Saab 9-3 Aero 2006 Review

What we liked
>> Engine's elasticity
>> Refined, intelligent automatic
>> Not just another 3 Series

Not so much
>> Interior needs a visual lift
>> Front-wheel drive foibles
>> Finger-pinching handbrake

OVERVIEW
Let's establish a baseline of knowledge, you and I. We know Saab is wholly owned by General Motors, and administrated by Holden in Australia. We know GM and Holden are committed to making Saab work in the long term, despite groundless 'shut-down' rumours in the tabloid press. We know there's a raft of new models around the corner for the prestige Swedish brand, including a GM-sourced large four-wheel drive and a sweetly-styled Sport Combi wagon based on the 9-3.

What you may not know is how deeply enmeshed Saab is within the General Motors' world. It's the centre for turbocharging expertise within GM, and has led the way on forced induction versions of the high-tech Global V6 engine built in Holden's Port Melbourne plant. And the good news is, thanks to GM's continued commitment to the Saab brand, cars like the next generation Holden VE Commodore will benefit from Saab's turbocharging knowledge.

One drive of the new Saab 9-3 Aero is enough to know it's something special. This 'new' car showcases just how good a 2.8-litre version of the Global V6 can be (Holden Commodore uses a 3.6-litre block) with the aid of a low-to-mid pressure turbocharger. But before we get into the nitty gritty of this highly desirable prestige sports sedan, let's familiarise ourselves with the Saab 9-3 range.

FEATURES
Saab currently sells two model ranges in Australia, the mid-size 9-5 prestige sedan and wagon, which is aimed at buyers of the BMW 5 Series, and the smaller 9-3 sedan, which battles in the compact prestige sedan segment. By far Saab's most successful model is the Convertible, which shares much of its underbody components with the 9-3 sedan, but is known simply as the Saab Convertible. A wagon version of the 9-3, called the Sport Combi, will join the range in early 2006, but for now we'll discuss the 9-3 Aero.

The Aero sedan is the sports model in the 9-3 range and sits above the Vector in terms of price and equipment - and performance. It's packaged in essentially the same body as the three lesser 9-3 sedans (Arc, Linear and Vector), though a few subtle touches set it above the rest. Aero models sit lower on sports suspension, wear a sports bodykit which includes front chin spoiler, side skirts and subtle decklid spoiler at the rear, and gain body-coloured door handles.

Saab offers the Aero performance pack on the Convertible as well. It too gets all the good looking bits, the sports suspension and the 2.8-litre turbocharged V6 engine, which serves to further enhance this drop top's desirability.

Pricing kicks off at $69,900 for the 9-3 Aero Sport Sedan $69,900 (manual, auto $72,400) while the Convertible version is $89,900 (manual, auto $92,400). Pricing for the SportCombi will be announced closer to the car's local release.

COMFORT
What's not to like? Refined, well built and with a touch of class; about the only complaint is that the interior's a bit, well, black. But let's pick it up at the beginning.

The 9-3 Aero is the pinnacle of 9-3 models in Australia, and so it has the best of everything. A premium sound system, sports leather seats, leather steering wheel and high tech chrome trim throughout the cabin. Electric windows and mirrors, remote central locking, cruise control and climate control air conditioning are de rigueur if the Aero is to stand a chance in this highly competitive market.

Multi-way electric adjustment on both front seats and tilt-and-reach adjustment on the steering wheel put you in the perfect driving position. Seat heaters -it gets cold in Sweden - will keep your behind toasty on cold mornings. The back seats aren't especially spacious, but have enough head and legroom to accommodate two average size adults; shoulder room's going to make three a squeeze.

SAFETY
Active safety features go beyond the inherently docile front-drive chassis and include ESP electronic stability program with traction control and CBC corner brake control, ABS antilock brakes, EBD electronic brakeforce distribution and BA brake assist. Basically everything currently possible with Bosch's latest generation 8.0 system to help you maintain control in adverse conditions.

Passive safety (once a crash is inevitable) features include dual front airbags, side airbags for the front row, and head airbags for both rows. All Saab models include active head restraints in the front seats which flex forward to 'catch' your head in the event of a frontal impact, thus reducing the potential for neck injuries like whiplash.

MECHANICAL
Previous generation Aero models drew their power from a highly strung, turbocharged four-cylinder engine displacing 2.0 litres. They too drove the front wheels, though with one less gear in the automatic. Peak power and torque was significantly down compared to the new model's 184kW / 350Nm, and so too was the sheer driveability of the engine.

