Saab 9-3 SPORT SALOON 2.0t range
The
Saab 9-3 Sports Saloon Offers A Threat To The Established Junior Executive Hierarchy. Andy Enright Samples the 2.0t Version To Judge How Serious
Think Saab saloons and the brand image is a mixed one. Hugely safe, massively well built and stonkingly quick they may have traditionally been, but many buyers were deterred by styling best described as quirky. The Saab 9-5 changed all that and the 9-3 Sports Saloon has taken the baton and run with it. Indeed, the junior Saab could now be the best looking car in the junior executive sector.
Now that the Swedish marque has exorcised the demon of dodgy design, can they clean up in this competitive corner of the market? The 175bhp 2.0t models look set to attract significant interest, so it is to these that we turn for answers.
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The old 9-3 made something of a speciality out of offering more performance per pound than anything from Germany could muster. True, build quality and chassis dynamics were often a couple of notches down on the Teutonic big three of
BMW, Mercedes and
Audi but in terms of sheer power, the Germans couldnt hold a candle to the
Saab. Thing was, buyers wanted more than a big wallop in the back. They wanted silky good looks, impeccable fit and finish and a chassis to match the class best.
Saab listened and came back with the 9-3 Sport Saloon.
"When it comes to junior executive cars, as with anything else, you get what you pay for."
The philosophy of big power continues, due in no small part to the fact that the all-turbocharged engine line-up is largely carried over from the old model. Whilst there was nothing much wrong with the 2.0-litre in its previous incarnation, Saab have bumped peak power up from 150bhp to 175bhp in a model line that competes head on with cars such as the the 150bhp Audi A4 2.0 FSI.
Not even those traditional purveyors of performance
Alfa Romeo, can touch the 9-3 2.0t, their 156 2.0 JTS coming up shy at 165bhp. Round one to Saab.
The ride and handling are better than any previous mid range Saab model. Just when you think the ride has been optimised for high-speed cruising, the Saabs suspension shows that it knows what to do when presented with a corner. It deploys its power noticeably better than Saabs of yore as well. Despite being fitted with traction control electronics as well as a standard stability control system, the 9-3 2.
0t is rarely forced to fall back on their safety net. The sprint to 60mph will detain you for 8.2 seconds and the top speed of 138mph is accompanied by some tyre noise but surprisingly little wind or engine roar. Things are a little less clear cut for the 2.
0t models when it comes to running costs. Theres a price to be paid for all that grunt and it comes at the pumps, the Saab averaging 33.2mpg, around 6mpg worse than comparative BMW and Audi models. Resale values cant quite compete with the Germans (though theyre not far off) and a CO2 emission figure of 206g per kilometre renders the 9-3 a little expensive for the corporate user certainly pricier than Audi and BMW rivals in this respect.
Some consolation might be gained if the 9-3 was significantly cheaper than the Germans but it isnt. In Linear trim, its priced at £20,830, with Linear Sport spec costing £21,830, Vector trim pitched at £22,690 and Vector Sport costing £23,340. This pushes the 9-3 Sport Saloon 2.0t range beyond all but the most devoted company car user-choosers though the Swedish cars higher equipment levels do help push the balance back in its favour.
A SportWagon estate version is also available. Anyway, if company buyers dismiss the 9-3 out of hand as too expensive, theyll be missing out on quite some vehicle. When it comes to junior executive cars, as with anything else, you get what you pay for. When Saab were swallowed up by the GM empire, enthusiasts of the Swedish marque were worried that the essential Saab-ness would get watered down.
They can rest assured. The 9-3 Sports Saloon features a dash thats more upright than Dixon of Dock Green, the ignition next to the handbrake and a cupholder mechanism that can reduce design students to hushed reverence. A whole array of functions can even be preset to personal driver preference, including the anti-theft alarm, parking radar settings, rain-sensitive wiper control and the thresholds of the automatic climate control. Then theres the optional Saab Comsense voice recognition system, which lets driver issue voice commands to the telephone, CD, radio and satellite navigation systems.
Four trim levels are available with the 2.0t. Linear opens proceedings with alloy wheels and fabric trim but opt for the Linear Sport and bigger alloys, front fog lamps and dual zone climate control are added. Vector has a sporting theme with more supportive leather seats and even bigger wheels, while the Vector Sport supplements this with stability control, parking sensors and an upgraded stereo.
More power, more product and more money may have altered the appeal of the 9-3 Sport Saloon. Its certainly a better proposition than before and, even taking all the figures into account, one thats well worth further investigation. The 175bhp engine serves up the goods and the look and feel of the cabin is almost worth the price of admission alone. Whoever reckoned that if something looked good it probably was good might well have been a 9-3 driver at heart.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon 2.0t range
PRICES: £20,830-£23,340 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 14
CO2 EMISSIONS: 199g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.2s / Max Speed 138mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 24.6 (extra urban) 44.8 (combined) 34.0mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, Brake Assist, Traction Control, Stability Control, Cornering Braking Control, Saab Active Head Restraints
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4635/2038/1466mm
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