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Saab

Special feature: Why does Saab matter?

If this is a perfect world, Saab would be producing the 2nd generation 9-5 sedan and Sportcombi wagon for 2012 model year. The 9-3 Griffin, final edition of the current model, already for sale in the showroom. Their CEO Victor Muller already shown up with new concepts in the Frankfurt auto show. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world.

Unlike many carmakers which have seen the end of the road, Saab has taken most headlines in both automotive and financial news in the last years. Why?

Because Saab is a niche carmaker which have brought many joys and innovations to the automotive industry.

1969 99 was the first vehicle pioneered with the mainstream use of turbocharged engine. As most carmakers have joined the ranks of efficient and powerful 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, which provide the fuel economy of a small 4 while having the power of a 6, Saab was the first company who pioneered this move. Even when Saab was under GM’s umberlla, those genius in Trollhattan have invented the assymetrical turbocharged 6-cylinder engine, which improve the low-end torque while eliminating the annoying turbo lag, in 9-5. When it comes to safety feature, Saab has invented active head restraints.

Saab has always been about form-follows-function in Scandinvania language, its the perfect car for the anthesis of the German lowest common denominators. An individualistic brand with plenty of character, driving fun and practicality. The 1995 9000 Aero, with its proven 225hp B234 2.3 liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, could well be the perfect description of a “sport utility vehicle”. Its docile and nimble, rides comfortably with full-size interior accommodations. When it comes to dynamic abilities, it didn’t lost anything to then Audi C4 S6 and BMW E34 M5; with the advantage of hatchback practicality.

Its hard to mention Saab without the iconic 900. 900 was basically a 99 riding on a sleeker looking body shell and better crash protection, in flavor of US crash standard. 900 was available from a 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan, 3-door and 5-door hatchback to, what is remain to be the best proportioned convertible to date. Its wraparound front screen, hockey stick roofline, upright driving position and ergonomic cockpit are remain the definition of what this Swedish brand is all about. 900 Turbo SPG, known in the rest of the world as 900 Turbo 16V, with black on black. It continues to be one of the best sports sedans ever produced in the last century. While Saab products have its faults like manual gearbox with low throw and lumpy clutch, lack of proper footrest and refinement might not up to German snuff; its the perisable character which have made them stood out.

For many Saab devotees, the introduction of the 1995 NG900 was the beginning to the end of Saab. The unrefined Opel-derived V6 engine, which need to change timing belt at an immature 40000km. It doesn’t have the delicate dynamic charm of its predecessor while the styling remains controversial. The revised 1999 improved many of the shortcomings. 9-3 Viggen remains a very desirable purchase. In 2004, when Saab decided to put hatchback on their chopping block by introdction of the NG9-3. There are so many have already thought Saab has ended in the wrong direction, by chasing Audi and BMW instead of doing of what they do best: producing hatchback.

Despite of the GM-izing of those Saab products, there are merits which remain Saab in both 9-3 and 9-5. Fun-to-drive, tossable, comfortable riding quality, spacious and torquery turbo rush. However, they have lost the ingredients which have made its forebears so special to drive. They have lost the personality of what made Saab stand out among its German peers.

The biggest reason for Saab’s downfall was GM’s unwilling to invest in this historical brand. When all the German heavyweighters: Audi, BMW and Mercedes. To a lesser extend. Acura, Lexus and Infiniti. Even recently, Cadillac and Hyundai. Have the capacity and cash to invest to improve their products generation after generation. Take Audi, for example. They have evolved the A4, their bread-and-butter model, from 1996 to current. Each year, they have new improvements made to the core product to make it competitive and class-leading. The same goes for BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class. All of these are Saab 9-3′s intended competitions. To make it even worse, GM supposedly to replace the OG9-5 back in 2004. Thanks to General’s beancounters, they have forced Saab to produce a pathetic facelift while continue to ride on its aged architecture. Its not until 2011 before an all-new 9-5 debuts.

It would be ashamed to see such an iconic carmaker closed down its doors. The world will become a boring place without all those quirky Swedes with center ignition and upright aircraft-inspired bucket seats. Both the 1988 900i and 1993 900S 16V, which my family owned, will always held a special place in my heart.

2012 Saab 9-4X 2.8T Aero

Vehicle: 2012 Saab 9-4X 2.8T Aero with Power Pkg, Technology Pkg and Rear Passenger Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$52000 (Estimated)

Performance: Saab’s last attempt on cracking the SUV wasn’t exactly a great one. The nicknamed “Trollblazer” 9-7X wasn’t exactly well-received had any wave reviews. Before General spinned off Saab division, they were given the last chance on the ever growing crossover segment. This is the new 9-4X, Saab’s first attempt at the crossover which is loosely based on Cadillac SRX architecture.

When it comes to powertrain choices, our Aero tester uses the Holden-derived turbocharged 2.8 liter DOHC 24-valve V6 which has been dropped from SRX recently. On the other hand, the base 9-4X comes with 265hp 3.0 liter V6 as in the SRX. This Australian developed turbocharged V6 has 300 ponies while providing 295 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal. Given 9-4X’s porky curb weight of 4700 lb with our Aero tester. It manages to launch the Saab off-the-line decently. All have done without the usual turbo lag one associates with this kind of powertrain. Given Saab engineers recalibrated the 6-speed manumatic’s gear ratios and engine’s performance characteristics. we found it performs more willingly than its Caddy silibings. However, the hefty weight still feels through on every moment we pushed the light electronic throttle. This powertrain combination cannot be describe anything as breathtaking, even with 300 stallion. The 295 lb/ft of torque with properly low 1st and 2nd gear ratios do manage to haul its own on the low rev range. On the middle and upper range, it doesn’t feel having as much as 300hp going through all 4 wheels. The maumatic, however, manage to give driver better use of the rev range in order to use the powertrain more effectively.

Handling: Product, product, product. This has always been the yardstick to a successful carmaker. When it was time for Saab to produce their first crossover, General realized its about time to let Saab be a Saab. The architecture was basically developed by Saab, then latter spawn to Cadillac. The whole architecture was completely R&D by Swedish engineers before handing them back to Detroit for further SRX development. In a nutshell, the engineering difference between Saab 9-4X and Cadillac SRX are as distant cousins as what VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne do. In retrospective to the above vehicles, those have been judged as the gold standards for their respective segment. For those who are naive enough, they would have thought latter is just a pathetic rebadged job as the former. Those who have experienced first hands would find out how far distance between those two cousins, when it comes to feel and feedback to overall chassis setting. It really does show how GM wanted to let Saab independent during the developement of 9-4X, after years of pathetic mistakes. Unfortunately, it was a little bit too late when they realized those mistakes. Just when Saab about to lanuch the new 9-4X and 9-5, the finanical tsumani came. That was the time when GM needs to solidering off this Swedish arm.

