Well the new Saab 9-3, a direct descendent of both the 99 and 900 models, is even more performance-oriented with even greater luxury appointments than its forefathers. But that said the General Motors subsidiary has lost its most functional attribute, the rear hatch. The sporty 2-door model is also gone. The interesting part of all this is why they chose to transform it from its 'classic' architecture into a 4-door sedan in the first place. Saab officials have said that they abandoned the traditional hatchback concept due to research showing that almost 60% of premium segment cars are sedans, with the remaining 40% being coupes, convertibles and wagons. Since when does Saab follow the crowd?
Will Saab lose its faithful clientele that need and appreciate the old models load hauling capabilities? That's hard to say. Most likely some will move up to the 9-5 wagon and others will go the way of the SUV while many will find the new model too irresistible to pass up. Saab is hoping the new sedan format will attract new customers who wouldn't have previously considered a hatchback - a feature more common on lower priced economy models. But will the 9-3, now much more conventional in design and execution, simply blend into the myriad of entry-level sport/luxury models that are all vying for the same up-and-coming business professional's eyeballs. It's a risk Saab obviously deems worth taking. Will it help the Swedish carmaker to double its total sales over the next 5 years as they have projected? That's also difficult to speculate.
Sales projections aside no one will fault the new sedan on styling. It has improved on every aspect of the outgoing model while maintaining its distinctive Swedish personality - an impressive feat considering its Opel Vectra shared architecture, also accomplished by the previous 9-3. What may not be as comforting to prospective Saab owners is that this platform will soon be used for the Pontiac Grand Am and Chevrolet Malibu, a trickle-down affect that will improving these products for sure.