Saab 9-3 Convertible : OPEN ALL HOURS

Britains Best Selling Premium Convertible Is Also One Of The Very Best, Thinks June Nearey

Best sellers arent always best-in-class cars but heres an exception. Saabs 9-3 Convertible may fall under the radar of those slavishly committed to the German marques but just about everyone else seems to like it and after a week behind the wheel, that includes me. What I really liked about this car was that it would seat four, ideal for ferrying a group of friends out to a country pub on a sunny day. Yet being Swedish, when winter comes, its also eminently usable when the hood purrs up and the frost comes.

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. Theres 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, theres a more muted effect with less silver plastic.

As Ive already said, this is one of those rare things: a practical convertible or at least, its practical in terms of being able to seat four people. Like most convertibles however, luggage space in the restricted boot is relatively small, though you can increase this by electing to use the space taken up when you lower the hood. But then this would seem to defeat the point of buying the car in the first place. At least Saab have made some attempt to address this issue, courtesy of their CargoSET system.

This self expanding trunk frees up a useful amount of luggage space in the boot. The Saabs hood may not be of the trendy folding hard top variety, but for a ragtop its very impressive. Electrically operated, it requires no unlatching or nail-snapping procedures to operate, and retracts in just 20 seconds. I found that this made it possible to drop the top at traffic lights without the potential embarrassment of being caught at half mast when the lights turned green.

The hoods 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. The hood itself is triple skinned for improved noise and thermal insulation and I was pleased to find that you could order it in a colour other than black (blue) and that internally, it could be trimmed in either beige or light grey in order to counter the dinginess that most convertibles suffer from when the hoods up. Theres even a small gutter sewn into the side of the fabric to prevent water droplets dripping onto the seats and theres also what Saab calls a surround trim.

This is basically a horseshoe-shaped line that runs from the base of each door pillar and incorporates the panels on top of the doors, the rear side trims and most of the tonneau cover. Its finished in a crackle matt black paint but can also be specified in body colour.

This isnt the most driver-orientated convertible you can buy but its a lot more enticing in this respect than the previous generation model ever was. Six mainstream engines are available, the 150bhp 1.8t, the 150bhp 1.9-litre TiD diesel, the 175bhp 2.

0t, the 210bhp 2.0T, the 180bhp 1.9-litre TTiD diesel and the 280bhp 2.8T V6.

The other options are Saabs 1.8 and 2.0-litre BioPower offerings which can run on E85 bioethanol. All the engines are lifted from the current 9-3 Sports Saloon line up and all are tough, punchy powerplants.

The 2.0T Aero manages a 7.7-second 0-60mph time and a 143mph top speed. Combined fuel consumption figures for all three four cylinder 9-3 Convertible petrol engines are virtually indistinguishable - 32.

2, 32.1 and 31mpg respectively. The diesels, predictably, are significantly superior with a 44.8mpg average for the 150bhp TiD option.

Aside from the flagship Aero models, two trim levels Linear SE and Vector Sport - are offered, the main difference for Vector Sport models being the sports chassis. Front and side airbags, active head restraints, central locking, alloys and a remote control alarm with immobiliser are standard fare, even if you go with Linear SE trim. The Aero features bi-xenon headlamps with pressure washers, redesigned bumpers and more aggressive alloy wheels.

As I said at the outset, I feel this car is a best seller on merit, so the answer is yes. It looks good, its as practical as a convertible is ever going to be and it seats four. You cant ask for much more than that.