Saa 9-3 gets new look, new tech

As much as Saab would like you to be taken away by its clever 'Sketch man' advertising campaign, the simple fact is that the new Saab 9-3 Sports Sedan needs no such support.

Well, that's a lie. The car enthusiast will probably know by now that BMW and Audi are taking the new Saab range seriously, such is its promise.

So consider the 'out-of-left-field' advertising for the new 9-3 a wake-up call to mainstream motorists - those who don't really care about power-to-weight ratios or whether a car has variable valve intake.

Anyway, here's the idea behind the campaign: Saab asked a chassis designer to create a basic drawing of what the new 9-3 Sports Sedan should do.

As such, said designer drew a freehand cartoon person with a huge grin.

According to the Saab chassis designer, the new 9-3 Sports Sedan, which will replace the ageing Saab 9-3, was designed to exhilarate the driver - hence the grin.

Saab's top brass is also aware that by branding its new car as 'exhilirating', it could be alienating less enthusiastic drivers - another reason for the simplistic 'Sketch man'.

But enough about the effects a 30 second doodle has on the minds of buyers - what does the new Saab offer?

Starting at a healthy $48,900 for the 1998cc turbocharged Linear and rising to $56,900 for the range-topping Vector, all 9-3 models come with ABS, traction control and electronic brakeforce distribution.

Also standard across the range are a roof rail airbag, electronic key with remote control, an Electronic stability program (ESP), Saab's Active Head Restraint (SAHR 2), automatic climate control, rain sensitive wipers, ReAxs (passive rear steering) and SID, or the Saab Information Display.

The three models currently on offer are the entry-level Linear, mid-range Arc and top leve Vector. All three models are available in manual and auto form and also include CBC, or cornering brake control. Meanwhile, the hero model - the 9-3 Aero - is yet to be released and is expected to fetch about 60 large.

Interiors:

The 9-3 line-up starts with the Linear form, intended to communicate an understated and modern Scandinavian environment. The seats and door panels are covered in a woven textile with contrasting textures, while the door trim inserts and the centre console are finished in anthracite.

Arc adopts real wood veneer and leather for a more luxurious ambience. The seats and door panels are beautifully upholstered in rucched leather and the door trim inserts and center console are finished in a satin look, poplar wood.

Vector is more progressive and performance-focused. The main instrument panel is sportier looking with the main dials finished with a chrome surround. The seats are also sportier in shape, with leather and textile inserts and more bolstering in the front seat squabs and backrests. The door trim inserts and center console are finished in matt chrome.

Aero is, of course, the ultimate performance expression of the all new 9-3. Here the interior and sports seats are finished in premium leather with Aero identification in all four seating positions, plus matt chrome finish for the door trim inserts and centre console.

Engines:

As mentioned above, the new range of 9-3 Sports Sedans come with 2.0-litre engines - but before you baulk and ask for a six-cylinder engine from Bavaria, consider that each and every one of them is intercooled and turbocharged.

Even the yet-to-be-priced 300Nm Aero comes with a 2.0-litre mill. The idea behind using smaller-capacity turbo engines has always been a part of Saab's philosophy, meaning significantly reduced fuel consumption for the end user.

Each Saab in the 9-3 range gets a 2.0-litre, 4 cylinder inline engine with aluminium cylinder head and block.

They are turbocharged, intercooled with DOHC, 16-valves, plus balancer shafts and a dual-mass flywheel. All Sports Sedans are front-wheel drive too.

Linear uses a low-pressure intercooled turbocharger (0.50 bar), and while 110kW @ 5500rpm may sound somewhat lame, consider this: peak torque of 240Nm occurs @ 2000rpm. This gifts the sub 50 grand Saab with a 0-100km/h sprint time of 9.5 seconds.

Arc and Vector models get slightly increased boost (0.70 bar), which bumps up power and torque considerably and sees both models hitting 100km/h from rest in roughly 8.5 seconds. The 2.0-litre engines make 129kW @ 5500rpm and 265Nm @ 2500 rpm.

The Aero Sports Sedan, not surprisingly, offers the best performance of the lot with a hefty 0.85 bar of pressure spooling up the turbocharger. It runs the 0-100km/h dash in just 7.5 seconds thanks to 300Nm of torque and 155kW of power.

As far as the new look goes, Saab seems to have hit the nail on the head. It's found a pleasant compromise between elegance and sportiness, and with a whole bunch of new suspension wizardry, Saab reckons it handles like no others before it.

Furthermore, the 9-3's new look results in some very nifty improvements - for one, the drag co-efficient has been improved from 0.31 to .028, essentially increasing fuel efficiency and improving top speed slightly.

The new Saab is also bigger in every respect than its precursor, providing more interior room and a wider track for increased levels of grip. Only 6mm longer than its predecessor, the new 9-3 Sports Sedan is, however, 55mm wider and 38mm taller.

The fact that all 9-3 Sport Sedans weigh less than 1500kg is also testament to the fact that Saab wanted to create a car that pleases the driver. The reduced weight allows the car to change direction much quicker and, in general, endows it with superior handling characteristics.

Speaking of handling, Saab has - for the first time - designed an aerodynamic rear suspension rig. Airflow underneath the car is becoming an increasingly important area of aerodynamic fine-tuning for today's automakers, and the forward lower link of the rear suspension has been specially shaped to reduce wind resistance and minimise the accumulation of road grime on the wheel rims.

The 9-3 range possesses an exceptionally stiff body and all-new suspension provided Saab test drivers with a solid foundation on which to achieve outstanding chassis dynamics, exemplary ride refinement and impressively low levels of noise, vibration and harshness.

Compared to the old 9-3, the key dimensions of the new car offer considerable scope for improvements in handling and grip. The front and rear tracks, at 1524 mm and 1506 mm respectively, are 74 mm and 63 mm wider. Combined with a 70 mm increase in wheelbase, a 10 mm reduction in ride height, a lower centre of gravity and an inherently stiffer sedan bodyshell, the dynamics of the new chassis are more competent in every respect.

So, the new 9-3 really is a Sports Sedan, not just a wannabe luxo-mobile. And, with all-new interiors, exteriors and engines, Saab seems to be really behind the new range - and rightly so. It will give BMW and even Mercedes a scare and you can bet a new 3-series Compact is on its way in response.

According to VFACTS, the current model 9-3 has a six per cent market share in the presite car market in Australia, which proves that the superceded model is still selling strong - sitting in the number four spot behind the likes of the Holden Statesman and Ford Fairlane, and above the BMW 3-series Compact. Not a bad result in anyone's book and, with advent of the sleek new Sports Sedan, things are looking good down at Saab.

The new 9-3 range, which will be complete when the Convertible and Aero models arrive early in '03, is the first Saab to be positioned in the premium, compact sport sedan segment. Can it compete with its European rivals? If first impressions are anything to go by, then yes, most definitely.

Pricing:

9-3 Linear from: $48,900
9-3 Arc from: $52,900
9-3 Vector from: $56,900