Saab 9 3
Labelled as the Swedish manufacturers’ executive car, the Saab 9-3 shares its platform with General Motors’ Opel Vectra. In fact, the Saab 9-3 and the Opel Vectra were the first recipients of the global GM Epsilon platform. For 2007, Saab has redesigned the 9-3’s interior and added new optional features too.
The 9-3 is available to the Middle East market in three body styles: the Sport Sedan, the Convertible and the SportCombi. With a steeply raked windshield, wedge-like profile and short front and rear overhangs, all the 9-3 models convey a sense of movement even while standing still. The shape of the windows combines with the sleek, integrated headlights and grille to emphasize the distinctive Saab identity.
The Saab 9-3 model line up is also built from ‘the driver outward’. That means the cabin ergonomics, instrumentation, controls and seating position are all developed from the driver’s perspective. The centre mounted ‘Saab Information Display’ has also been done away with in the 2007 model-year. The climate control system has also been reworked with fewer switches as compared to two dozen in its previous outing.
A turbocharged all-aluminium 2.8-litre six-cylinder powerplant making 250 bhp and 350 Nm of torque is the most powerful engine in the 9-3 line-up. This is featured in the high-performance Aero SportCombi model that comes standard with a six-speed Sentronic automatic transmission with steering wheel mounted controls. The 2.8-litre V6 Turbo, consistently been acknowledged as one of the world’s top engines, is the most sophisticated turbocharged engine ever offered in a Saab vehicle.
| Body Type | Sedan/Convertible/Stationwagon | |||
| Price (in AED) | 112,000-195,000 | |||
| Engine (litre) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.8 |
| Power (bhp) | 150 | 175 | 210 | 250 |
| Torque (Nm) | 240 | 265 | 300 | 350 |
| Transmission | 6A / 5A | 6A / 5A | 6A / 5A | 6A / 5A |
Also look at: Volvo S60, Cadillac CTS, BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Lexus IS300