That’s why this architecture is an excellent place for Saab to begin with their first crossover. Its both strong and solid without any flex and rattles. In terms of its AWD, it remains a front-wheel-drive until it detects any kind of slippage before computer detects on any offending wheel. Its able to transfer from 90%/10% to as much as 10%/90%, for maximum traction. Add to the fact that the AWD works cooperately with its ESC, it acts as a superb active safety feature. While Saab is a car company which always put both of these 2 works nicely together in one sentence, that is “driving” and “fun”. 9-4X’s dynamic package can only be describe as benign and safe. While its spring rates are little higher than those of Caddy silibings, which transform into a sportier crossover than SRX. There are also adjustable dampers with both “comfort” and “sport” to choose from, we would prefer to leave it all in former as this is mainly a blvd cruiser than a crossover which is able to cave a corner with driving fun. While the steering provides feel and feedback, which are both Saab’s traditional forte. It doesn’t feel enough Saab-ness when it comes to driving pleasure and cornering abilities. Understeer is well-tempted while body rolls are more than acceptable. The ride quality has to be rated as one of the top in its class, which has to be a very high praise indeed.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, 9-4X is able to stop more than acceptably given its porky curb weight. The stopping distance and pedal feel are both better than average. While the previous 9-7X tends to feel artifical when it comes to braking feel, 9-4X feels very bit as solid as what a Saab should be.

Interior: 9-4X’s biggest interior packaging is the lack of rear headroom, while legroom is at a premium, given its phyiscal dimensions.

The same goes for the somewhat smallish luggage area, even though the wheel intrusions have been kept to a minimum while rear seats are able to fold flat. Another issue is the rear glass doesn’t open independently from the tailgate, which has a low liftover for luggage.

Without the back-up camera, 9-4X’s thick rear pillars would create a huge blind spots which limit rear sightlines.

In front, 9-4X feels exactly like a 9-5. While everything else have been logically placed in Swedish sensible style, the auto climate control is particularly initutitve which is a godsent. Unfortunately, the rest of the interior has been hammered down by the lifeless black plastic around the dashboard and door panels. All those black plastic feels cheesy judging by the price Saab charges for this crossover. Those seats, however, are as comfortable as ever.

Conclusion: The 9-4X represents a giant leap forward over its 9-7X predecessor. As it feels more Saab-ish, in terms of overall execution. Its not only it has a good powertrain, handles exceptionally well with superb comfort. There are also lots of feature content to back up its good looks.

Saab has an uphill battle, however, when it comes to pricing. Just like our loaded Aero with both Power Package, Rear Passenger Package and Technology Package; it has to face some very serious competitions.

Competitions:
Audi Q5
BMW X3
Mercedes GLK
Lexus RX350
Volvo XC60

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2012 Saab 9-4X 2.8T Aero
=====================================
Performance: 2.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 3/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3/5

Short test: 2011 Saab 9-5 Aero

Vehicle: 2011 Saab 9-5 Aero Sedan XWD
Price as tested: CDN$59700

As Saab’s first new car introduction in 8 years, this niche Swedish carmaker has lots on riding on their flagship sedan. Being a flagship, 9-5 needs a proper V6 engine to motivate its size and weight. The Aero is powered by Saab’s turbocharged 2.8 liter DOHC V6 24-valve engine with 300 ponies and 295 lb/ft of torque. Although this powertrain is heavily based on GM’s Ecotec V6 series, its level of refinement is head-and-above those of 6s previously resided in both outgoing 9-5 and 9000. Gone is the previous V6′s roughness during idle and unwilling to rev through the mid and upper range. While the assymetrical turbocharged was a neat concept, it didn’t delivered on what it should be after the peppy low range. The new engine has addressed that aplentry. Saab’s 6-speed manumatic with paddle shifters have worked in rare harmony, once again, huge improvement over the powertrain combination previously resided in V6 Saabs just a couple of years ago.

If there is one issue with 9-5′s dynamics, its the DriveSelect’s Sport setting really have made the ride quality too stiff for most liking especially with the large 19″ wheels on our Aero. While the Sport setting is just too stiff legged even on slightly rough roads, its Comfort mode just made 9-5 way too softly sprung. Unlike Subaru’s Si-Drive and Audi Driver Select, which are able to compromise between ride and all-out handling depending on settings. Saab engineers really have to go back to drawing board to sort out their DriveSelect system before trickle down to upcoming new 9-3 and even 9-2. Perhaps they can learn a few tricks from Porsche’s benchmark Sport Chrono Package.

The interior of 9-5 has been layout decently, generally speaking. Its optional Head-up display tends to wash out while being blurry depending on the sunlight angle. Another problem is Saab still committed to green pointers on the instrumentation gauges, which already looked outdated today. Its completely out of place in a 9-5 which deserve a far classier instrument clusters. As for those Aero seats, its typical Swedish supportive and comfortable. Sadly, the overall shape and the amount of support around the shoulder have nothing on the original 9000 Aero. Its pretty hard to imagine when automotive technology has advanced in the last 2 decades, Saab Aero seats need to take a two steps backward compares to its great forebear.

As nice as the Aero, we still think 2.0 Turbo 4 is the one to bet when its time to consider the 9-5. That’s because its a more balanced package. The standard suspension provides a more supple ride without losing anything, in terms of handling. The DriveSense system doesn’t do anything to improve the handling and ride, instead its making the worse out of its harmonic balance. We think there will be more customers settle for the Turbo 4. While this recommendation is certainly doing no flavor to Saab’s bottom line, it makes more sense from a driver’s perspective.

Likes:
Swedish flair and character
Refined powertrain
Comfortable interior
Large trunk

Dislikes:
Poor compromise when opt for DriveSense
Rough ride with large 19″ wheels
Interior trim quality

Competitions:
Audi A6 3.0T
BMW 535i
Mercedes E350
Infiniti M37

2011 Saab 9-3X

Vehicle: 2011 Saab 9-3X with Comfort Pkg, Bose sound system, Premium Pkg and moonroof
Price as tested: CDN$48615

Performance: The 9-3X is supposedly to be Saab’s first foray into the fiercely competitive crossover segment, has Saab delivered? We will have the answer after this test drive.

The 9-3X, just like the SportCombi, which it is based on. Once again, it uses Saab’s tried-and-true 2.0 liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder turbocharged variety with 210 ponies and 221 lb/ft of torque. As with all the Saab we have driven, the amount of low-end torque is delivered in a responsive fashion. There is none of those annoying turbo lag associates with turbocharged engine. The result is an engine that delivers V6-esque power at the fuel economy with a 4-cylinder. Mesh the gas throttle, the 9-3X takes off with authority even with its porky 3570 lb of vehicle weight. As one expects from Saab’s expertise on turbocharging, both the low and mid-range are impressive while its just still fell short at the top range. If there is one drawback, however, its the 6-speed manual gearbox that is both rubbery while gates are defined properly. Both the clutch feel and weight are acceptable. That means the 6-speed manumatic with paddle shifters are far better choice. Its also better match for 9-3X’s crossover status.

Handling: Even if 9-3′s chassis has shown a sign of age, as it introduced back in 2004. The extra ride height on the 9-3X doesn’t sacifice any of its dynamic qualities with the SportCombi. The suspension has tuned toward comfort rather than sport. That means the ride comfort rates as good as any of its crossover rivals. It absorbs bumps and roughness exceptionally well. Its Haldex Cross-Wheel-Drive continues to work hand-in-hand with ESP to make 9-3X an extremely safe vehicle. For a crossover, 9-3X’s steering provides decent enough feel and feedback; if a little bit more weight wouldn’t amiss. Push the 9-3X through the corners, its surprisingly fun-to-drive. The amount of driving fun provides by the 9-3X is something missed by many of its rivals. Body motions are controlled while there is some terminal understeer when pushed.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, 9-3X’s braking capabilities surprise. The pedal feels crisp and alive, while stopping distance is commandable. ABS steps in at the right time without unwanted intervention.

