Spy shot Saab 9-5 Estate

While General Motors struggles to find a buyer, following the collapse of a deal with supercar maker Koenigsegg, prototypes of the company's overdue and essential new 9-5 continue to rack up kilometres.

The latest to break cover is the all-new 9-5 station wagon.  The car was caught in southern Italy during a huge group test, with Carparazzi photographers reporting a huge contingent of Swedish engineers and drivers in a range of cars.

The 9-5 wagon — or Estate as it's called in Europe — is set for an on- sale date toward the end of 2010, always providing Saab is still operating by them.  It is one of four new Saab models scheduled for the next 18 months, from the 9-5 sedan to the wagon, 9-4X crossover and finally the crucial new 9-3.

The wagon prototype is said to be very close to the finished car, from the way it looks to the wheel trims and even the production panels hidden beneath the camouflage pieces. European sources say 70 per cent of the design and engineering work has been done directly by Saab, with the rest of the input coming from GM Europe's base in Russelsheim in Germany.