If private or company cars drivers don't fancy a mass market brand such as Ford or Vauxhall or do not want to be yet another convert to the premium German brands such as Audi, BMW or Mercedes or feel bold enough to make the move to the recently launched Chrysler and Cadillac American brands, what are the choices left?Not a lot in reality except for Jaguar, Honda or Lexus but there is one brand that has stood the test of time for the individualistic owner or user chooser driver - Saab.Now Saab may now be owned by the giant GM corporation and its cars share components with Vauxhall and now Cadillac BLS models but the Swedish arm of the company has maintained its individuality.This appears to be a move which is paying off as Saab sales are increasing at a healthy rate, especially to those independent people who just want to drive something different.The new Saab 9-5 range of saloons and estates sell in the premium D sector and they have an all turbocharger engine line up of petrol, diesel, and for the environmentalists, bioethanol units.Much of Saab's sales growth is coming from the business user chooser sector of the market, normally business people who generally cover high mileages.To this end Saab have recently introduced a new GM sourced 150bhp 1.9 litre TiD Euro IV compliant turbodiesel engine option to their 9-5 range. This engine produces 320Nm of torque only exceeded by the Saab Aero 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine. What makes this diesel unit ideal for the high mileage driver is not only the savings in fuel but the driving flexibility offered by a modern diesel engine and the fact that customers can either stay with a 5-speed manual transmission or as more people are doing, opt for an automatic transmission which is ideally suited to the diesel engine characteristics. Although you pay £1,240 for the 5-speed auto gearbox it just makes driving so much easier and relaxing given the stressful conditions we experience on a congested roads these days.Unfortunately I wasn't able to get my hands on the new 1.9-litre diesel Saab 9-5 Saloon with the auto transmission so it was the 5-speed manual gearbox for me.The car I ended up driving was the Saab 9-5 Saloon 1.9TiD with Vector Sport specification priced at £25,365 with added costs options such as the Sports leather faced, electrically operated and ventilated seats costing £1,050 and the upgraded stereo and navigation system which raised the price further by £2,200. Customers in this sector are well used to paying more for options these days which can add over £5,000 to the initial on the road price. Audi, BMW and Mercedes are classic examples of this practise.The Saab 9-5 is an acquired taste. If you love Saabs, you'll love this car but it will not appeal to everybody. It is a big barge of a vehicle especially viewed from the side. The new front end is sporty and aerodynamic to look at and the rear is practical with easy access to a large boot but the side profile is very slab sided.The interior is large and is a true comfortable five-seater and it looks very up-market and a quality product. The facia panel retains Saab's well known aircraft heritage and the instrument panel is very vertical and filled with all the dials and controls needed for the pilot, or on this case the driver. Everything is close to hand or in easy vision. Again it will not be to everybody's choice but it is distinctive and it works.Of course being a Saab it is a very safe vehicle right from the construction through to the comprehensive on-board safety systems.So its distinctive, strong, well built, roomy, refined, comfortable and different but the addition of the 1.9-litre turbodiesel engine is the big reason to by the Saab 9-5 now.The installation of this engine is superb. It is very quiet even at tickover and very responsive and it is a very good vehicle to use as an example to D-segment car buyers on why they should seriously consider having a premium car with a diesel engine these days. It's not just about saving money on fuel, diesel power these days just provides for a better drive especially with bigger cars.Although I think the 1.9 TiD engine would be better with a 6-speed manual transmission to further improve fuel economy, the 43mpg returned by my test car for day in day out driving on motorways, stuck in traffic and for short journeys was very good.The performance stacks up as well. With a top speed of 124mph its no slouch and the 0-62mph acceleration time of 9.5 seconds is virtually the same as the turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine but the fuel economy of 43mpg is much better than the 32mpg given for the petrol version. Emissions are lower too at 174g/km. Perhaps the BMW, Audi and Mercedes diesel engines still have the edge for refinement but this GM/Fiat diesel unit is still pretty good overall.Being such a large car but with its Sports suspension and electronic handling programme the front wheel drive layout gave good cornering grip and the car rode flat and level during high speed cornering. The stiffer suspension was not intrusive for giving a harsh or noisy ride, it felt a very taught and predictable car something not always the case with larger saloons. However it is not quite in the same handling league as equivalent German models.MILESTONES: Saab 9-5 Vector Sport Saloon1.9 TiD. Price: £25,365 plus options. Engine: New 1.9-litre four-cylinder direct injection common rail turbocharged diesel. 150bhp, 320Nm of torque from 2,000rpm. Performance: 127mph, 0-62mph 9.5 seconds, 44mpg (43mpg actual), 174 g/km.For: For the discerning driver, roomy, refined, safety and equipment levels, very capable overall. Against: Love or hate looks, not quite as sharp in some ways as similar sized rival German brands.