Vehicle: 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero SportCombi with Aero Touring Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$46230

Performance: Starting from 2006, all 9-3 Aeros will be powered by a 2.8L V6 DOHC 24-valver turbocharged engine. On the other hand, the previous Aero engine: 2.0L high-pressure turbo with 210 ponies and 221 lb/ft of torque will be phasing in as the base 9-3 engine. The 175hp light-pressure turbo will be dropped completely from North American Saab line-up.

This V6 turbo is good for 250 horses and 258 lb/ft of torque. It could well be the best V6 engine Saab has ever produced. It doesn’t have the roughness and lack of sporty flair that are so infamous in previous Saab V6s. Instead, this V6 turbo is as sporty and refined as anything out there. It also has the sort of refinement and response that consumers usually associate with German 6s. With the maximum torque of 258 lb/ft arrives at lowly 2 grand, power is never an issue with this engine. Its also surprisingly flexible and rev-happy at the top end of the rev range. Unlike Saab turbos in the past, its also free of turbo-lag. The turbo spools up right when you need it without delay. Unfortunately, there are couple of drawbacks that have taken out some of the fun in this gem V6. That has to do with its 6-speed stick shift. Not only does the throws are long and gates undefined. The clutch feels unprogressive and tough to find the engagement point. Despite that, the gear ratios are well-matched with this engine’s character. As well as very well-spaced.

Handling: Saab has stiffened up the chassis and suspension in order to haul the sweet V6. With stiffer suspension and higher rebound damping, this Aero handles as good as anything else in this segment. It all starts with a stiff and sound chassis that is completely lack of flex and rattles. Similar to its sedan and convertible silibings, SportCombi’s ReAxs rear suspension has done a remarkable job by giving it tail-happy character when going out of a corner. When going through corners, the steering provides firm and reassuring feedback. The result is a sportswagon that is very fun-to-drive without losing the unique “Saab feel”. While the stiffer suspension adds some bounciness when driving through small bumps, it tends to absorb large bumps relatively well. ESP is an uninstrusive type which has a high threshold through the limits. However, there is a slight torque steer when accelerating in 1st and 2nd gears. The bottom line: this is a very composed package.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, 9-3′s stopping performance is nothing short of impressive. Both the pedal feel and modulation are excellent, as well as the brake assist has done a great job by modulating how a driver’s foot steps on before start the assistance.

Interior: The most significant aspect of SportCombi’s interior has to be its versatile hatch. Before the seats fold down, there is 841 liters of cargo space. With the seats fold down, it quickly enlarges to 2047 liters which is one of the largest in compact sportswagon segment. Beneath the hatch, there are plenty of cubbyholes for miscellaneous. It also features a nice cargo net for extra versatility.

Hatch aside, the interior is as well laid out as you would expect from Saab. Along with the superb seats, excellent ergonomics and great instrumentation gauges; Saab has upgraded some of the oft-criticised interior materials with much better plastic. However, they still haven’t figured out the way to design a proper handbrake that is finger-friendly.

Conclusion: The Aero SportCombi has done two things to both Saab and 9-3. Firstly, it brings the versatile hatchback style back to 9-3 fold. That is very important because Saab has lost numbers of loyalists after 9-3 became a sedan. Secondly, this sweet turbocharged V6 got the performance that the Aero monikor desperately needs in day 1. There is one doubt, however, on whether potential customers would overlook this Swede due to the attractive offerings from German rivals. If Saab can bring enough customers into showroom with 9-3 SportCombi, this puppy could become their comeback kid.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2006 SAAB 9-3 AERO SPORTCOMBI
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Performance: 4.25/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4.75/5
Value-for-money: 3.5/5

Overall rating: 4/5