2008 Saab 9-3 SportCombi: First Photos

Motoring Channel Staff - 14/May/2007

Trollhattan, Sweden — The photos are in but the jury's still out. Is Saab's new 9-3 an improvement on the current model? As the photos show, there's been some significant changes to the front end, while the overall shape of the car hasn't been altered.

Saab says the design was inspired by the award-winning Aero X concept car and that the updated models will feature "cutting edge technology for greater driving appeal", which will include adaptive directional headlights and more powerful engines among other things.

"We are introducing significant developments across three key areas: design, performance and handling," says Jan Åke Jonsson, who is the managing director of Saab Automobile.

"The result is a major step forward in strengthening the visual and driving appeal of our core product line-up, which accounts for about two-thirds of global sales."

Saab's Swedish designers have given more prominence to the grille section on the new 9-3, which is slightly larger than before and is flanked by a pair of smaller chrome-rimmed 'grille-lets' that angle down towards the central section. This new look gives the front end a slightly more overt appeal but traditionalists may find it on the nose.

The headlights have also been refreshed with three clear sections for the indicators, the xenon headlights and the inner-most high beams. With this more technical headlight design, the car comes across as a bolder, more luxury vehicle. Beneath the new headlights are fog lights that feature chrome surrounds, which take away some of the attention of the grille and may have better suited the cars new look if they were toned down. 

A much sportier and larger lower air dam gives the new 9-3 a sportier look, and will supply more powerful 4- and 6-cylinder engines with increased amounts of air. 

More details will be released soon, but it is believed that Saab will deliver a more powerful 188kW (255hp) turbocharged engines in the Aero models to better compete with the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class models, both of which have been updated or redesigned in the last 18 months.

The photos don't show them clearly, but new door panels have been added, and in its press release Saab mentioned that new rear styling features will also find their way into the 2008 model year 9-3 models. 

The new 2008 Saab 9-3 models will also get a range of new features including the long overdue inclusion of cornering headlights, and the good news is that the pricing structure isn't expected to be changed too much. 

In addition to the high performance Aero models, Saab is also rumoured to be developing an even higher performance model in the vein of the BMW M3 and Audi RS 4. It isn't expected to be quite as powerful as the Audi and BMW flagship cars, but reports of a 4WD driveline and 220kW (300hp) will ensure the 9-3 range has a strong halo model.

The new 9-3 range will comprise the Sport Sedan, SportCombi and Convertible models says the Swedish car maker, each of which will be available in a unique 'tri-fuel' range of engines: petrol, diesel, and BioPower (E85).

Saab Australia says that the new 9-3 range will be available in three forms, Linear, Vector and Aero, and will be on sale in Australia  before the end of the year.