irishcar.com - Saab 9-3 2003 first view

I have recently mentioned that car manufacturers should make provision for playing MP3 devices through their sound systems, as a way for people to get around having to carry their precious CD collections in their cars.

Well, Saab have just done it in their latest 9-3 series car, the brand-new Sport Sedan. A small thing, but one which takes on board the outgoing car’s buyer profile of predominantly male, aged 35-45, and with a better education and more money than those who buy the target competition of Mercedes, BMW and Audi.

(And before going on to the car itself, here’s what I want next: a CD unit that automatically records a disc onto an MP3 device in the sound system itself, so that the CD need only be inserted once into the unit and then be parked safely at home.)

I drove the new Saab last week, briefly. I was impressed. Very impressed. As Audi did with their latest A4, Saab has perhaps brought some more REAL competition to the segment dominated by the MB C-Class and BMW 3-series.

It is distinctive, as Saabs have always been. But the marque never bought into the ostentation of some of its competitors. Invariably, Saab buyers are thoughtful people, who tend to drive longer distances than do owners of the competition. And they enjoy that driving. So the choice of a Saab is a very conscious thing, and rarely the consciousness of image.

But in their latest 9-3, Saab have set themselves something new in the challenge of image. The name, Sport Sedan, is a direct indication. In one way drawing on a heritage of successful rallying. But distincting also from the others in that the sporty ethos is there from the very entry-level car. When the least powerful petrol engine option pushes out 150bhp, you’re not starting at the back of the grid.

Of course, Saab engines have extra power because of the company’s expertise in light pressure turbocharging. And the three options in the brand-new 2-litre power unit’s range (the other two are 175bhp and 210bhp) are primarily gained by more pump from the ’charger.

There’s also a 2.2-litre turbodiesel, with 125bhp and a pulling power that’s not that far off the torque provided by the top-ranger 210bhp petrol.

The car I drove last week was the 175bhp unit, with a five-speed automatic gearbox that could - as can many today - be used in ‘manual’ mode in a sequential fashion.

In terms of performance, the on-paper 0-62mph of 8.5sec certainly made itself felt on motorway entry ramp acceleration, giving a smooth and unworried entry into fast traffic. When we got ourselves quickly lost and into the back country roads outside Stockholm, the 90 percent of full torque being available at under 2000rpm helped move the car easily through twists and loops very similar to what we find in the Wicklow Hills at home.

Initial impressions are of an unfussed and unfussable car that has a latent sense of mischief if that is how you might feel inclined. With some 35 percent more power available than from your ordinary uncharged 2-litre, there’s capacity to enjoy where conditions permit. And even at relatively slow speeds, the punch possible can make this car fun.

The car’s response to steering input is, according to Saab, about 30 percent faster than the average for this size of car. The bottom line of this is that on a twisting series of hilly bends, the recovery of line as you turn into a new one is done more quickly than perhaps you can notice. It brings you closer to the ‘point and shoot’ attitude more related to 2-seater roadsters.

The car itself is much tauter than the outgoing model, thanks in one sense to the fact that it is built on the latest General Motors large family car platform, the Epsilon, which also underpins the new Vectra and will quite likely do the same for the next Alfa Romeo 156.

The fact that it is a saloon (sedan) also contributes to a much stronger overall package.

The car retains all the Saab cues outside, including the distinctive grille treatment, and a coupe-look to the rear of the passenger area, achieved in part by cleverly ‘masked’ glass.

The car is wider than the outgoing 9-3, by some 55mm. There’s a 71mm longer wheelbase, but shorter overhangs front and rear mean that the overall length remains the same. A lowered ride height also helps to give the new 9-3 a very purposeful stance.

The ‘slippery’ Cd factor is 0.28, very respectable for a saloon this size. Just one small fact among many gives some idea of how much attention was paid here: special ‘spoilers’ were developed for under the wheel arches, where significant airflow disturbance can normally be generated.

And, for the heck of it, another: the wraparound rear lights are so designed that the airflow ‘going around the corner’ before it separates has the effect of minimising build-up of road grime on the lenses.

The car’s interior follows the usual Saab styling of a ‘cockpit’ type driver’s area, with all instrumentation and controls curving around the operator. There’s also a new mid-scuttle information pod, set so as to minimise change in eyes focus when checking it. And Saab still uses green light on the instruments at night, which is much better for older eyes than red.

My brief runs in the car gave me an initial impression of pretty good comfort. I’ll report more on this when I get my hands on one for a longer-term evaluation in Ireland. The back is quite roomy too, though only just OK for someone sitting behind me. Still, I’d have adequate headroom in the rear, despite the ‘coupe’ styling. Boot space is very good, and, more importantly, has really good access.

Upcoming will be an estate, a proper coupe, and of course the convertible that sells some 20 percent of Saab units in the key US market. And there is already an Aero version, with the familiar body claddings and a 6-speed manual gearbox for the 210bhp engine.

Irish prices have not yet been announced. But this is indeed a whole new car, with a major investment behind it, so expect the cost to be a little more than before.

Finally, those airplane buffs out there might be curious about the plane we found when we got lost off our designated route last week? It’s a C47, the military version of the the DC3 Dakota which was the airlines’ equivalent of the Boeing 737 in the 30s/40s/50s. It was built in 1937, saw service with the US Marine Corps and the Canadian Air Force, and still flies from its owner’s club airfield about once a week.

Saabs tend to last a long time too ...