Saab test drive 9-3 1998-2002 sedan

Towards my own "I"

SAAB with a sport prefix


Return to values
In Russia, the popularity of this brand is somewhat peculiar. Despite the ardent adherents (we even have a Saab lovers club), the demand for cars with a 9-3 nameplate is very modest; In the modern park of Swedish cars, a more expensive model prevails - 9-5. What is the reason for low popularity? It is unlikely that the true fans of this brand are frightened by the price or quality of products. It is no secret that cars whose workplace was associated exclusively with the cabin of the aircraft, and the appearance could not be confused with any others, had a reputation as a car for the driver.
 
However, gradually the younger Saabs began to lose their own self, becoming more and more averaged. Too there is a lot of comfort and respectability in them and, conversely, is not enough excitement. Naturally, this could not help but feel the consumer. And the new investment program began to operate. In it, when developing a saaba 9-3, the lion's share of attention is paid to the concept of a car for a driver. We must see with what love the creators presented their brainchild, the named Sport Sedan. Other types of bodies will appear later - because in the market of prestigious compact cars, sedans occupy more than 60%.
 
The current SAAB 9-3 is not only 175 and 210 horsepower forces of the basic two -liter engine equipped with a turbocharger. These are five- and six-speed gearboxes, twice as much stiffness of the body for twisting, a minimum of incressed masses, which steers the reaks rear suspension and many most modern systems that help the driver and are responsible for his safety. SAAB became more convenient for passengers - the wheelbase increased by 71, and the width by 55 mm. Interestingly, the total length of the machine remained the same, and all changes occurred due to reducing the overhang of the body.
 
By tradition, SAAB 9-3 uses the same platform as the new Opel Vectra. Moreover, if you carefully look at the X -ray of the machine, we will see many related structural solutions. However, the comments of engineers from Trolhatten are categorical - the external similarity does not mean the same settings, for example chassis. Giving their car sports features, they experimented in the widest range, selecting the kinematics of pendants, the characteristics of springs, shock absorbers, and reptile stabilizers. But how else: after all, the Germans have their own school and their own approach to refinement of driving qualities of cars, and the Swedes have their own.
 
By tradition, two suspension options have been developed: ordinary and aero. Naturally, the latter is tougher and more sports.
 
Family features
Let's take a look at the new SAAB 9-3 body carefully. Of course, his profile is not as expressive as before. Nevertheless, the emphasized wedge-shaped silhouette and aerodynamic linings-poolers leave no doubt about the speed purpose. But still, the business card of the car undoubtedly serve the stylistic decisions of the front. The traditional filter grate in the form of the Greek letter of the delta, a very expressive section of the headlights, harmonizing with rounded outlines of the windshield.
 
Where SAAB really can’t be confused with anything, it is in the details of the interior. The creators are proud that they built a car around the driver’s seat, retaining their original style. The essence of the idea is that, by analogy with the cabin of the pilot, the front panel, as it were, goes around the driver. Not everything, however, seemed ideal in the flight scheme. You have to be a passionate fan of the Swedish car in order to delight with a huge number of necessary and not very toggle switches, concentrated around the driver. On the go, all experiments very quickly end in the transfer of search functions to a colleague sitting on the right, otherwise you risk flying out of the road. Or, for example, a parking brake lever, perfectly inscribed in the bend of the tunnel. Here the neighbor is already in advance, pinching his finger with a clan button. Thank God, the extracts end there.
 
It is impossible not to evaluate exquisitely convenient seats, ranges and selection of adjustments. Here, Saab will definitely give the head start to many competitors, as, indeed, in some other details. What, for example, costs the original - and excellently readable! - A combination of devices in a truly Saabov spirit.
 
At the same time, passengers are not forgotten. In the back seat it became noticeably more spacious, here the extra centimeters are immediately felt that the creators added when designing a new body.
 
On winding routes
For the first acquaintance, I choose the fastest version of the sport of the sedan - Aero. The driver’s ambitions here only cool the selector of the five-speed machine, however, with the possibility of moving to manual control regimen (SAAB-Senrophone). However, in real life, losses are almost invisible, because the interaction between the powerful engine and the transmission is so sophisticated that you quickly forget about the machine. Against expectations, the nature of the motor does not affect the sharpness of the responses. Powerful acceleration is accompanied by very soft gear shifts, which make themselves felt only in the full throttle mode. The cabin dominates comfort, violated by barely audible sobs of turbocharges, unobtrusive sound of the engine and whistling of dissected air. And you do not immediately notice that the speed has long been exceeded the permitted rules - and the Saab is all inflated by the pace ...
 
But the speed here, perhaps, is not the main thing: much more pleasant friendly relations between the machine and the driver. Like a magnificent instrument, Aero monitors your desire, not tiring with sharpness or, worse, swivelness. As if you merge with him, getting true pleasure from passing the winding sections of the road: the faster - the more interesting. The steering rear suspension really helps at the entrance to the turn, and the accuracy of the steering and good feedback provide unquestioning commands. In these modes, movements are good and dense suspensions: they only enhance the severity of sensations. For everyday life, such, of course, are harsh, and the prospects for their use in their native Fatherland look doubtful. It painfully sensitively air reacts even to minor irregularities.
 
... it's time to change the car. I again choose an aero, but already with six -speed mechanics. And here's the bad luck - when touched, the car almost stalls. It turns out that the correct machine gun was well smoothed the nuances of turbocharged. It is interesting that this version does not enclose the rider with a squall acceleration. As in the previous case, all SAABA responses are quite smooth, although in general the abilities of the car do not cause complaints. Perhaps the point is the stretched gear rates of the transmission, which is noticeably smoothing the motor display. The latter is not bad up to 2000 rpm, but it shows the true character only after the tachometer arrow exceed 3000.
 
Concluding the program, I get in a simpler car - 2.0 T, 175 liters. With. She has somewhat more road clearance and, as a result, other chassis settings. The difference is felt at the very first kilometers. The behavior of the car became much more commonplace - not only because of the even more calm engine responses. Changes in his character were, in general, expected. The car itself became others. In his movements there was a great freedom. As a result, in the turns there is no feeling of the elbow inherent in the air, and the SAAB 9-3 from the sport of the sedan turned into an ordinary car, moderately fast, moderately comfortable, but uninteresting. Of course, he inherited excellent brakes from a more exquisite fellow, good acoustic comfort and acquired even better smoothness. However, the losses are still noticeable - after all, a driver’s excitement for such a car is probably more important.
 
In favor of Aero
For a couple of days of stay in Sweden, we answered the same question with a dozen times: did I liked the new SAAB 9-3? And each time the essence of the answer came down to one: Aero - of course. This is a high -class car for a person who understands a lot about driving nuances. More calm versions of the sport of the sedan caused much less emotions. He seems to try to repeat the success of the fellow - but alas, not everything he succeeds. And it’s a pity, because there are a lot of good cars in this class, but the extraordinary - once, two and expected.
 

Saab 9-3 heart is a two -liter engine.
The cinematics of the cup holder easily competes with much more complex mechanisms.
 
Text / Sergey Voskresensky
Photo / author and company Saab
 
 
 
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"