The bold new styling of the new Saab 9-3 range is typified in the Aero X concept model, with its sporty appearance and performance high tech engineering and total road versatility. With a chassis fine-tuned for perfect handling, and innovative systems engineered to provide perfect driving control at all times, the Saab 9-3 series of cars, including the exceptional Convertible model, are indeed in a class of their own.
Saab 9-3 Technology and Engineering
Spirited and sporty performance is written in every line of the sleek and assertive body of the 9-3, in the futuristic chassis design, and in the most cleverly engineered Saab turbo engine ever manufactured by the Scandinavian car design giants. Add to this the incorporation of every conceivable modern safety system, and all-round functional utility, including the ReAxs chassis geometry system, twin tube gas shock absorbers, anti lock braking system (ABS), and Traction Control System (TCS), and the Saab 9-3 is unquestionably a car for all seasons and all terrains.
Saab 9-3 Accessories and Options
The range of optional equipment accessories offered on the 9-3 series is also impressive, including lowered sports chassis, already standard on the Vector Sport and Aero, Bi-Xenon cornering headlights, auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP®), also standard on the Vector Sport and Aero, and even a rain sensor for the windscreen wipers. Add to this the power of a revolutionary turbo engine, designed with state-of-the-art technology and expertise, which, particularly in the case of the 1.9TtiD 180PS engine, combines supreme performance with the minimum of emissions, and the Saab 9-3 is also a car with a clear conscience in a world demanding ever cleaner use of energy.
Saab 9-3 Engines: The Infamous Saab Turbo
Saab's highly developed unique system of turbocharging provides the engine with greatly increased torque, particularly in the medium rev series, resulting in instant acceleration for much safer and faster overtaking. With the Manual 6-speed transmission, except in the 1.8t and 1.8i models, allowance is made for much closer gear ratios and consequently even faster acceleration. The integral Variable Nozzle Turbine also boosts the TiD engine with a faster response by automatically adjusting the flow of exhaust gas. Models installed with the most modern Sentronic 6-Speed automatic transmission can be instantly adapted for manual gear changing by a simple operation of the Sentronic shift buttons located in the steering wheel. The system also incorporates a SportDrive function, which automatically adapts gear shifting to the driving style detected.
Saab 9-3 Interior Styling and Practicality
The interior cabin of the Saab 9-3 range resembles the cockpit of an aircraft, possibly an echo of Saab's aeronautical beginnings, with every safety feature considered and skilfully engineered to synchronise with the upholstery and standard fittings, including reinforced doors, protective beams and sills overlapping to prevent any intrusion, side curtain airbags to protect front and rear passengers against the risk of moderate impact, and the standard airbags to act as chest cushions for the driver and front passengers. There is also an ingenious and sturdy B-pillar incorporated in the interior specifically designed to channel any impact force away from the passengers and driver. Robust child seats from Saab Genuine Accessories, for children up to the age of 10, with ISOFIX anchorage points are also available. The effectiveness of Saab's proactive safety measures can be verified by the award of Top rating in the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP) adult occupancy crash test ratings, and the Saab 9-3 saloon's merit of Top rating in the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), for which front, rear and side crash tests were carried out in 2007.
Saab Innovation in the Saab 9-3
With its sleek and elegant body design and sheer exuberance of sports personality, the award-winning Aero X concept car, the new Saab 9-3 Convertible, is a totally outstanding vehicle in this superb range. Saab claim that the car was actually developed around the driver, and a single glance into the interior cabin is sufficient to note the close interaction intended between the car and driver. With all the instruments ergonomically designed for tactile responsiveness, and with information displayed clearly on the car computer integrated into the finely styled dashboard, showing outside temperature, fuel consumption, average speed, the distance estimated on remaining fuel, a speed warning, and even an estimated time of arrival, comfort and control are perfectly synchronised. And, although the complete outline of the 9-3 Convertible absolutely screams sports car, it is fitted with every conceivable safety feature to guarantee superb road holding and control in all conditions. With its elegant interior upholstery, easily retractable attractive room and complete all-round technical assurance, the Saab 9-3 Convertible would be at the top of any range of modern sports car.