Interior: With rear seats fold down completely, 9-3X is able to swallow up to 59.5 cubin feet of luggage. The low liftover, squared side sills and minimal wheel instrusion certainly help the course.

The rest of the interior is standard fanfare 9-3, which means plenty of cheesy plastic with some of the best seats in the business.

Conclusion: The 9-3X marks Saab’s first foray into the crossover segment. It is every bit as good as its segment leader, Subaru Outback, in terms of execution. The combination of Swedish flair with a sophiscated AWD would make those who are getting tired of looking at those Scooby look twice into this Saab.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Saab 9-3X
=====================================
Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2.25/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3.75/5

Follow-up test: 2011 Saab 9-3

Vehicle: 2011 Saab 9-3 2.0T Sport Sedan XWD
Price as tested: CDN$38500

Other than the all-new 9-5, Saab’s return to the marketplace has included the 9-3 series. While the 9-3 has been aged compare to all of its rivals, it still has enough merits to compete with competitions in the lower end of the spectum.

Our 9-3 comes with Haldex XWD, or what Saab dubbed Cross-Wheel-Drive, which is a really neat Haldex system that is able to transfer power from side-to-side and left-to-right. Something that even VW’s Haldex system isn’t able to do yet. This is a sophiscated AWD system that justify the pennies over equivalent FWD counterparts on the 9-3. Dynamically speaking, 9-3 is competent given the age of the platform. The steering provides decent feel and feedback, even though its a bit too light for our taste. The XWD + ESP has controlled understeer extremely well, the same goes for body motions.

The engine is the same tried-and-true 2.0 liter 4-cylinder with 210hp and 221 lb/ft of torque. Even with the additional weight of AWD, its still able to move the 9-3 with ease. However, Saab’s rubbery manual gearbox with a rather ungainly clutch have messed up with the entire package.

Interior wise, 9-3 has suffered from corner cutting right from the last facelift. Its not until the new owner, Spyker, has got their acts together to fix that annoying trait for incoming new generation. Except for the trademark Swedish leather seats, the rest of the interior just feels tired and cheaply-made.

Before the next generation 9-3 arrives within 3 years, the current car has to remain solider on with lots of factory rebate to keep the stock moving. That’s the sad fact that even the Spyker has to face. Saab will be able to see the lights at the end of the tunnel, if the incoming 9-3 is able to do to Saab on what A4 did to Audi just a decade ago. A wonderful car that singlehandly turnarounded a proud carmaker which famous for their innovations and uniqueness.

Likes:
Torquery 4-cylinder turbocharged engine
Forgiving dynamics
Sophiscated AWD

Dislikes:
Interior materials
Price (before all the factory rebates)
Bland styling (for a Saab)

2011 Saab 9-5 Turbo 4

Vehicle: 2011 Saab 9-5 Turbo 4 Premium
Price as tested: CDN$51300

Performance: In just a year ago, many would have thought this car will never seen the lights. Subject to this test drive is Saab’s all-new 9-5.

The new 9-5 is the first Saab that is completely a “Saab” more than “GM Saab” as it uses 70% of their own components while only 30% GM components.

As with a proper Saab, it has to be powered by a forced induction turbocharged engines. The base version is a 2.0 liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder with 220hp and 258 lb/ft of torque. The uplevel Turbo 6 and Aero version comes in a form of 2.8 liter DOHC 24-valve V6 with 300hp and 295 lb/ft of torque. Both with variable valve timing. Given Saab’s expertise on turbocharged 4-cylinder, as it is the 1st car company that innovated this concept a few decades ago. The 220hp 2.0 liter turbocharged is a real deal except for those who are seeking V6 refinement and flexability. As one expects from a Saab turbo, the engine is smooth and willing. Its also completely lack of anything called turbo lag. Mesh the throttle, the 9-5 takes off like a rocket even if it has to carry 4156 lb of Swedish sensibilites. Both the mid and upper range are impressive as in typical Saab turbo fashion. The most astounishing fact is, given 9-5′s porky weight, it still has that low-end acceleration aura whenever you push the throttle. This is the 4-cylinder that has the power with a 6 but return with the fuel economy of a 4-cylinder. In this day and age, when every carmakers are going for small 4-cylinder turbocharged engines from as inexpensive as Chevrolet Cruze to VW Golf GTI hot hatch. Saab was the first company who think this powertrain makes the most senses when it comes to combining performance, fuel economy and efficiency. The 6-speed automatic mates perfectly with this 4-cylinder powertrain, as it combines smooth and coordinated shifting. Given 9-5′s status-in-life, its better to leave the gearbox in “Drive” which provides the best of highway cruising with all those proper ratio gears.

Handling: Although the relationship between GM and Saab are basically dead as we are speaking, the 9-5 was developed during GM era. That explains why it rides on the world-class Global Epsilon platform. The result is a luxury sedan that drive as good as many of the sports sedan out there. The steering provides decent feel and feedback, while returning the same kind of responsiveness and precision one associates with Saab’s sporty character. The Hi-Per stuct front suspension has done a marvelous job on controlling the wheel motions, on the other hand, it allows the rear to slip out a bit for oversteer when going off a corner to make it a bit of a rear-drive feel. The most surprisingly of all is the ride comfort. While the ride is European firm, as one expects from a Saab, its far from being harsh. The ride quality is comfortably compliant while absorbing all the roughness with ease. The understeer is well-controlled, so does 9-5′s ride motion. What is most impressive of all is 9-5′s highway cruising character. Its superb highway stability, mated with those Swedish seats and a well-sorted out suspension provide awesome highway ride all in one package. From a driver’s perspective, 4-cylinder makes more senses than V6 as the front isn’t as heavy. It makes the whole car more balanced to the drive. Even without the DriveSense, 9-5 drives more like a proper sports sedan than a luxury sedan. That has shown how good the suspension calibrations Saab engineers have done.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, 9-5′s braking performance is certainly live up to Saab’s promise. The result is there are no brake fades after a couple of harsh stops. The stopping distance is short while pedal always feels crisp and alive. ABS only steps in necessary is an added bonus.

Interior: In terms of luggage space, 9-5 has aplentry. I like the box hinges which won’t crash into anything else beneath. Then add the low liftover, nicely cut-off side sills and proper fold-down rear seats. 9-5 has the ability to haul all of 5 passengers’ weekend gateway with ease.

As for the rest of the interior, it lives up to what we expect from a Saab. And that is for the most parts.

The ones that live up to Saab’s expectations are those awesome seats, which are simply the best in the world when it comes to zooming comfort and support altogether. The instrumentation gauges are clear and analog, while the automatic climate control and stereo are typical Swedish sensibilites without those stupid German knobs.

