The Car That Nearly Didn't Happen: The S Series Saga Continues

This is the car that nearly didn't happen at all, designed and unveiled by S before the brand was dropped by financially troubled parent company General Motors. This car's classic badge was finally rescued from the brink of extinction by the Dutch Supercar maker Spiker. So, has the battle to get the traumatically conceived new 95 to market been worth the wait? Well, it must be good because S is aiming it right at the premium saloon car market, which puts it up against the likes of BMW's 5 series, Audi's A6, and Mercedes-Benz's E-class.

The S Series: A Grand Entry into the Premium Market

The S series looks rather grand too, with its low-planted elegant STS wraparound screen, dark disguised pillars, and two-tone mirrors. There are three petrol engines on offer, all of which come with turbocharges, a tradition that S has kept in line with its predecessors. The 2L diesel engine comes with either a single turbo or a twin turbo, depending on the customer's preference. The most powerful 2.8L V6 engine, meanwhile, has a cross-wheel drive SS 4x4 system that splits torque between the two axles as well as both wheels.

A Sportier Suspension Package: A Premium Feature

Most variants of the S series come with the option of a sportier suspension package with different driving modes. This entry-level model features 158 brake horsepower, but it feels a bit sluggish, particularly when the revs just hover over the tickover mark. To overcome this, you'll need to give it a bit of "Welly" to pull away briskly and cleanly. Once the turbo is awake, however, it's best to keep it active to maintain momentum; otherwise, you'll find yourself hunting around for a lower gear on the move.

A Premium Feel Inside: Not Quite There

Inside, there's a decent amount of room with a boot that's the same size as a 56 series. The dash is big and bold, but it's not as beautifully finished as an Audi interior. Some of the details on the dials and the optional head-up display looked like they were drawn on an etcher sketch underneath. Underneath me, however, I noticed that this car has a Voelx Hols Insignia front-wheel drive chassis, which is longer by 100mm and most of that space goes towards some extra rear leg room.

A Different Approach: The S Series vs. the German Saloons

The handling is good, with very little body roll as you pitch it around the corners. The stick steering has more weight and more feel to it than its Volkswagen roots, which is thanks to Spiker's input. However, every time you change gear, the shape of the lever and the action of it remind you of its GM roots, taking away from its premium quality overall. The S series is an accomplished car, but the talented German saloons still dominate the segment. This Swedish-built Dutch-owned Spiker is the interesting outsider and the one to choose if you want to be a bit different. However, it's not quite good enough to be a true premium car or cheap enough to be a bargain for that – I'd save yourselves eight grand and go and buy a Skoda Superb instead.

The Verdict: A Compelling but Not Quite There Offer

Ultimately, the S series is a compelling offer for those looking for something different in the premium saloon market. While it may not quite reach the same level of sophistication as its German counterparts, it has its own unique strengths and character. Whether or not it's worth the investment depends on individual priorities and budget considerations.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthis is the car that nearly didn't happen at all designed and unveiled by S before the brand was dropped by financially troubled parent company General Motors this car's classic badge was finally rescued from the brink of Extinction by the Dutch Supercar maker Spiker so has the battle to get the traumatically conceived new 95 to Market been worth the wait well it must be good because s is aiming it right at the premium saloon car market which puts it up against the likes of BMW's 5 series Audi's A6 and merc's E-class and you know what the S is already off to a good start because it is pretty reasonably priced the range starts at just under 265,000 for the 2 L diesel which is over ,000 cheaper than the Lesser powered MK the S looks rather Grand too with its low planted elegant STS wraparound screen dark disguised pillars and two-tone mirrors there are three petrol engines on offer and in keeping with SAR tradition all come with turbocharges then there is the 2 L Diesel with either a single turbo as we've got here or a twin turbo if you fancy 30 BR horsepower M the most powerful 2.8 L V6 has a cross wheeel Drive SS 4x4 system which splits torque between the two axles as well as Between the Wheels most variants also come with the option of a sportier suspension package with different driving modes this entry level model has 158 brake horsepower but to be honest with you it feels a little a bit sluggish particularly when the revs just hover over the tickover mark so you do need to give it a bit of Welly to pull away brisly and cleanly and once the turbo is awake it's best to keep it active to maintain momentum or else you'll find yourself hunting around for a lower gear on the move there you can barely notice the raffle of the diesel engine so that helps add to the premium feel inside there's a decent amount of room with a boot that's the same size as a 56 series the dash is big and bold but it's not as beautifully finished as an Audi interior and some of the details on the dials and the 500 optional headup display looked like they were drawn on an etcher sketch underneath me is Vox hols Insignia front-wheel drive chassis but it is longer by 100 mm and most of that space goes towards some extra rear leg room the handling is good with very little body roll as you pitch it around the corners and the stick steering has more weight and more feel to it than with the voxal and that's thanks to sb's input but every time you change gear the shape of the lever and the action of it remind you of its GM roots and that takes away from its premium quality overall the 95 is an accomplished car but the talented German Saloon still dominate the segment this Swedish built Dutch owned sa is the interesting Outsider and the one to choose if you want to be a bit different but it's not quite good enough to be a true premium car or cheap enough to be a bargain for that I'd save yourselves eight grand and go and buy a scoda superbthis is the car that nearly didn't happen at all designed and unveiled by S before the brand was dropped by financially troubled parent company General Motors this car's classic badge was finally rescued from the brink of Extinction by the Dutch Supercar maker Spiker so has the battle to get the traumatically conceived new 95 to Market been worth the wait well it must be good because s is aiming it right at the premium saloon car market which puts it up against the likes of BMW's 5 series Audi's A6 and merc's E-class and you know what the S is already off to a good start because it is pretty reasonably priced the range starts at just under 265,000 for the 2 L diesel which is over ,000 cheaper than the Lesser powered MK the S looks rather Grand too with its low planted elegant STS wraparound screen dark disguised pillars and two-tone mirrors there are three petrol engines on offer and in keeping with SAR tradition all come with turbocharges then there is the 2 L Diesel with either a single turbo as we've got here or a twin turbo if you fancy 30 BR horsepower M the most powerful 2.8 L V6 has a cross wheeel Drive SS 4x4 system which splits torque between the two axles as well as Between the Wheels most variants also come with the option of a sportier suspension package with different driving modes this entry level model has 158 brake horsepower but to be honest with you it feels a little a bit sluggish particularly when the revs just hover over the tickover mark so you do need to give it a bit of Welly to pull away brisly and cleanly and once the turbo is awake it's best to keep it active to maintain momentum or else you'll find yourself hunting around for a lower gear on the move there you can barely notice the raffle of the diesel engine so that helps add to the premium feel inside there's a decent amount of room with a boot that's the same size as a 56 series the dash is big and bold but it's not as beautifully finished as an Audi interior and some of the details on the dials and the 500 optional headup display looked like they were drawn on an etcher sketch underneath me is Vox hols Insignia front-wheel drive chassis but it is longer by 100 mm and most of that space goes towards some extra rear leg room the handling is good with very little body roll as you pitch it around the corners and the stick steering has more weight and more feel to it than with the voxal and that's thanks to sb's input but every time you change gear the shape of the lever and the action of it remind you of its GM roots and that takes away from its premium quality overall the 95 is an accomplished car but the talented German Saloon still dominate the segment this Swedish built Dutch owned sa is the interesting Outsider and the one to choose if you want to be a bit different but it's not quite good enough to be a true premium car or cheap enough to be a bargain for that I'd save yourselves eight grand and go and buy a scoda superb\n"