We're big Saab fans at Octane magazine - and are delighted to see the company emerge from its recent near-death experience.

Rewind to the end of 2008, and times looked very bleak for Saab. The innovative Swedish car company that bought us such greats as the 96, 99 Turbo, 900 Aero, and Sonnet, looked all set for bankrupcy. Then, at the 59th minute of the 11th hour, Spyker swooped in to heroically negotiate Saab's release from General Motors, which looked on the brink of shutting down its Trollhatten operation.

With new ownership secured, the introduction of the new large 9-5 saloon that had been developed under GM's ownership could finally go ahead, despite being based on the GM platform that underpins the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia. It's a car that's been in desperate need of being launched, as the previous generation 9-5 had been around since 1998 – and was never considered a class-leader even when young.

We've already driven the new 9-5 in 3-litre turbocharged V6 Aero form, and came away quietly impressed. Although the car has not had a particularly smooth ride in the UK press, where in direct comparisons with the obvious German players in the executive market, it has come off second best. But for a few rough edges in terms of fit and finish, it's certainly competent enough – and that led us to wonder if it is good enough for existing Saab enthusiasts to feel comfortable in it.

Quirkiness is a must, as is a feeling of solidity and stability. But there's the important issuue of 'Saabishness'. And is the new 9-5 Saabish enough for those owners of ageing 9-5s, classic 900s and smoky 9000s to feel comfortable trading into?

1988 Saab 900

For a car that has its roots planted firmly in the 1960s' designed and engineered 99, the 900 had a remarkably long life. When it appeared in 1978, the Saab 900 was pitched straight into the mainstream executive car sector, taking on the Ford Granada, Rover SD1 and Audi 100, but with a major dos of Swedish idiosyncracy.

So that meant a wraparound windscreen, floor-mounted ignition key and a turbocharged top-of the range version - as Saab continued to eschew large capacity engines, as well as develop its fine slant-four. When it arrived on the scene, it impressed enough buyers in the UK and USA to become something of a success - its blend of character, build quality, neutral handling and performance gained the 900 a considerable cult following.

Not content to rest on its turbo-pioneering laurels, the 900 was developed throughout its life - receiving the innovative APC system (that varied boost and timing depending on load and fuel rating) in 1981, then a 16-valve cylinder head in 1984. To celebrate these innovations, a new model was announced, the T16S Aero - a range-topping performance version that boasted 175bhp, and could sprint from 0-60mph in 7 seconds.

Two years later, a convertible version, engineered by American Sunroof Company rolled out of Trollhatten, and the Saab 900 cult was complete. Sales were as strong as its image, helped massively by an advertising campaign that emphasised the 900's tenuous link with the Viggen fighter aeroplane.

To drive today, it's still easy to fall for the 900. There's a real sense of solidity - from the clunk of the doors to the chunky action of all the controls, this is very much a car to last. The interior feels solid, too, and the driving position and view through that panoramic windscreen are excellent. On the road, too, a 900 is still a delight - with tidy handling, strong brakes, and effortlessly easy acceleration in the mid-range.

Torque steer and wheel scrabble? Not really - modern tyres keep the spin in check, while the suspension geometry is set-up to avoid this, despite the hefty slab of power and torque.

Our 1988 example has nearly 200,000 miles on the clock, and still feels together on the road. It's unsurprising that these cars are still in such demand today. Classic cars rarely come more usable - and ones of this era, so distinctive to look at.

1995 Saab 9000

The first generation Saab 9000 was created to move the company upmarket, and steal sales from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. But to build a car capable of such lofty ambitions was always going to be tough for a company as small as Saab, and that's why it turned to Fiat for assistance.

The 9000 emerged as one of the Type Four executive car from the Italian company, and it does't take much to see that the 9000 shares much of its body engineering with the Fiat Croma and Lancia Thema (the other car in the foursome was the Alfa Romeo 164, but that received all new body panels, and thus looked completely different).

But although the body engineering looked familiar, Saab's new challenger was suitably Swedish under the skin. The interior was an ergonomic masterpiece (just like the 900), while the engine was carried over from the 900, although it was now mounted transversely. Initially the 9000 was only offered with the top of the line 175bhp T16S engine, and it was good enough to give the car a 140mph maximum speed, but unlike the rather sporting 900, it was refined, smooth and near silent at high speed.

And that made it a formidable long distance tourer, as well as a more than capable rival to the Germans, even with a mere 2-litres under the bonnet.

Criticisms were initially levelled at the car for its lack of character, but in the ensuiing years, and as ever more powerful versions were released (Carlsson, then Aero), the reputation for Testarossa crushing mid-range acceleration and yobbish torque steer were cemented. And this became an additional aspect of the Saab DNA make-up.

Like the 900 and the 99 before it, the 9000 ended up living rather a long time, finally bowing out in 1998 following a mid-life facelift in 1992 to become the CS Series. It's this car that was offered in Aero form - and like the 900 was suffused with plenty of power and torque - 225bhp from its four-put turbo was enough to get the Aero up to 150mph, with a 0-60mph time of around 6.5 seconds. And this one torque steered as it should.

On the road, it still impresses in terms of sheer grunt. The long stroke engine is no screamer, and it hums away quietly, while pushing the 9000 forward unfeasably rapidly. Unlike the 900, it understeers and can struggle cornering, but with this car, a line was drawn - straight line speed and top speed was a primary motivator, setting the way clear for future GM Engineered 900s, 9-3s and 9-5s. Anyone who's driven the 9-3 Viggen will understand fully.

As far as Saabishness goes, the 9000 brought a considerable amount ot the table, but at the cost of a fair amount of the 900's character. But luckily, it had - and has - enough individuality to score well among Saab enthusiasts.

2010 Saab 9-5 T4 Aero

The latest 9-5 is probably not quite the car that the Swedish engineers woud have designed had they not been working under the auspices of General Motors. But that's no bad thing, as the platform it's based on is far more competent today than the Fiat Croma's was back in 1985 - and without the need to start from scratch, the Swedes have been able to work on the important issue of making the car look and feel like a Saab.

Have they succeeded? Yes. There are a few rough edges, such as the quality of some of the interior fittings, and its dynamic performance is on the comfortable side of average. But at the very worst, it's competent, and in truth the 5m long behemoth is slightly better than that once you learn to adopt a slightly more relaxed approach to driving.

Our 9-5 has a 220bhp 2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine - and if you're in the mood and ham-fisted with the throttle, you can induce some torque steer, but nowhere near as much as the 9000. It's enough for those who like it, and never intrusive enough to bother those who don't.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. The styling passes the Saab test, as it's obviously from the same stable as the older cars, thanks to its distinctive roofline, and inside, there's a certain familiarity about the way it looks, and the postioning of the starter (in the centre console between the seats, just like a classic 900). But it has moved on considerably from its ancesters, thanks to its innovative instumentation and massively roomy interior.

On the road, it's a similar story to the interior - it's good enough, and retains just enough Saabishness to be worthy of the name. It's no sports car, but covers distances effortlessly, and has enough dynamic ability to tackle British B-roads with some ability once you dial its to its massive width. And that - again - places it ahead of the 9000 (in its day), if not the 900...

And for us, that makes it a worthy of the badge...