Unfortunately, the amount of rotten plastic is something we don’t expect from Saab. Especially in their flgaship 9-5 costing over 50 large grand. Back in the good ole’ days, Saab interiors are known for high-quality plastic materials with tasty leather aroma and velour door inserts to add warmth to the cabin. Their cost-cutting measure really have taken away that very aspect on why owing a Saab is so special. While the leather materials are generally of high-quality texture with suppleness, it no longer holds a candle to its rivals. The whole black dashboard looks duff in our tester. Because of all the cost saving, Saab decided to use green pointers which looked outdated a decade ago. They should stick with either red or white pointers with white background. When you consider the fact that a 20 grand Mazda3 has nicer interior quality than a 50 grand 9-5, this is not something acceptable. Its completely unforgivable given Saab’s usual high standards. Shame on you, Saab. :(

However, there is a silver lining behind all those cheap and nasty plastic. Saab’s new owner, Spyker, has promised to bring 9-5′s interior back to the drawing back. They have promised to bring us a far improved interior which is able to justify its price tag. Whether they have enough resources to bring it back, time will tell.

Conclusion: There are two things that come out loud and clear about the new 9-5.
The first thing is new 9-5 is the best Saab ever. As it offers a nice combination of Swedish flair, hallmark turbocharged 4-cylinder performance and driving dynamics worthy of the Saab badge. Another thing is even if 9-5 already 2 generations behind its main rivals for being replaced, its overall merits are good enough to give them a run-for-its-money.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Saab 9-5 Turbo 4
=====================================
Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Special feature: A farewell to Saab 9-5

All good things have to go. After 12 years and half million units sold, the final 9-5 finally rolled off the assembly line in Trollhattan, Sweden.

When Saab introduced the current 9-5 back in 1997, it was hailed as Sweden’s contender against benchmark mid-size luxury sedans dominated by Germans. Even though its based on previous Opel Vectra, or unremarkable Saturn L-Series, it feels nothing else like those chassis silbings. Instead, it feels every bit as fun-to-drive and Swedish as every Saab does. Anything else from the entry-level 2.0t S to flagship 2.3T Aero with manual gearbox, these are the luxury sports sedan that handle as anything else in its class with comfort to boot.

The 1st facelift bought out “boost control” on Aero with revised trim levels. Instead of calling S, SE and Aero. Saab renamed those Linear, Arc and Aero. It also brought a higher quality interior and better performing powertrains to the party. Saab’s awesome seats remain intact during the revision. The facelifted version is definitely the best Saab and 9-5 ever produced back in those days.

When Audi came out with the current A6 in 2004, BMW came out with current 5-Series in 2003; we were wondering when will Saab bring out its new 9-5. GM’s beancounters decided not to give Saab enough funding to develop a new 9-5, instead, they gave it a poor nose job in 2006. Its not only the styling is ugly, 9-5 is no longer competitive in that segment. Although Volvo’s S80 is one of the worse cars we have ever driven in DirectShift in the last 3 years, it remains a more competitive car than the granddaddy 9-5 which already on the market for over a decade.

The next 9-5 looks to be a very promising entry into the mid-size premium segment, just like its predecessors do. Both 9000 and 9-5 were wonderful cars to begin with, it was just Saab (especially GM) have milk them too long before a complete rehaul. Even at the end of the lifecycle and one very ugly facelift, we still love 97-09 9-5 today. We only hope we will love the next 9-5 even more. :D

Follow-up test: 2009 Saab 9-3 2.0T XWD

Vehicle: 2009 Saab 9-3 2.0T XWD sedan with Premium leather trim, 6-speed Sensotronic transmission, premium package and sunroof
Price as tested: CDN$48500

New-for-2009, Saab has finally added its Cross Wheel Drive to its base 2.0T trim, in addition to 2.8TS Aero and limited edition Aero X. So how will this proven 210hp 2.0 liter turbocharged engine combined with automatic and additional weight of XWD, or what Saab named its AWD?

Without a doubt, Saab’s legendary 2.0 liter turbocharged engine always provide impressive refinement and flexability after years serving the stable. Its also proven to be more reliable and dependable than GM-sourced V6 in uplevel Aero trim. With 210hp and 221 lb/ft torque carrying north of 1700 lb of leather-lined Swedish luxury, this 9-3 XWD provides really good performance. Not only does the 9-3 has excellent throttle response. It doesn’t have the sluggishness of weighting in the AWD components when matching with automatic transmission. The biggest offenders of having a sluggish and underpowered automatic AWD are definitely Lexus with its IS250 and BMW with its 328Xi. The IS250 has 6 fewer horses while the BMW has 20 more ponies than the Saab. But none of them provide the same grunt as the 9-3. On the other hand, 9-3 still feel short of torque when compares to our class favourites: Audi A4 2.0T Quattro and Mercedes C300 4-Matic. Both of these simply has the best performance versus all-wheel drive security in a wonderful all-rounded package in the market these days.

When it comes to driving experience, 9-3 still provides very much of the “Saab feel” that we have always been enjoyed. That’s despite the chassis already felt aged when compare to many of its rivals. However, this Swede has lots of merits that we always like since the introduction of the current 9-3 back in 2003. Its ReAxs suspension provides an oversteer feel when driven hard in the corners. That makes 9-3 has the rear-wheel-drive feel without losing the traction of AWD. The steering provides decent feedback. While there remains some body rolls, it tends to settle itself through a set of corners without losing its composure. Best of all, its ride quality is supple without being harsh. Its European firm and far from being unbearable.

What we are still disappointed remains the interior quality. There are just too many GM switchgears from corporate parts bin to put together in the dashboard. It simply lacks the elegance and classy fit-and-finish that we used to expect from Saab. On the other hand, those leather seats are simply superb when it comes to comfort and support.

At the time of our writing, Saab already filed bankruptcy as an independent company from General Motors. The current 9-3 is the perfect example of how GM managed or mismanaged this niche Swedish company. When it first came on the market in 2004, many believed it is the “turnaround car” for Saab to make profit and volume. As time goes by, GM beancounters began cutting corners, as witnessed with its interior materials and fit-and-finish. Its also a pity, given Saab as an innovative company, that they were the last carmaker in Europe to get AWD. Although XWD is a great system from Haldex, its a bit too late to get into AWD party. Saab is better off independent by engineered some of the most uniquely designed and innovative products. In the meantime, they need a truly remarkable turnaround car that is completely knock the competitions off the chart. The current 9-3, even with its Aero X, isn’t exactly able to send rivals back to their drawing board when it comes to performance and packaging. Unlike its forebears, 900 Turbo and 9000 Aero did. This company needs exactly that kind of product to have a dramatic turnaround. Have we ever heard of this kind of turnaround stories before? Audi was able to turn itself around when they came out with 96 A4 after the unfounded “60 Minutes Unintended Acceleration incident with 5000″ in 1987. Nissan was able to have a turnaround with 2001 Altima, when it was almost go bankruptcy in 2000. Both of these companies were almost bankrupt and left North American markets entirely.

Will Saab able to turnaround after going independence? Are the products they are coming on the horizon finally capture its soul back without relying on GM? You will be the first to know here in Directshift. :)

Special feature: What should GM do to restructure themselves?

With the Bush adminstration announced to provide short-term loan of 17.4 billions of bridge loan to both General Motors and Chrysler Corporation today. GM will be the one to watch as Chrysler, whose future remains in doubt, given their lackluster product portfolio. As for Ford, this company already on the restructuring process of cutting dealers and improving their products significantly in recent years. It should be the most healthy and strongest down the road.

So, what do we at DirectShift think of how GM should restructure themselves in order to survive? GM products have improved significantly in the last couple of years, since Bob Lutz and Rick Wagoner have taken the helm of this company. The biggest improvements have to be the exterior and interior styling, dynamic abilities, refinement, use of materials and level of fit-and-finish. Take the Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CTS, these 2 cars are head-and-above those of their unremarkable predecessors.

