AGGRESSIVE pricing will see Saab's new 9-5 estate play a large part in increasing the manufacturer's total sales next year. The arrival of the estate - Saab predicts it will sell about 3,500 next year following its February launch - will push the Swedish manufacturer's total sales over the 20,000 mark, UK corporate sales manager Maggie Small said at the British International Motor Show.

Saab has priced the vehicle, its first estate in more than 20 years, well below rival Audi A6 and BMW 5-series estates, with on-the-road prices starting at £23,795 for the 150bhp 2.0t. This compares to £25,204 for an Audi A6 Avant 1.8T and £26,355 for a BMW 520i Touring. The rest of the Saab estate range pricing is £24,795 for the 9-5 2.3t; £25,795 for the 9-5 SE 2.0t and £26,795 for the 9-5 SE 2.3t.

Standard equipment includes driver, passenger and side airbags, dual-zone automatic climate control, load-securing tracks, refrigerated glovebox and electrically-adjustable headlamps. Small said: 'The estate is mainly aimed at the user-chooser lists where drivers are looking to change from 4x4s back to a sporty but practical vehicle. We expect about 40% of the Saab estate sales to be fleet.'