SAAB

Saab 9-3



Saab is a small Swedish car company with a long history in rallying on the one hand and safety research on the other, with a small but loyal following around the world. It has been effectively turned into the American marketing arm of Germany's Opel by its owner, General Motors, using many parts, systems and chassis also used by GM's German brand.

Opel's release of the Vectra-replacing 2009 Opel Insignia is bringing with it speculation on other GM products built atop the Vectra's Epsilon platform, including the Saab 9-3. Which is where we think the impetus for the above potential p-shop, appearing on the Vince Burlapp Car Page just below those Mazda3 renders from earlier, may have come from. The 9-3's been built on the same Epsilon platform as the Vectra since 2003 and is getting seriously long in the tooth, even in the admittedly capable 2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X form. So, we're really hoping the Aeronaut wannabes from Trollhättan get a chance to build the 2010 Saab 9-3 on something new. Especially because the Swedes have been holding things down so well on the concept front as of late, we're expecting big things from the new 9-3's styling, if not its mechanicals.


We expect a new 9-3 to share the Insignia's better engines, namely a 160hp diesel and 260hp V6, as well as the usual selection of odd capacity turbos. Call us eternal optimists, but we're holding out hope that the Turbo X's torque vectoring differential will find its to the rest of the 9-3's spec levels, giving them some desperately needed separation from their pedestrian platform mates.



Model Lineup 2008 Saab 9-3

The 2008 Saab 9-3 lineup includes six models, starting with the 2.0T sedan ($28,385) packing the turbo four-cylinder engine. The 2.0T is available with a choice of six-speed manual, five-speed automatic or six-speed automatic.

The 2.0T Convertible ($39,710) and 2.0T SportCombi wagon ($29,630) are similarly equipped.

The Aero models all carry turbocharged V6 engines and some additional standard equipment here and there, and are restricted to the six-speed automatic transmission only. The Aero V6 sedan ($35,365), the Aero V6 convertible ($45,665), and the Aero V6 SportCombi wagon ($36,265) are similarly equipped. All models come with a $745 destination charge built into the stated price. When you buy an Aero version of any model, a two-day trip to the Saab Aero Academy driving school at Road Atlanta is included.

Options include a moonroof package ($1200), a premium package ($1695), cold weather package ($550), and a touring package ($895). There are two levels of navigation systems, at $2145 and $2840, two levels of sound system upgrade with CD changer, $895 and $995, metallic paint ($550), a roof rack ($250), leather upholstery ($1500), automatic transmission ($1350), and five-spoke alloy wheels ($750).

When the XWD (cross-wheel-drive) versions arrive this winter, they will come only as Aero V6 models, and they will come only with a special high-output, high-boost-turbo engine package that makes 280 horsepower and 295 foot-pounds of torque. Although prices haven't been set yet for this new top-of-the-range model, we expect it to be about $2000 more for the big engine and all-wheel-drive system. It will be available on the sedan and SportCombi versions, but not on the convertible, which uses a reinforced floor pan that won't accommodate the rear-axle assembly for the drive system.

Safety features include front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, traction control, and electronic stability control as an option. With its crash-resistant structure and features, the 9-3 has been awarded a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for three years in a row.