With General currently having 8 brands but with less than 20% of market share, they have to reduce to 3 brands maximum in order to substain its profitability. It isn’t like 2 to 3 decades ago when GM still had 50% of market share to substain the profitability of so many brand overlapping each others.

Here is what we think which brands should go and stay within GM’s portfolio:

Hummer: With full-size SUV sales in the toilet, this brand should ditch as soon as possible. It has absoultely no viable future holding for Hummer whatsoever.

Saab: Before GM became the major stockholder of this once-proud Swedish niche carmaker, Saab products have flair, character, performance and dynamic qualities with its tiny but interesting 2 product line-up. This brand is the classic example of how an American giant mismanaged an unique Swedish brand. They simply have milked their current line-up for way too long with infusion of new technologies and designs that used to be the hallmark of Saab. The rebadging of previous Impreza and Trailblazer as 9-2X and 9-7X also have pissed many long-time Saab loyalists without gaining new customers. While 9-3 and 9-5 were once considered as contenders to German heavyweights when launched couple of years ago, they haven’t aged gracefully with all of their competitions received new design or already facelifted. GM should sold Saab back to Swedish company, by maintaining its uniqueness and niche. We are pretty damn sure Swedish firm will know how to manage Saab far better than what GM did. Give this company enough resources, their engineers are able to come out with innovations to stand out.

Pontiac: This is another GM brand that should be going away. The Solstice can give it to Chevrolet as Corvette “Junior” and G8 replaces Impala as Chevrolet’s flagship sedan. There aren’t any vehicles in this brand that aren’t overlapping with other brands.

Buick: Except for Mainland China, Buick doesn’t have much brand recognition and cachet anywhere in the world. While keeping the exciting Mainland Buick portfolio like the upcoming Opel Insigina rebadged Regal, take the entire Enclave/Lacerne/Allure with it to China. Kill this brand in North American market.

GMC: GMC is basically a rebadged Chevrolet Truck. This is the classic example of how GM loved to have product overlapped each others. Kill GMC and leave Chevy Truck is more than enough. Even with only Chevy Truck, its market share and profitability are enough to substain its market share given both full-size truck and SUV sales are tanking.

Saturn: GM have got Saturn really really right in the last 2 years. This company will be well-served as an alternative to another affordable European brand: Volkswagen. All the Astra, Aura, Vue, Outlook and Sky are all great cars. It will also be served well for customers who want more European flavor as an alternative to more mainstream Chevrolet. Given Ford will be bringing the European models like the Fiesta and Kuga sometimes next year, By merging Saturn with European Opel, Saturn will likely be the one that customers will cross-shopped. Its going to be sad if GM decides to ditch this brand. As Saturn has the freshest and strongest line-up in the industry right now.

Chevrolet: This has to be the mainstream brand that GM needs to tackle Honda and Toyota. The new Malibu has proved to be a real contender in mid-size family sedan segment. The upcoming Cruze is going to be a hot contender. Electric car Volt, performance-oriented Camaro and Corvette all serve as its halo cars.

Cadillac: The new CTS has proved Caddy is coming back. CTS-V is a really wonderful sports sedan that can easily give any AMG, RS and M a-run-for-their-money. GM should market Cadillac as a comfort and luxury-oriented brand instead of performance-oriented brand, say Lexus/Mercedes versus Audi/BMW/Infiniti/Acura. Their core products should focus on both refinement and comfort. Leaving the V-Series to go after performance crowd is more than fine as halo cars. First the new CTS, the upcoming SRX also looks promising.

2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X Sport Sedan

Vehicle: 2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X Sport Sedan
Price as tested: CDN$57095

Performance: Saab’s introduction of the Turbo X is supposed to be a reincarnation to the legendary 900 Turbo SPG. The SPG has always been the standard of how a sports sedan with Swedish flair should be build. Its a blast to drive without losing the composure and comfort one associates with this Swedish marque.

While the SPG didn’t have trillion horsepower, its 175hp 16-valve high-pressure turbocharged engine was a giant killer between 80-120 km/h acceleration. With the Turbo X, it receives the same GM-sourced 2.8 liter DOHC 24-valve V6 as its lesser Aero silibing. It got 280 horses and 262 lb/ft of torque, that is 25 more ponies and 5 lb/ft of torque than the standard Aero. This engine has plenty of torque as 262 lb/ft only arrives at a low 2000rpm. However, its slightly fell short when it comes to high end grunt when pushed. In the mid-range, it performs admirably if not outstandingly consider its a V6 with high-pressure turbo variety. There are many normally aspirted V6 that is able to outperform this turbo V6 in the mid-range. It certainly doesn’t have the authority of SPG’s giant killer 80-120 km/h in 2nd and 3rd gears. Throttle response is prompt and responsive. The Aero X can be opt for a 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic. The gates are notchy and throws are not well-defined. Clutch feels featherweight and lack of feedback. If you are buying an Aero X, take the 5-speed automatic because it got decent gear ratios without the compromise of the manual gearbox.

Handling: With the addition of the new and advanced Haldex AWD, which is able to transfer the power from a minimum of 5% up to 100% to the rear axle depending on which offending wheel needs extra power. Its also capable of delivering up to 40% of rear axle to the offending wheel by applying the electronic limited slip diff. Unlike the earlier Haldex design, this one is proactive instead of reactive.

Haldex AWD aside, 9-3′s chassis starts to show its age in the face of new rivals. While the chassis remains sound and stiff, it doesn’t feel as rock-solid as many of its German competitions. There remain a quite an amount of understeer even with the benefit of new AWD system. The electronic stability control has acted decently if not exceptionally uninstrsive in most cases. The steering feels featherweight and lack decent driver feedback. It needs more on and off-center feel with added precision, that’s despite the turn-in is crisp. The suspension is able to settle itself after taken a set of body rolls. Body motion control is about average if not superb as a sports sedan. Ride quality, however, its a delightful surprise. Saab engineers always able to tune their ride soft without losing the suppleness one associates with Swedish car. The X is no exception.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, the X’s pedal feel is strong and solid without any signs of fade. Both the stopping distance and pedal feel are up to the high sports sedan standards. ABS only acts necessarily when needed.

Interior: Just like X’s exterior, its only available with only one color inside. The black interior feels drab and austere, that’s despite of the aluminum and carbon fiber trims. The use of materials felt cheap and plasticky for X’s price tag. Level of fit-and-finish is about average in this class. There are just too many American GM sourced switchgears in 9-3′s cabin. While those switchgears have worked wonders in the Malibu and Aura, it doesn’t work well with a Swedish car. All those GM interior pieces have made 9-3′s interior an afterthought feel, something we don’t expect to see in a Saab.

Conclusion: So, at the end of the day, does the 9-3 Turbo X recapture the aura of the 900 Turbo SPG? I doubt it. While the SPG doesn’t have lots of horses, its chassis fitness isn’t the top of its class and the shift quality isn’t exactly crisp; its quirky and fun loving character have put lots of smiles in any enthuisast’s heart. It can’t be said about the Turbo X. Yes, it got a V6 turbo, a proper AWD and center key ignition. It just doesn’t capture the heart of the enthuisast like its forebear used to be.

