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2008 Saab 9-3 Preview
Sep 11 2007 by Emily Hansen
9/11/2007
One Night in 'Sweden' Sheds Light on Sedan
My suburban Denver high school had a strikingly large contingent of young Saab enthusiasts who banded together in a sort of Saab cult. Call me gullible, but when these guys told me the word "Saab" was Swedish for "car," I believed them. (Of course, it's possible that my acceptance of this had something to do with the fact that Saab Guy No. 1 was the object of my dreams for almost my entire sophomore year.) Well, friends, I have been set straight: Saab is actually an abbreviation of Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, which translates to "Swedish Airplane Company" — a far cry from "car." Aren't you glad I could help you out with this bit of trivia?
I am proud to say that I learned this fact not from Google — or even from Saab Guy No. 1 — but from Peter Johansson, a Saab engineer who also filled me in on what's new this year for the company's entry-level 9-3 sedan. Peter's grandfather was one of the original 16 aircraft engineers who founded Saab after World War II. So, mean boys of my youth, how's that for a highly credible source? My education continued over dinner at the House of Sweden, a public event facility at the Swedish embassy in Washington, D.C. —tons of glass, minimal blond wood accents, a rooftop deck overlooking the Potomac River, the famous Kennedy Center and the infamous Watergate Hotel. But I digress.
During our chat, Peter filled me in on one of the biggest changes coming to the 9-3: an all-wheel-drive system called Cross Wheel Drive (XWD) that will be available in the first quarter of 2008. The sophisticated (read: complicated) technology behind the XWD system not only assists drivers when there's a loss of traction, but it reacts to the way you personally drive. For instance, if I speed away from a stoplight, the system will sense my rapid acceleration and move additional power to the rear tires before they begin to spin. With power like that, I can paste my children firmly against the backseat, showing my teenager how it's really done. Performance aspects aside, the Saab 9-3's XWD system will provide even more driving safety to a car that was named a 2007 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Not a bad upgrade.
Uber-safety aside, I did find a couple more things we'll be looking at more closely when we get a chance to test drive the Saab 9-3 here at Mother Proof. At first glance, it looks like backseat visibility may be a challenge for kids who've recently graduated from booster seats, and for those still confined it may be a bit tricky keeping the buckle receptor from getting buried under the seat. Legroom in the backseat also looks a little slim, especially if the front seats are positioned to accommodate a long-legged teenager.
Still, based on our initial look, the 9-3's new styling and XWD — combined with Saab's grand tradition of safety — make it a car worth considering for families who want something distinctive and are willing to join the legions of devotees who already knew darn well that "Saab" was not Swedish for "car." But I digress.
User Comments
how many cost this car
Antonia,
The 2008 Saab 9-3 sedan starts at $28,445. The 2009 9-3 starts at $30,360.
I would like to add a few things on safetly that the 9-3 has
-directional Bi-xenon headlights. They turn with the steering wheel over 9mph and over 69 mph they increase direction upwards for visablity. Standard on Aero
-SAAB ACTIVE HEAD RESTRAINTS (SAHR), FRONT SEATS
In the event of a rear-end collision, these head restraints move upward and forward to catch the head as it begins to move backward. The design is simple, with few moving mechanical parts.
-Electronic Brake-force Distribution
Developed to help distribute brake force between the front and rear wheels depending on how the car is loaded. EBD is designed to help reduce stopping distances, particularly when carrying heavy loads
-The XWD when equiped with the eLSD will split power on the rear wheels just like in the front when traction is needed. I saw a demo on how this could work, if all wheels be lets say the back left wheel was on ice, it would send most the power to that wheel. A lot of AWD out there can not do this, as I have seen subaru’s get stuck.
-The taller side that makes it harder for the little kid to see out in the back might seem disapointing to them, but I think would really help to protect them more.
-LOAD-SHIFT PROTECTION IN THE REAR-SEAT BACK
Helps reduce the risk of passenger injury. Its hard backing and positive latching system are designed to help prevent cargo in the trunk from moving forward into the passenger compartment during a frontal collision.
-CHILD SAFETY LOCKS, REAR DOORS