Saab 9-3 2.8T V6 Aero Convertible : THE GREAT RIDE OPEN

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Most convertibles are a just a little ineffectual. Here's one that serves up a supersized portion of power - Saab's 9-3 2.8T V6. By Andy Enright

I know what you're thinking. A four seater convertible just smacks of compromise. It's the preferred transport of women of a certain age desperately trying to regain their lost youth but who still need to do the school run. Nine times out of ten, you'd be right but here's the exception to that particular stereotype, the Saab 9-3 Convertible 2.8 T V6 Aero, a car that can sprint to 60mph in less time than it takes to say its name and which has the capacity to completely destroy a straightened and lowlighted hairdo in similarly short order. This is a convertible with some serious attitude.

It's also a car that has a lot of tough rivals to face down. Whereas the entry-level Saab Convertibles undercut their German rivals by quite some measure, this is range-topping stuff from the Swedish company and at a hefty £34,495 before you start plundering the options list, this car finds itself up against some accomplished rivals. The usual Saab clincher is that you get more power for your pound and with the 2.8-litre Turbo engine now developing 280bhp, they might be on to a winner. All the current Saab 9-3 Convertible models benefit from a facelift based on the Aero X concept car. The clamshell bonnet visually widens the front of the car and all external rubbing strips have been removed to give a cleaner look. There's a classier finish to the front grille and a set of LED light strips that sit across the top of the headlamp pod while the rear light clusters are shrouded in smoked glass. Inside, there's a more muted effect with less silver plastic.

"You've got to be an ardent Saab lover to drop over £34,000 on one of these, but if you are, it's unlikely you'll be disappointed with your choice"

Saab has thrown the lot at this car and it comes with a lowered sports chassis, uprated brakes, a six-speed manual gearbox, 17-inch alloy wheels, and a body coloured spoiler and skirts kit. There's also chrome detailing for the exhaust pipes and window trims, leather-faced sports seats, a beautiful sports steering wheel with leather and metallic trim and further posh detailing around the cabin. A Saab Infotainment and premium sound system is also included as part of the pack, although you'll need to stump up extra if you want the desirable six-disc in-dash CD autochanger. A normally-aspirated 2.8-litre V6 should be good for around 220bhp so the twin-scroll turbocharger is worth a good 60bhp. It works smoothly with very little lag and strong pick-up from low revs without the whines, hisses and other audible histrionics of other cars that lean heavily on their blowers to bump up the power figure. Saab quote a sprint to 60mph of just 5.9 seconds for the convertible model and it'll run to a top speed in excess of 155mph. Make no mistake, this is a seriously rapid car, although one suspects that motorways and sweeping A-roads are more its forte than twisty country lanes. The market has transformed of late, however, and the current Saab 9-3 reflects this new quest for dynamic excellence. When work began on this 9-3 Convertible, Saab's designers were determined to imbue it with the same handling characteristics as the acclaimed 9-3 Sports Saloon. In order to overcome the loss of rigidity caused by removing the roof, a secondary supplemental chassis was developed, effectively a ring of steel linking and reinforcing the front rear and side structures. The result is a car devoid of the shake, rattle and roll of many convertibles. Of course, many drivers won't care a jot about chassis stiffness, but the result is a car that drives more smoothly, that allows its suspension to work properly and which also permits designers to work to fine tolerances in the construction of components like the electric folding hood. Ah, the hood. The Saab's hood may not be of the trendy folding hard top variety, but for a ragtop it's very impressive. Electrically operated, it requires no unlatching or arcane procedures to operate, and retracts in just 20 seconds, making it possible to drop the top at traffic lights without the potential embarrassment of being caught at half mast when the lights turn green. The hood's operation is very slick indeed. Instead of flipping up, an aluminium tonneau cover raises itself and then slides back, making for a quicker operation and a better seal than a traditional hinged cover. Of all the 9-3 Convertible models on offer, the 2.8T V6 Aero has the most arduous task on its hands when it comes to trumpeting its relative benefits. It wears a big price tag and has some very accomplished rivals but if you appreciate speed, decent build quality, plenty of standard equipment straight out the crate and want something a little different to the rather brash German contenders, it's worth a look.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Saab 9-3 Convertible 2.8T V6 Aero
PRICE: £34,495 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 18
CO2 EMISSIONS: 245g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 152mph / 0-60mph 7.2s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 23.2mpg / (extra urban) 38.7mpg / (combined) 31.0mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, Active Head Restraints, ABS, DynaCage, integrated front seat belts
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4635/2038/1435mm