Small Engine, Big Heart
It's hard not to like Saab's new 9-3. It has great lines, sporty performance and superb interior quality, a feisty entry from one of the world's legendary marques.
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| 2003 has been the best sales year for Saab in its storied 47-year history. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
As it seems new sport sedan buyers agree. Saab's July sales were up 17% in the U.S. market, slightly less than its gain of 19% since the beginning of the year. Altogether 2003 has surpassed the best previous U.S. sales in the Trollhattan, Sverige company's storied 47-year history.
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| The 9-3 Vector's 16-valve, DOHC, 2.0-L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine increases horsepower to 210, 35-hp more than the base model. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
While all variations on the 9-3 theme have a great deal to offer, the top-trim Vector - the other two are dubbed Arc and Linear in a graduating downward scale - is a slice above anything the Swedish automaker has ever created. Interior comfort and convenience features are upgraded, exterior aerodynamic aids are added, the suspension is tuned and the transmission choices and engine are more energetically inclined.
Starting with the last and working backwards, the 9-3 Vector's 16-valve, DOHC, 2.0-L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine seems more or less the same as that in the base Linear version at first glance. The big difference is its improvement horsepower, up from 175 to 210-hp - a figure it shares with the mid-line Arc. While 210-hp is hardly rubber melting by today's standards, even the white bread and butter Honda Accord and Toyota Camry offer more in optional V6 form, it's a zippy little engine once the turbo spools up.