It’s no secret that Saab has been through some tough times recently. The 9-5 is the company’s first new model in years. Judged purely as a tow car it has many strengths, but it’s too far off the mark in other areas.

Let’s start with the positives. Performance is very strong. With 295lb ft of torque to call upon, the engine pulls car and caravan from 30-60mph in just 12.3 seconds.

On straight stretches of test track the 9-5 proved stable, holding a steady course up to 60mph and beyond. Deliberately sharp steering inputs failed to put the Saab off its stride.

The automatic parking brake did its job without fuss, and the powerful engine also made hill starts straightforward in first gear and reverse.

It may be a saloon, but the boot is like a cave. We had space to spare for all our luggage. There’s plenty of room in the cabin, too.

Bad points? Well, that engine may be powerful but it’s noisy, too. What’s more, the jiggly ride can become irritating, with or without a tourer in tow. Although it corners tidily, the steering gives the driver little idea of what’s going on with the front tyres.

We hope the good times are on the way back for Saab, and with them, cars that are closer to the top of the class than this one.