Saying it like Saab
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Saab, the “other” Swedish automaker, celebrated its 60th anniversary this June.
Since 1947 a lot of car companies have come and gone, but the once-quirky front-drive vehicles from Trollhattan motor on.
Primarily an aircraft manufacturer, Saab didn’t get into auto production until after World War II, and its cars didn’t arrive in North America until the 1950s, when its two-cylinder front-wheel-drive autos were at first a novelty and then a staple among snowbelt buyers, especially in the northeast.
In 1995, General Motors bought 51% of Saab’s automotive division and assumed full control in 2000. GM ownership has meant Saabs have lost much of the quirkiness that endeared them to owners, but they have not become homogenized to the point anyone is going to mistake them for Chevrolets or Pontiacs.
Of all the vehicles in the Saab lineup, none is more important than the 9-3, which accounts for 70% of the division’s North American sales. Since making its debut in 2003, the 9-3 has found 120,000 buyers.
In a stellar example of Swedish attention to detail, someone has counted the number of changes and/or enhancements to the 9-3 for 2008. There are 2,157 of them, perhaps none more important than the styling changes influenced by the Aero X concept shown at the Geneva motor show last year.
All new 9-3 models get a semi-wraparound hood and new headlights and Aero versions get unique front and rear bumpers. Viewed in profile, the look is very clean, without the traditional rub strips. The new SportCombi — Saabspeak for station wagon — is an especially clean design, particularly when seen from the rear. Saab says 70% of the 9-3’s body panels are new.
Inside, there are fewer buttons to push and fewer displays on the instrument panel, influenced, no doubt, by the minimalist look favoured by the Scandinavian school of design (and something I wish other luxury car manufacturers would follow, rather than making their cockpits ever more complicated).
Extra equipment also has been added for 2008 — XM satellite radio, OnStar, a tire pressure monitoring system, rain-sensing wipers and a quiet tuning package are now standard.
Saabs always have been front-engine, front-drive vehicles, but for the first time an all-wheel-drive option will be available on Aero Sport Sedan and SportCombi models early next year.
Called cross-wheel drive (XWD) in Saab terminology, the Haldex-engineered all-wheel-drive system is fully automatic and normally sends about 95% of power to the front wheels. Under hard acceleration the bias shifts to the rear wheels and when extra traction is required an active limited slip differential can transfer torque between the rear wheels.
In Saab comparison tests, a 9-3 equipped with XWD exhibited better lateral acceleration through a slalom course than a Porsche 911.
I briefly got to try out the only XWD-equipped Saab in North America, and its grip was remarkable — even on grass. Saab expects XWD to add about $2,000 to the sticker price.
The 9-3 range comes with a choice of powertrains and transmissions.
Base Sport Sedans get a turbocharged 2.0-litre inline four based on GM’s versatile Ecotec engine that is mated to either a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic and produces 210 hp and 221 lb.-ft. of torque. Two turbo V6s are offered on Aero Sport Sedans and SportCombis. Front-wheel-drive versions get a 2.8-litre engine that makes 255 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, while those equipped with XWD get a beefier version of the 2.8 that pumps out 280 hp and 295 lb.-ft. of torque. Aeros can be ordered with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic.
A 2.0-litre BioPower engine able to run on E85 ethanol fuel will be in the fleet by 2009, about the same time XWD will be offered on 2.0T models.
I got to try both the 2.0-litre turbo and the 2.8-litre V6 over the narrow roads of Virginia as they wind their way through the scenic Blue Ridge Highlands.
On the road, the new 2.0T is adequate for most drivers, and most driving situations, and its suspension, while a little on the soft side, is still firm enough for most bottoms.
But the way to go is the Aero and not just for the extra power packed by the V6. Whether sedan or wagon, Aero versions get bigger 17-in. wheels and a sportier suspension that hugs the curves, exhibiting no body lean in hard cornering or quick transitions, without being at all jarring.
Steering is light and the car goes where you point it — even under flat-out acceleration. The torque steer that once plagued the more powerful turbocharged Saabs in such situations has been eliminated.
With either engine the automatics shift smoothly and seamlessly.
Especially nice is a dash-mounted switch that allows you to select a sport mode for the automatic that holds gears longer for better acceleration.
As with their competitors at rival Volvo, Saab engineers are obsessed with safety — they are Swedes, after all.
The 9-3 has been a top safety pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the U.S. for three years in a row — the only luxury vehicle to do that.
The newly styled 2008 9-3 sedans and wagons start arriving at Saab dealerships this month. The 9-3 convertible — one of my favourite cars — also will be redesigned, but won’t arrive on these shores until later in the year.
Competition: BMW 3 Series, Volvo S60, Audi A4
Highlights: Smooth drivetrains, excellent handling
Find a dealer that sells the Saab 9-3
Other vehicle reviews for Saab
Autonet Best Choice 2007 Luxury Sedans/Wagons
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