Saab 9-3 Overview

Introduction

The first generation Saab 9-3 is arguably the last mid-sized quirky Saab as the replacement model (the Saab 9-3 Sport Saloon) has been tilted towards an executive saloon with a hot hatch lean in the same vein as the BMW 3-series, Audi A4 and even the Mercedes Benz C-Class.

General Motors bought half of Saab Automobile AB 1990 with an option to purchase the remaining half by the year 2000, but the company is now co-owned by GM and Investor AB. The 9-3 is essentially an improved 900 NG (new generation), which is losely based on the Vauxhall (Opel) Cavalier (Vectra) platform.

As such, it could be considered as a tarted up Cavalier or a dumbed down Saab. It’s both and neither. The reality of this is that Saab completely re-engineered the Cavalier chassis.

The 9-3 – 1998 to 2002

The 9-3 was released in the UK on the 1 March 1998.

As I’ve alluded, it is based on the previous Saab 900 but with over 1,100 detail changes ranging from relocating the third brake light to revising the suspension set up.

The original line up featured four engines, all Saab H engine, either 2·0 or 2·3 litre four cylinder units. At the bottom of the range you’ll find the naturally aspirated 2·0 litre engine with 130 brake horsepower and twin balancer shafts. This engine is designated B204.

This is followed with the 2·3 naturally aspirated petrol (the B234L with 150 brake horsepower) and then the 2·0T with either 185 or 205 brake horsepower (the B204L). Later, Saab replaced the 2·3 with a 154 brake horsepower version of the turbocharged 2·0 engine, referred to as the 2∙0t or B204E, then introduced the 2·3 Viggen. The Viggen initially produced 225 brake horsepower from its turbocharged engineB234R, revised to 230 bhp in 2000. These petrol models are available with a five speed manual transmission or a four speed automatic option (not the Viggen).

Saab also added the 2·2 TiD, originally with 115 brake horsepower and later with a revised engine producing 125 brake horsepower. Both were sold as a manual only.

Saab were the first manufacturer to use turbocharged engines for a mass production vehicle in the late 1970s and have stuck with the concept. In normal use their turbocharged petrol engines are no less economical than the naturally aspirated petrol engine, but are generally easier to drive, requiring fewer gear changes and offering excellent mid range acceleration.

Exterior Design

The 9-3 is nothing but a Saab.

It has the chrome-look corporate grill, the bulbous hatchback shape, and chunky not-designed-by-fashion headlights complete with a washer system. From some angles the 9-3 looks dumpy but from others it looks rakish. As an overall package I personally don’t believe the car is pretty, but it looks distinctive.

Saab have used heat reflective glass in our 9-3, which works well and helps keep the car relatively cool even when sitting in the sun all day.

United Kingdom specification 9-3s did not have daytime running lights fitted as standard, but the dashboard design encourages drivers to use the lights when conditions are even moderately dull. This is something of a Saab feature.

Interior Design

Step from a 1980s Saab 900 to the 9-3 and you’d immediately feel at home. Whilst the instrument cluster has been updated in parts, it retains the traditional look and feel.

You get a medium sized tachometer, a large speedometer and smaller coolant temperature and fuel gauges. The TiD doesn’t get the boost gauge as fitted to the higher powered turbo petrol versions, which sits above the coolant temperature and fuel gauge. Additional warning lights are clustered around the dashboard. When you put the dashboard into Night Mode the car dims and disables the illumination of all instruments apart from the speedometer (and here only the bottom two thirds of the range) until you need to be aware of something. For the TiD, if the engine speed rises to 4,000 rpm the tachometer is illuminated, or if the engine temperature rises too high or there is less than fifteen litres of fuel in the tank.

Moving away from the instrument cluster, the dashboard is slab sided and wood panelled. The light switches are on the right hand of the dashboard, under here you’ll find the headlight level adjuster and dashboard dimmer switch.

The steering wheel contains stereo control buttons. Cruise control is set onto a stalk.

