming at 4,000rpm.

That translates on the road to give 0-60mph in nine seconds with a maximum close to 140mph, but it only tells part of the story.

The immediacy and flowing nature of the power has to be experienced to be appreciated and it does not make the tyres fight between themselves for grip so it's a very refined powertrain.

What is more, over a mixture of roads I managed to push economy to 41mpg, just an egg-cup of diesel off the claimed overall combined figure of 42.2mpg.

The manual six-speed gearbox is a surprise to some but the easy and progressive clutch, precise short shift gears and their sensible ratios make light work of covering ground whether in town or country.

Matched with truly well weighted, precise and effortless steering, and brakes which produced rapid deceleration with modest pressure underfoot and you immediately felt very confident about the Saab 9-5 Aero's abilities in any situation.

The 2.8m wheelbase endows the car with a smooth ride as well as excellent legroom and its wide track helps grip as well. The ride was slightly firm but agreeably so but you could hear the suspension and road noise underneath.

I am a fan of the car's profile but when reversing the high shoulders, sweeping cabin lines and small back window mean that reversing is difficult when you look behind and you have to heavily rely on the standard sensors.

The big seats and headrests further reduce vision to the back but mean the driver and passengers enjoy a very embracing experience with a good adjustment range on the front pair of seats, including extendable support behind the knees.

Access is very good with a low opening boot-lid and well shaped luggage area while oddments room is reasonable but not exceptional for such a large car.

The Saab 9-5Aero TTiD 4 is a comparative rarity in the executive sector, and its up against some tough competition, but its roominess and sophistication sets it apart at a price which easily undercuts rivals.