As for 9-3 itself, it was considered as one of the top contenders when it first debut in 2003. Times have changed, so do the competitions. It desperately needs a complete makeover to keep it updated.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2008 Saab 9-3 Turbo X Sport Sedan
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Performance: 3/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 3/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 2.25/5

2008 Saab 9-3 Aero XWD

Vehicle: 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero Sport Sedan Manual with Aero Touring Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$46440

Performance: While the base 9-3 is motivated by Saab’s proven 200hp 2.0L 4-cylinder High Output Turbo engine, its the uplevel 2.8 liter V6 as the highlight of this review. This 2.8 liter V6 is another version of Saab’s High Output Turbo, which is good for 255 ponies and 258 lb/ft of torque. As we have experienced last time in pre-facelifted SportCombi, this powerplant is smooth and willing. It doesn’t have any of those turbo lag or roughness we once associated with Saab turbos of the past. While some might find this kind of smoothness and refinement lack Saab’s character, especially those who missed Classic 900 Turbo SPG’s turbo lag slap when it spools up @ 3 grand, this V6 motor is the one that this niche Swedish carmaker needs to go mainstream. Here lies the rough. Even though this motor has passed the last 2 years with flying colors serving 9-3 chassis, Saab engineers should message more refinement and quietness as many of its peers have gone through or will go through major overhaul in these years.

Handling: Ever since the introduction of the current generation 9-3, it has always been regarded as one of the better handlers in the sports sedan arena. What Saab has made 9-3 even better is the advanced Haldex all-wheel drive called XWD. In order not to mix up or start a lawsuit by other carmakers, this “X” is called Cross in Saab language. Given Haldex’s expertise on developing AWD system for Volvo, Audi and even VW, we never doubt any of its engineering through 9-3′s docile chassis. In daily driving, its the front wheels that received 90% of the power until it detects slippage. When it detects any of the wheels are spinning or lack of traction, it will redirect the power to the offending wheel. It works exceptionally well with Epsilon chassis. It also eliminates any of those infamous torque steer we used to associate with high-performance Saabs. The ESP won’t kicked in until Cross Wheel Drive can’t handle the nasty situation.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, 9-3′s braking performance has always leave smile on our face. The stopping distance is short and pedal feel is excellent.

Interior: Unfortunately, the biggest let down remains the interior. Ever since Saab redesigned 9-3′s interior last year, ditching its infotainment center and push-button auto climate control in flavour of GM’s corporate switchgears. It completely lost the Swedish feel even with center mounted ignition and superb leather seats. That’s despite everything else is ergonomically correct. The interior feels low-rent and very American GM-ish. There are plenty of hard plastic and shiny surface. While those rock-solid panels and gaps are not as nasty as Renault-era Nissan/Infiniti, those are just completely unforgivable given Saab’s usual high standards.

Conclusion: While I am not a huge fan of facelifted 9-3′s more radical front facial styling and cheap interior, its a much improved sports sedan mainly due to its excellent Cross Wheel Drive system. Its not only addressed all the dynamic deficits of all the previous high-performance Saabs, it also gives buyers more choices when it comes to AWD.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2008 Saab 9-3 Aero XWD
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Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3.75/5

2006 Saab 9-5 sedan

Vehicle: 2006 Saab 9-5 sedan automatic with sports and visibility packages
Price as tested: CDN$47180

Performance: The facelifted 9-5 is only powered by one single engine. Gone are the assymetrical turbo V6 and 2.3L light-pressure turbocharged engines in outgoing Linear and Arc. There will be only one trim level with one powerplant to soldier on before the complete replacement arrives. This high-output turbo or what Saab called HOT 2.3L DOHC turbocharged engine is good for 260 ponies and 258 lb/ft of torque. As one would expect from Saab’s legendary turbocharged unit, this one has plenty of bottom end torque due to its maximum torque ranging from 1900 to 4k rpm. The level of refinement is up to usual Saab turbo-4 level given Swede’s expertise of producing excellent small displacement turbo. That’s despite the flexability and NVH have been outgunned by currently the best turbo-4 in the market, VW and Audi’s 2.0T FSI. This HOT has close to no turbo lag with its turbo spools up quickly and swiftly. This engine is either mated with a rubbery 5-speed stick shift or 5-speed manumatic in our tester. The manumatic shifts quite roughly between gears, that’s even with nicely done gear ratios. Both the up and downshifts are very harsh when the driver has the urge to push the car. If you don’t mind the weird clutch take-off and rubbery shifter, take the 5-speed stick.

Handling: Although Saab has claimed they have stiffened up the chassis, 9-5 has started to feel age when the going gets tough. In the past, Aero’s high horsepower feels quite nature in this platform because, back in 2000, this chassis remains quite much better than acceptable. 6 years latter when all the competitions have completely redesigned, this car has got completely outgunned. Other than the chassis flex and torque steer, this car has plenty of understeer and body rolls when pushed. It just doesn’t cut the mustard when it compares to newer competitions. However, steering still feels swift and response. The precision and path traceability remain 9-5′s merits. Saab’s typical substantial Swedish feel remains intact despite the age of the platform. The stiffened up suspension and springs have made 9-5 rides much more poorly on rough pavements, especially on expansion joints. Unfortunately, it doesn’t gain any in the corners.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, braking remains exceptional in typical Saab fashion. The brake pedal feels crisp and solid, with ABS kicks in only when necessary.

Interior: Despite 9-5′s age, its interior remains a comfortable place to spend time with. The world’s most comfortable seats are still inside 9-5′s cockpit. Everything is typical 9-5 except for the rather cheap-looking rotary automatic climate control knobs from GM parts pin. The lack of tilt steering is unacceptable in 21st century.

Conclusion: When Saab first introduced the 9-5 back in 1999, it was such an excellent luxury sports sedan that is able to run with heavyweights like Audi A6 and BMW 5-Series. Just when both Audi and BMW already got a new versions of their existing benchmarks, Saab still producing 9-5 using this aging underpinnings. It will be an even tougher sale with such an ugly facelift and questionable interior switchgears, which aren’t feel upmarket at all. Instead of having a new commercial campaign “born from jet”, Saab should start thinking of a reborn of the 9-5. How times have changed in the marketplace in a short 7 years???

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2006 SAAB 9-5 SEDAN
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Performance: 2/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 2/5

2006 Saab 9-3 Aero SportCombi

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

2004 Saab 9-3 2.0T Aero convertible

Vehicle: 2004 Saab 9-3 2.0T Aero convertible with 5-speed Sentronic
Price as tested: CDN$62150

Performance: The Saab convertible is powered by Saab’s proven 2L high-pressure turbocharged engine with 210hp and 221 lb/ft of torque. The power delivery is smooth, refine, flexible and completely lack of turbo lag. When the turbo spools up at around 2500 rpm, the acceleration feels like a rocket with the assistance of Saab’s famous Tronic engine managment system. The 5-speed Sentronic manumatic is an excellent tranny as it provides decent ratios, while it up and downshifts are responsive and appropriate.

Handling: While previous Saab convertibles are known for cowl shakes, the new 9-3 is a revelation for chassis stiffness. It feels as solid as anything else in its class when going through bumps, washboard pavements and expansion joints. With Aero’s sports suspension, it also handles exceptionally well. The steering is sharp and precise. There is a slight amount of body rolls and understeers when pushed. On the other hand, it also rides comfortably thanks to smart use of rebound damping.