As we said before, this new 2.8-litre engine is a derivative of the Holden-designed-and-built Global V6 engine family that currently powers the Commodore, an engine family that will power a range of vehicles from brands as diverse as Alfa Romeo, Cadillac and Daewoo. This version's a well travelled engine even before new owners turn the key. The block was cast in Mexico before coming to Port Melbourne for assembly, then off to Sweden for installation into the 9-3 Aero before boarding the boat back to Australia for sale in Saab showrooms across the country. Phew!

The Aero's Global V6 features some components unique to the turbocharged version, not the least being a twin-scroll turbocharger and intercooler. Dual inlet tracts channel air to each cylinder bank, and a high-tech hydroformed exhaust manifold siphons exhaust gases to the catalyst and then out those rumbling dual exhausts at the rear.

Unlike the Holden engine, the Saab V6 is mounted across the engine bay and drives the front wheels through a compact six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox. Also unlike the current Commodore engine, the Aero uses a high-grade Mitsubishi turbocharger to boost air pressure by 0.6 bar. More air into the engine makes for better breathing and, as we all know, better breathing equals more energy, or in this case, power.

For the record the 2.8-litre V6 produces 184kW of power and a robust 350Nm of torque, up a substantial 29kW and 50Nm. What this means is the 9-3 Aero is more ready than ever to respond to your needs, but more about that in the 'On The Road' section.

COMPETITORS
Saab Australia's boss Ralph Stevenson told CarPoint that one in three customers who test drive a 9-3 end up buying one - that's double the industry average. Which raises an interesting question: Is the 9-3 so much more convincing to drive than its competition, or; are customers buying it for reasons other than the driving experience?

Saab's sales success in the past has revolved almost solely around the fact it offers something Swedish, something different to the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-class and Audi A4. It's the same reason people buy Alfa Romeo 156 sedans, or a Citroen C5. Japanese competitors like the Subaru Liberty, Honda Accord and Nissan Maxima hold a hefty price advantage but don't quite carry the cachet of the prestige European brands - but they're still competitors according to Mr Stevenson.

The Aero model plays in the rarefied air with higher-performance compact prestige cars like the six-cylinder BMW 330i and turbocharged Audi A4 2.0T, but with an estimated price of $73,000 it presents a stronger value for money argument.

ON THE ROAD
Right. Forget all those purchase justifications like 'value for money' or 'Swedish individuality' or 'I didn't want a BMW'. If the new Saab 9-3 Aero isn't a bloody good drive then installing this new engine has been a complete waste of time for all concerned. Lucky, then, that it's a ripper engine.

Elasticity is the term we'll use to describe the forceful surge this turbocharged V6 unleashes with every push of the throttle pedal. It's a gathering storm which hurls the Aero down the road, full of zeal and very appealing. Given it's head this car is quick, and capable of ripping to 100km/h from standstill in 6.7 seconds. On the move, the turbo V6's insurmountable wall of torque delivers instant acceleration and speed builds easily through the entire rev range.

Even driven in more mundane commuting surrounds, the engine's broad torque band ensures you rarely have to sink the boot far to get the desired acceleration. Driven carefully this engine has the potential to be refined and racy, and economical. In fact on our 200km drive through stop-start urban environs and wide-open country the 93 Aero returned an average economy of just 10.5 litres/100km. Very impressive.

Some of the credit must go to the Aero's new six-speed automatic which renders the manual irrelevant. It's an intelligent gearbox which adapts to your driving style and the road conditions. What this means is it holds gears on uphills to maintain your rate of travel, it quickens gearchanges when you're driving spiritedly, and it refines them to the point of invisibility if you're not. Why anyone would want a do-it-yourself gearbox after this is beyond me, and I like a good manual...

Ride quality is questionable on harsher Aussie roads, but in the main this Aero rides smoothly, soaking up the majority of road roughness without fuss. It's not as firm as you might expect of a true sports sedan, which leads to some sloppiness in corners as it leans on the outside front. There's also a limit to how brutal you can be with the throttle in corners, because asking the front two tyres to put power down and change direction results in lower grip limits than a rear drive vehicle.

FWD foibles aside, the Saab 9-3 Aero gets our vote. It benefits hugely from a wonderfully strong new engine, and presents itself as a refined and capable sports sedan - a viable alternative to German dominance in the prestige sedan market.