Saab traditionalists were grateful GM didn't just badge engineer the Opel Vectra, a concern developed by initial speculation on the subject. Contrarily the new 900 still flew in the face of convention in many respects, including the infamous floor mounted ignition switch, the need to shift manual transmission cars into reverse prior to removing the key, and its versatile hatchback configuration.
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| 1996 Saab 900 2 Dr SE Turbo Hatchback. (Photo: Saab) |
That last item is one of the main reasons Saab loyalists kept coming back over the years. The 900 sports an extremely capable cargo area, 680 L (24.0 cu ft) behind the rear seats and a station wagon like 1,416 (50.0 cu ft) when the rear seatbacks are folded flat.
Of course there are also the brand's legendary safety aspects to consider, brought to light via an ad showing a large tree that had fallen across an older 900 and split in half - the windows of the car weren't even broken. Saab added 3-point seatbelts at all positions in the '94 900, even at rear center, while integrated child seats were made available, a feature way ahead of its time.
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| Saab 900 3 Dr SE Turbo. (Photo: Saab) |
The first cars that rolled into dealerships were only 4-door hatchbacks, in S and SE trim. Later in 1994 Saab added a sportier 2-door hatch, dubbed the Coupe. And just what do the trim designations mean? Well the S, or base model, came extremely well equipped with air-conditioning, cruise control, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, intermittent wipers, power windows, locks and mirrors, the latter item that was also heated as were the front seats. Other power features included the brakes and steering of course, as well as the antenna, while an alarm system also came standard. Additional safety features included antilock brakes, dual front airbag restraints, fog lights, a rear window wiper and headlight washers, a rare feature even by today's standards.