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> a mechanical refresh was necessary even if the styling was to remain largely unchanged No, a mechanical refresh only would not be sufficient. At the time, th
by bluetomcat 7y ago
> a mechanical refresh was necessary even if the styling was to remain largely unchanged
No, a mechanical refresh only would not be sufficient. At the time, the styling of a Saab 900 or a Volvo 850 would look hideously outdated next to more modern German contemporaries like the first Mercedes CLK or an E39 5-series.
They needed to rethink and redesign the layout of the car for the new era, rather than come up with mechanically-revised 1970s throwbacks.
- linksnapzz 7y agoI'm sure that post '95 Saabs and Volvos also became more streamlined due to the demands of aerodynamic optimization. As for styling...de gustibus non est disputandum. I happen to like the squared-off Bruno Sacco era Mercedes look; it has the additional advantage of being a car that you can see out of. Many of the newer "modern, contemporary" European cars, to say nothing of the American ones, are claustrophobic rolling pillboxes in comparison.