Powerful FWD cars, such as the 9-3 Viggen, that incidentally produces 258 lb-ft of torque, can often become difficult to handle at launch or when letting out the clutch and getting hard on the throttle in a lower gear. Why? For the most part the problem occurs due to the engineering challenge of forcing torque through uneven drive shafts, often necessary to fit the engine, transmission, steering mechanism and suspension components into such a small area. While Saab has managed to exorcise this annoyance from its newest 9-3, the older model can be a challenge under full steam.
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| Due to torque-steer the 9-3 can be a challenge to handle at full throttle. (Photo: General Motors) |
What does it feel like? The drive wheels pull to a specific side under acceleration, affecting steering input and, depending on the severity of the problem and enthusiasm of the right foot, can cause the car to jump into an adjacent lane - not good. Most often it's just a little steering wheel arm wrestle, especially amid a tight corner at takeoff when the steering can sometimes lock up - very disconcerting. Of course torque-steer can happen with or without a turbo; it's just that the latter exacerbates the problem by shocking the system with torque once underway, a more dangerous time to be fighting the steering wheel.
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| The first generation 9-3 was pretty well smooth sailing when it comes to reliability, with only two minor recalls to date. (Photo: General Motors) |
There you have it, my simplified layman's lesson on turbo lag and torque-steer. Does this mean that Saabs in general are difficult to keep on the road? Not at all, if driven with respect the 9-3 is an extremely rewarding car, agile at all speeds and superbly controlled with better than average braking. What I mean by respect is a gentler application of the throttle, which is the best way to drive quickly as it is - just ask Mario Andretti, Michael Schumacher, or any accomplished race driver. Smoothness is everything.
The good news is other than a little torque-steer and turbo lag, the first generation 9-3 was pretty well smooth sailing when it comes to reliability. Recalls were kept to only two, both of which could hardly be considered catastrophic, while only the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system has been noted as troublesome.