SAAB is back in the super-performance league with the 9-5 Aero, a car that draws on a long history of turbocharging expertise and sporting heritage. The Aero name has been used to describe several potent performance models, usually at the top of the range and at premium prices, but the 9-5 has been repackaged as a more affordable formula designed to inject some sparkle into the range.

The result is a car that offers performance sufficient to blow away virtually anything at the price, and many costing more. And with prices starting at ú27,995 for the four-door, or ú28,995 for the estate, it's a package Saab hopes will enable it to sell about 2,000 units in the first year, or about 20% of all 9-5 sales, split 50/50 between saloon and estate. It's the estate we try here, and at ú28,995 on the road, it undercuts the brand new Volvo V70 T5 SE by ú665, making it one of the best value fast estates on the market.

Pricewise, it competes with much less powerful rivals, including the BMW 523i SE Touring (ú29,995 /170bhp), Audi A6 2.4 SE quattro (ú29,600/165bhp) and Mercedes C240 Sport estate (ú29,220/170bhp).