Brakes: Saab’s usual high standard on braking performance remains intact in the convertible, as it provides top-notch pedal feel and responsivenss when bite hard.

Interior: The color-keyed door panels are tasteful addition to 9-3′s usual high-quality interior. It adds a bit of color to the sober black-on-black interior. As usual, you got all the features you expect from a Saab. All the power items like windows, locks, mirrors, auto climate control and stereo are all at hands. Not to mentioned Saab’s great set of sports seats. Back seat space is more than enough for a convertible, same goes for cargo space. As for the roof itself, press a button and it lifts off in less than 30 seconds without releasing a latch.

Conclusion: If the new 9-3 is the best Saab ever produced, then this must be the best convertible they ever made. It got the best of Saabs like unique style, nifty cockpit interior and turbo performance while addressing the cowl shakes and lack of chassis stiffness of its predecessors. Saab has got a winner on its hands.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2004 SAAB 9-3 2.0T AERO CONVERTIBLE
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Performance: 4.75/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.75/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.75/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

2004 Saab 9-3 2.0T Arc/Aero

Vehicles: 2004 Saab 9-3 2.0T Arc with sports wheel pkg with 5-speed stick and Aero with 6-speed stick
Price as tested: CDN$43450 (Arc) CDN$43900 (Aero)

Performance: Both the 9-3 Arc and Aero are powered by Saab’s venerable high-pressure turbo that has 210hp and 221 lb/ft of torque. This powerplant feels more peppy and responsive than the low-pressure unit we tested in base Linear model. There is no turbo lag when the turbo starts to spool up somewhere around 2500 rpm. Its not only more responsive than the base unit, its also more refined and flexible to rev. Both the 5 and 6-speed stick shifts are a joy to drive with good ratios, well-defined gears and easy-to-find gates. These are probably the best stick shifts Saab has ever produced. They feel far better than the heavy and ungainly units in previous Saabs. While the clutch grabbing point is high in the Arc, their clutches remain light and progressive.

Handling: There are 2 suspension settings in both Arc and Aero. While the Arc is tuned more toward comfort, Aero has a sportier setting tuned for more enthuisastic driving. Aero’s sports setting is very impressive, indeed. It combines an aggressive suspension tuning that is great for enthuisasts when pushing through twisties without sacificing the ride comfort through the use of the proper spring rates. Both steering are precise, responsive and provide plenty of driver feedback. The result is one of the best handling/ride compromise the other side of German sports sedans. As for Arc, it has a more comfortable ride given softer springs and shocks. However, its cornering prowess remains top-notch even with softer setting. Aero has fewer body rolls and understeers than Arc, as expected. 9-3′s ESP is also an exceptional system, as it won’t intervene by braking an offending wheel until the vehicle goes extremely crazy in a curve.

Brakes: Combine 4-wheel discs, ABS and brake force distribution, 9-3′s pedal feel is nothing short of astounsing. The stopping distance is short while the pedal feels solid and effort balanced.

Interior: 9-3′s interior is truly a driver’s environment. The cockpit design has given out an atmosphere that put driver in the first place with everything else logically placed. The analog instrumentation gauges are clear and analog. Both the stereo and auto climate control are easy to figure out. Latter is a very effective system that can cool the interior very fast in a hot day. The Infotainment system is easy to use with a few buttons by checking fuel economy and distance-to-empty. While the standard seats in the Arc already provide exceptional comfort, Aero’s sports seats are simply awesome. Rear seat has more than adequate head and legrooms. However, there is one minor pet peeve. This pet peeve is belong to Arc’s wood trim. While this light wood is very high-quality, it looks out of place in an interior of a 9-3.

Conclusion: When I test drove the Linear a while ago, I already very impressed with its dynamic abilities. With the introduction of the more powerful 210hp 2.0T engine, it simply transformed 9-3 into an extremely good car into a great car.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2004 SAAB 9-3 2.0T ARC/AERO
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Performance: 4.75/5 (Arc) 4.75/5 (Aero)
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5 (Arc) 5/5 Aero
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.75/5 (Arc) 4.75 (Aero)
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5 (Arc) 4.75/5 (Aero)
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4.25/5 (Arc) 4.25/5 (Aero)
Value-for-money: 4/5 (Arc) 5/5 (Aero)

Overall rating: 4.5/5 (Arc) 4.75/5 (Aero)

2002 Saab 9-5 2.3t Arc sedan

Short review of 2002 Saab 9-5 2.3t Arc sedan
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Based on the best SAAB ever produced, the base engine finally got previous car’s Aero suspension. The Aero suspension provides enough stiffness without sacificing the ride comfort of what an upscale SAAB A6/E-Class/5-Series supposed to be, it also addressed many people’s complaint of base suspension’s floatiness through corners. Along with the user-friendliness and well-furnished interior that is typical of SAAB’s workmanship and ergonomic engineering, superb seats with plenty of leg and headrooms. This package is hard to beat.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

2005 Saab 9-2X Aero

Vehicle: 2005 Saab 9-2X Aero with Aero leather pkg and 4-speed auto tranny
Price as tested: CDN$43670

Performance: 9-2X Aero is powered by WRX’s horizontally opposed DOHC 16-valver 4 banger engine. It has the same hp and torque ratings as WRX, which are 227hp and 217 lb/ft of torque. There is a dreadful turbo lag somewhere around 3k rpm which is dreadful to drive anywhere below this rev range. Its not until you hit 3 grand before the turbo spools up and real performance shows up. As expected, it got the same distinctive boxer engine note so familiar to Subaru owners. The 4-speed auto tranny is quite a good unit with crisp shifts and very willing to upshifts. Its also downright responsive on learning which gear to use thanks to its smart fuzzy logic system.

Handling: While WRX’s docile handling dynamics remains intact, Saab engineers have retuned the rebound damping for a softer ride in the 9-2X. The result is 9-2X handles as sharply as a WRX with far superior ride quality. Tires have plenty of grip and won’t scream out of corners unless you attack a corner crazily. While WRX’s ride is rough and bouncy on rough roads, 9-2 absorbs them without complaint. The whole setting makes 9-2 feels more luxurious and comfortable given its Saab emblem on front. WRX’s mertis like Subaru’s proven symmertical AWD, sharp yet precise steering, nearly-flat cornering abilities and minimal bodyroll remain intact. Combining all these merits with Saab’s retuned springs and shocks, its a more complete package than the Subie itself.

Brakes: The 4-wheel discs with standard anti-lock produces excellent brake performance. The stopping distance is short, pedal feel is direct and modulation is balanced.

Interior: While you still can find the same hard and shiny plastics as WRX in 9-2X, Saab has upgraded some of the materials to match its upscale image. The instrumentation gauges are clear and analog. The auto climate control is smart ane effective under the nearly 30 degree hot Westcoast weather. There are plenty of head and legroom all around. The front leather seats are actually quite comfortable. However, there are a couple of criticisms. Firstly, the leather quality doesn’t match the usual Saab’s high standards. It feels more like plastic than what Saab leather used to be. Leather in 9-3, 9-5 or any preceding 900 and 9000 all have soft, smooth and classy texture that make them special and durable. 9-2X’s leather feels like crap in comparison, its leather is actually not made by Elmo BTW. The aluminum center console trim looks tacky and cheap. Its actually painted aluminum instead of real aluminum. Thirdly, for a upscale brand that costs 40k. The headliner uses cheap plastic and sun visor’s linings don’t seem to line-up properly. Not to mention all those cheap switchgears that are totally Impreza. You actually have a cheap feel inside the 9-2X insteadof the usual expensive and classy feel as in other Saabs.

