Test Drive Saab 9-3 Sedan Sedan since 2009 Sedan
Towards your own "I"
Saab with a sports prefix Return to values
In Russia, the popularity of this brand is somewhat peculiar. Despite the tary adherents (there are even a club of Saab lovers), the demand for cars with a list of 9-3 is very modest; In a modern fleet of Swedish cars, a more expensive model prevails - 9-5. What is the reason for low popularity? It is unlikely that the truth fans of this brand scares the price or product quality. It is no secret that cars whose workplace was associated exclusively from the plane cabin, and the appearance could not be confused with any other, had a reputation for the driver.
However, gradually younger Saabi began to lose their own self, more and more becoming averaged. Too in them there was a lot of comfort and respectability and, on the contrary, the excitement is not enough. Naturally, this could not help but feel the consumer. And now the new investment program will act. In it, when developing Saab 9-3, the lion's share is paid by the concept of a car for the driver. It must be seen with what love the creators presented their brainchild, called Sport Sedan. Other types of bodies will appear later - after all, 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 double-liter engine equipped with a turbocharger. These are five- and six-speed gearboxes, twice the large stiffness of the body for a twist, minimum of unsophisticated masses, twisting the rear suspension rear suspension and many of the most modern systems that help the driver and responsible for its safety. The Saab has become more convenient for passengers - the wheelbase has increased by 71, and the width is 55 mm. Interestingly, the total length of the machine remained the same, and all changes occurred by reducing the soles of the body. According to the tradition of Saab 9-3, uses the same platform as the new Opel Vecture. Moreover, if you carefully look at the car x-ray, we will see a lot of related design solutions. However, the comments from Trolhetten engineers are categorical - the external similarity does not mean the same settings, such as the chassis. Giving your car athletics, they experimented in the widest range, selecting the kinematics of the suspension, the characteristics of the springs, shock absorbers, transverse stability stabilizers. And what about otherwise: after all, the Germans have their own school and their approach to the adjustment of the driving quality of cars, and the Swedes have their own.
By tradition, two versions of suspension are developed: ordinary and aero. Naturally, the last tougher and sports.
Family traits Let's take a look at the new Body of Saab 9-3. Of course, his profile is not so expressive as before. However, the underlined wedge-shaped silhouette and aerodynamic lining-spoilers leave no doubt in high-speed purpose. But still a business card of the car, undoubtedly serve as stylistic solutions of the front. Traditional filter grade in the form of a Greek letter of a delta, a very expressive incision of the headlights, harmonizing with rounded outlines of windshield.
Where, Saab really do not really confuse with anything, it is in the details of the interior. The creators are proud that they built a car around the driver's seat while retaining their original style. The essence of the idea is that by analogy from the cockpit, the front panel as if the driver envelopes. Not everything, however, seemed ideal in the flight scheme. It is necessary to be a passionate fan of the Swedish car, so that with delight to accept the huge variety of necessary and not very togglers focused around the driver. On the go, all experiments very quickly end the transmission of search functions with a colleague sitting on the right, otherwise you risk flying from the road. Or, for example, the parking brake lever, ideally inscribed in the bending of the tunnel. There is already a neighbor gets to see if he pinches his finger with a button of the retainer. Thank God, on this frills end.
It is impossible not to evaluate exquisitely comfortable seats, bands and selection of adjustments. Here, the Saab will definitely give ore to many competitors, as, however, in some other details. What, for example, is the original - and the readable periods are canceled! - Combination of devices in True Saabov's spirit.
At the same time, passengers are not forgotten. In the back seat, they became noticeably more spacious, they immediately feel those extra centimeters that the creators added when designing a new body.
On winding routes For the first acquaintance I choose the fastest version of the School Sedan - Aero. Driving ambitions here only turns out the selector of the five-speed automaton, however, with the possibility of switching to manual control mode (Saab-Centronics). However, in real life, the loss is almost imperceptible, for the interaction between the powerful engine and the transmission is so sophisticated that they 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 gears, which make themselves known only in the full throttle mode. The cabin dominates comfort, violated by barely audible carriages of turbocharging, unobtrusive sound of the engine and by posting the dischargeable air. And you do not immediately notice that the speed has long been permitted by the rules allowed - and the Saab is all the tempo ...
But the speed here is perhaps not the main thing: much more pleasant friendly relationship between the machine and the driver. As if a superbly tuned tool, Aero tracks any of your desire, without tiring the sharpness or worse, pod. With him, as if merging, getting real pleasure from the passage of winding roads: the faster - the more interesting. The submissive rear suspension really helps when entering the rotation, and the accuracy of the steering and good feedback provide unquestioned execution of commands. In these motion modes are good and dense suspensions: they only enhance the severity of sensations. For everyday life, such, of course, harsh, and the prospects for their use in their native fatherland look dubious. It hurts evenly Aero even reacts to small irregularities.
... It's time to change the car. I again choose Aero, but already with a six-speed mechanics. And here is not enough - with the Trokhan, the car almost stalls. It turns out that the correct machine smoothes turbocharging nuances well. Interestingly, this version does not sink the saddle of the saddle overclocking. As in the previous case, all Saab feeds are rather smooth, although in general the abilities of the car do not cause complaints. It is possible, the case in the stretched gear ratios of the transmission, noticeably smoothing the engine moor. The last good up to 2000 rpm, but it demonstrates true character only after the tachometer arrow will translate the 3000 mark. Completing the program, I sit in the car easier - 2.0 T, 175 liters. with. She has a slightly more ground clearance and, as a result, other chassis settings. The difference is felt in the first kilometers. The behavior of the car was much more common - not only because of even calmer engine responses. His changes were, in general, expected. Another became the car itself. In his movements there was a lot of freedom. As a result, there is no feeling of the elbow inherent in Aero, and Saab 9-3 from Speed \u200b\u200bSedan turned into a regular car, moderately fast, moderately comfortable, but uninteresting. Of course, he inherited from more exquisite fellow excellent brakes, good acoustic comfort and acquired even better smoothness. However, the losses are still noticeable - after all, the driver's excitement for a similar car is probably more important.
In favor of Aero
For a couple of days of stay in Sweden, we answered the same question and the same question: Did you like the new Saab 9-3? And every time the essence of the answer was reduced to one: Aero is definitely. This is a high-class car for a person who understands the sense in the nuances of driving. The more calm versions of the Sedan School caused much less emotions. He seems to be trying to repeat the success of the fellow - but alas, he does not succeed. And sorry, because there are a lot of good cars in this class, but extraordinary - once, two and turned around.
Heart of Saab 9-3 - two-liter engine.
The kinematics of the cupboard easily competes with much more complex mechanisms.
Text / Sergey Voskresensky
Photo / author and firm Saab
A source: Journal "Behind the wheel"