The top of the centre console shows the Saab Information Display, which is essentially the trip computer combined with the radio display. This has buttons for the trip computer mode in conjunction with the Night Panel mode button. Under this you’ll find the standard Saab audio unit, which I’m pleased to report uses large, chunky buttons and is easy to operate. Under here you find the automatic climate control module controls and under here, you find some minor switches, in our 9-3 SE most of these are blank, plus the accessory socket / cigarette lighter, interior temperature sensor and the ashtray.

The ignition switch is located right next to the gear lever and the 9-3 features a transmission lock whereby you cannot remove the key unless the car is in reverse gear.

Behind the gear lever and handbrake, you find the electric window switches (one touch down for the front windows), the rear window isolator switch and the central locking door. The boot unlocking button is placed on the driver door behind the grab handle but more on this later.

There’s a large glovebox in front of the passenger, small door bins, pockets at the front of each seat, seat back pockets and a small cubby hole between the front seats in front of the rear passenger vent.

The steering wheel is adjustable for reach and the seat has the usual fore and aft movements, height adjustment and variable lumbar support. The seats are excellent, managing to combine excellent support in conjunction with a soft enough material. Electric mirrors It is easy to get a comfortable driving position and whilst they feel a bit of a luxury item, the electric mirrors make it easier to optimise the rearward visibility to suit the situation.

As far as interior space goes, it’s adequate. There’s plenty of room at the front and as far as the back goes, this may be controversial, but people riding in the back are freeloaders and can live with it! The boot is large and square and the 9-3 featured split / fold rear seats, but flexibility is limited by the solid and strong safety bar across the top of the back (designed to prevent the Ikea boxes in the boot from reaching the driver in the event of a crash) and a two inch rise from the boot floor to the rear seats.

There are four reading lights with independent control and two main interior lights. In the rear, the light is set forward above the end of the seat squab rather than at the very back.

Acceleration and Braking

Our 9-3 is powered by the 2∙2 litre TiD, which is a Saab-tweaked version of the Isuzu Ecotec diesel engine. The standard unit in the 2000 9-3 produces a 115 brake horsepower at 4,300 rpm and 192 foot pounds of torque at 1,900 rpm to 2,500 rpm. Test times from rest to 62 mph is vary from 9·8 to 10·5·seconds and the maximum speed is 122 miles per hour. It's no ball of fire, but these figures are respectable and on a par with the Accord it replaced.

Later versions of the TiD are covered here.

On the road the 9-3 TiD displays typical modern, multivalve turbodiesel characteristics. The most effective power band is from 2,000 rpm up to 4,500 rpm. It will rev to the 5,000 rpm governor in at least the lower four gears. It will also lug from 1,500 rpm.

As the standard engine the TiD doesn’t feel remarkable either way. It never feels brutal in power delivery but it doesn’t feel anaemic, as some emission-controlled diesels can. The tuning module /link/ punts the engine towards aggressive power delivery, though!

For braking, the TiD uses ventilated discs and the front and solids at the rear, backed up by four channel ABS with EBD should you need it. As with the Ka, the brake discs are susceptible to rusting but this scrubs off with even light use.

Handling and Ride

Saab reworked the existing platform to give the 9-3 a supple motorway ride but the handling is boring and understeery. There are good reasons for this, as you can read about here.

Gearing

In top gear the 9-3 TiD is geared to 28 mph / 1,000 rpm in top gear.

Nice Touches

The 9-3 is full of nice little touches and the longer you spend with the car, the longer you appreciate them.

In no particular order, Night Panel mode is surprisingly useful for when you are driving in a dark environment. You get the essential information and nothing else.

The position of the boot release initially confused me. Putting the button in the middle of the drivers door seemed just plain daft with no logic involved. And then I’ve come to use it: no longer do I have to bend down to the floor to open the boot. It’s a small difference but it’s handy when you’re carrying stuff back from Ikea.

The positioning of the rear courtesy light, above the rear seat squab, is another interesting and nice little touch. I can’t remember another car that doesn’t position the light above rear passenger heads. The advantage of putting the light further forward is that it does not shine into the rear view mirror when used.

The windscreen wipers intermittent setting has a fully variable wipe delay program. You can have the screen wiped as frequently as once every other second or as infrequently as once every twenty seconds. It is infinitely variable between these two ranges.