Conclusion: Although Saab engineers have tuned the springs and shocks, also revised the interior in order to make it more “Saab-ish; 9-2X Aero remains nothing more than a rebadged WRX. On the other hand, if you get tired of Impreza/WRX’s boy racer image, rough rides and lesser interior but prefer a more upscale brand. 9-2X could be your ticket.

As for a Saab faithful like myself, I would look elsewhere. A4 1.8T Avant, V50 T5 or even Legacy 2.5GT wagon look even more attractive compares to 40k 9-2X Aero for what they charge and execute. As for 9-2X Linear, I would rather buy a Mazda 3 GT Sport and save a few grand for a better car. If I want to buy a Saab, I would buy a “real” one: 9-3 Linear 2.0t, which remains a far better execution that this rebadged Subaru itself.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2005 SAAB 9-2X AERO
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Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 1/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 1/5

Overall rating: 2/5

2002 Saab 9-5 Aero sedan

Vehicle: 2002 SAAB 9-5 Aero sedan with 5-speed auto tranny.

Performance: The Aero is powered by a 2.3L high-ouput turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that bumps out 250hp @ 5500 rpm and 258 lb/ft @ 2500 rpm. With impressive numbers like these, power is never an issue. The throttle tip-in is linear. Off-the-line response is brisk. Unlike previous high-pressure SAAB turbos, turbo lag is never an issue. There’s also an impressive feature called “instant-boost” standard on HOT engine series. When you are driving 120 km/h on a freeway ready to overtake a slow vehicle, the system will increase the torque by 12 lb/ft of torque in 20 seconds. Its completely seemless and works exceptionally well. 5-speed auto also works exceptionally well. Both up and downshifts are quick without sacificing the smooth transition. In fact, this is the tyranny that’s good enough to choose it over the rather notchy stick. SAAB should put this box into 9-5 from day 1. In short, 9-5 Aero’s performance is nothing short of amazing.

Handling: Without a doubt, the Aero feels every inch a SAAB. That means the driving experience is communicative and very enjoyable. SAAB has stiffened both the chassis and suspension up on all 9-5 in the revision process. The steering provides excellent road feel. Considered this is a high-powered front-driver, both understeer and torque steer are issues but remain very controllable. The suspension handles corners in a manner that’s more forgiving than previous 9-5s I have driven. However, body rolls remain an issue. For 2002, ESP has been added to the already safe package. The system feels more instrusive than I expected. I can forgive this design considered how much hp SAAB put the chassis through the front wheels. The ride is comfortable and firm.

Brakes: As with SAAB’s tradition, the pedal feel is excellent. Its an almost flawless system.

Interior: The aeroplane-inspired concept is just a joy to sit inside. The fit-and-finish is top-notch. Every panels are covered in plastic that has an expensive feel. Both the radio and climate control placed in a location that falls right into the driver’s hand. Instrumentation gauges are clear and analog. The leather-covered seats are probably the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in. The back seats are spacious, the design makes it feel like a living room sofa. The ventliation seats feature is nifty. You feel like the leather is breathing on your body as you turned it on. The trunk is huge, it also gets the uninstrusive trunk hingles.

Conclusion: If the original 9-5 already the best SAAB ever, SAAB just makes the best even better. Great powerplant, great interior, very good handling judging on how much power put through the front wheels and added ESP. Best of all, it still feels and drives like anything but a SAAB. Its a mistake of not put a 9-5 in your shopping list if you are cross shopping A6 and 5-Series in the price range.

OVERALL RATINGS FOR 2002 SAAB 9-5 Aero
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Performance: 5/5
Handling/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/built quality: 5/5
Interior/spaciousness/user-friendliness: 5/5
Value-for-money: 3.75/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

2003 Saab 9-3 2.0t Linear

Vehicle: 2003 Saab 9-3 2.0t Linear with Sport Launch package, Touring package and 5-speed Sentronic automatic tranny

Handling: The single biggest drawback of the outgoing 9-3 is the flexy chassis. That dated chassis has made all the engines coupled with the outgoing car feels overengined. The new 9-3′s handling dynamics is simply a revelation. With the stiff new platform, a very well balaned suspension and steering control. This model has the merits to challenge some of the world’s best competitions. On our particular tester equipped with the sports suspension and 17″ wheels, 9-3 handles exceptionally well even during the rainy weather. The steering feels responsive, quick and linear at any speed. Both on and off-center feel are simply excellent. Even if the 9-3 handles like a sports car, it doesn’t ride like one. Its ride comfort is simply superb, among the best in its class. Unlike the 9-5, 9-3′s ESP or electronic stability program doesn’t kick in until absoultely necessary. Both the understeer and body rolls are very well controlled. Pushed through corners, its flat handling and natural feedback have given the feeling that has never felt before in any Saabs. Best of all, the whole driving experience still feels very much like Saab.

Performance: The 2.0 light-pressure turbocharged engine that bumps out 175 hp and 195 lb/ft of torque feels responsive even with the optional manumatic. There are plenty of low-end torque considered its maximum torque appears at a lowly 2500 rpm. It never runs out of stream when pushed through redline. The 5-speed manumatic has the responsivenss and smoothness that have never felt in previous Saabs before. The quality of the shifts are top-notch. Its willing to upshift and downshift, on the manual mode, it allows you to push through redline without upshifted itself. There’s no doubt it got high refinement considered Saab is a manufacturer which is famous for building great 4-cylinder turbo engines.

Brakes: The 4-wheel discs with ABS works like wonder on the 9-3. The stopping distance is short and the pedal has excellent feel. Even the brake assist system doesn’t feel too overassisted as you hammer down into the pedal. During our rainy weather testing, the ABS won’t kick in until necessary.

Interior: Inside the new 9-3, everything feel very much like a Saab. Everything from the vents to the center console ignition switch have said “this is a Saab”. It got the typical superb seats with SAHR 2 whiplash protection. The center console is logically layout with stereo, automatic climate control, trip computer and heated seats all packed in one area. There are cool icons shown which position is your heated seat level. Finally, Saab has put the power windows and moonroof into the proper locations to make way for the center bin. On the back, there are plenty of head and legroom. Space is never been an issue with this car. However, there’s one pet-peeve. While the rest of the interior is covered with high-quality leather, the side panels are covered in cloth. Despite the quality of cloth feels durable, it looks out of place in a car costing 37 large grand.

The trunk has a low liftover that easy cargo accesibility. However, there is one drawback. Although Saab has used the carpet-covered instrusive trunk hinges, they are still no uninstrusive hinges. Considered how well thought-out the new 9-3 is, this is an area that these Swedish designers have forgot.

Conclusion : Not only 9-3 is one of the best in the competitive sports sedans currently dominated by Germans, its probably the best car ever come out of Sweden recently. With the advent of the new chassis, Saab has transformed a good car into a great car. Along with the right pricing, Saab should have no trouble selling each of of them.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2003 SAAB 9-3 2.0t LINEAR
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Performance: 4.25/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.75/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4.5/5
Value-for-money: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5