The 2007 Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan - A Rewarding, 'Fun-to-Drive' Experience

The 9-3 Sport Sedan is focused on delivering a unique, 'fun to drive' experience that places it among the class leaders for sporty performance and excellent chassis dynamics.

The coupé-like silhouette helps to communicate a strong, sporty stance and the overall look is designed to convey a sense of movement even when the car is stationary.

The extensive engine line-upincludes an all-aluminum 2.8-liter V6 turbocharged engine rated at 250 bhp (184 kW); three 2.0-liter, four cylinder, all-aluminum turbocharged engines rated at 150 bhp (110 kW), 175 bhp (129 kW) and 210 bhp (147 kW); a naturally-aspirated, 122 bhp (90 kW) 1.8-liter unit and 120/150 bhp (88/110 kW) 1.9TiD common rail, direct and multiple injection turbo diesels. The front-wheel-drive transmissions include five and six-speed manual gearboxes

There are three 'Forms', or specification levels: Linear, Arc and Vector, plus an Aero high performance variant, powered by the 250 bhp (184 kW) V6 Turbo engine, which is the fastest-accelerating Saab yet produced (0 - 100 kph in just 6.7 secs)..

Exterior Design

The distinctive styling of the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan clearly positions it as a product that could only come from Saab. The harmonious lines are soft and organic, yet well defined, communicating the car's sporty character through creating an impression of power and strength.


• Coupe-like profile with steeply-raked front and rear screens and short front and rear overhangs.
• Saab styling cues: teardrop form of the side windows ; wedge shaped waistline culminating in the distinctive 'hockey stick' curve to the 'C' pillar; a single swage line running the entire length of the car; prominent oval-shaped door handles; triangular shaped rear light clusters..
• First Saab to adopt a 'monoside' body pressing for fine shut-line tolerances improved aerodynamic efficiency.
• Excellent aerodynamics with impressive drag coefficient of 0.28. Low lift forces for good high speed stability and braking. Effective airflow management gives low wind noise and prevents grime building up on rear windows and lights.

Interior Design and Features

In common with all Saab cars, the 9-3 Sport Sedan is built 'from the driver outwards'. That means the cabin ergonomics, the instrumentation, the controls and the seating position are all developed from the driver's perspective. The spacious cabin provides comfortable accommodation for four adults, its appearance echoing the soft curves and flowing lines of the exterior.
• Cockpit feel. The main instrument panel arcs around the driver. Logical layout and tactile feel to controls. Steering wheel adjusts for both rake and reach.
• 'Profiler' customization. A wide range of functions can be pre-set according to personal preference including: automatic climate control, clock/alarm, speed scale illumination, parking assistance, rain sensitive wipers and anti-theft alarm.
• Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control fitted as standard, allowing different temperature settings for left or right hand side of interior. Includes an automatic airflow balance function to compensate for temperature changes if one side of the car is in direct sunlight.
• ComSense functionality minimizes potential for driver distraction through 'dynamic workload management', briefly suppressing in-car warning messages/phone calls when a moment of high driver workload is detected by the operation of the indicators or heavy braking. Includes Night Panel instrument illumination dimming to reduce visual 'clutter'.
• Additional load-carrying potential. A standard 60/40 split fold rear seat with ski hatch allows occasional extra cargo to be effortlessly carried.

Body structure and Electrical systems

The body structure of the 9-3 Sport Sedan is the stiffest yet produced by Saab and is the solid foundation on which the car's exemplary handling, ride and safety characteristics are built.

A multiplex digital signal network, including the use of fiber optics, ensures the fast and efficient control of major functions.
• High torsional rigidity - 22,000 Nm/degree of deflection. Use of FEM design techniques and tailored blanks in construction reduces unnecessary weight and concentrates strength where needed.
• 59 per cent of body weight in high strength or ultra high strength steel, used mainly in central passenger safety cage where all main beams have closed sections for additional strength.
• Deformable crash boxes behind front bumper minimize body damage in low speed impacts up to 15 kph.
• Multiplexing for entire electrical and electronic network with databus transmission for control of powertrain, chassis, body, 'infotainment', telematics, navigation and climate and comfort systems.
• Fiber optics for all 'infotainment' and navigation. Large 25 Mbytes per second capacity 50 times greater than dual wire bus. DVD-based navigation and Bluetooth phone connectivity.

Chassis, Steering and Brakes

The handling of the 9-3 Sport Sedan, its sensitivity to driver inputs and the high degree of feedback all combine to deliver a level of driving involvement and pleasure that challenges the class benchmark.:
• 'ReAxs' passive rear wheel steer characteristic. The kinematics of the rear suspension are tuned for a unique rear wheel steer response for optimum handling and stability.
• Four-link independent rear suspension. High lateral stiffness for stability and grip; longitudinal compliance for ride comfort.
• Low mounted steering rack gives excellent feel and precision with progressive power assistance and fast responses.
• Front suspension is by MacPherson struts with lower A-arms mounted on a hydroformed (hollow), sub-frame. High lateral bushing stiffness for good steering response and precision; high longitudinal compliance for ride comfort.
• Advanced chassis electronic systems. Saab-tuned 'user friendly' ESP® (Electronic Stability Program).ESP Plus standard with 2.8V6 turbo. Mechanical brake assist, EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution), CBC (Cornering Brake Control) and TCS (Traction Control System) all standard features.
• Optimized braking power. Front and rear brake discs in three and two sizes respectively, depending on specification.
• Minimized unsprung weight for better ride quality. Front hub carriers, brake calipers, lower control arms in front suspension and toe and lower rear suspension links in aluminum.
• 'Shear' bushings at top of rear shock absorber mountings for compliant ride quality and effective vibration suppression.

Powertrain

The Sport Sedan's turbo powertrains add excellent refinement and driveability to Saab's traditional strengths of high torque for strong, mid-range pulling power. They deliver a level of responsive performance in keeping with the chassis's excellent dynamics, further reinforcing the car's driver focus.
• All-aluminum 2.8-liter turbo engine. The first six cylinder unit to be purpose-built for Saab's turbocharged application. Offering 250 bhp (184 kW), it combines multi-cylinder refinement with outstanding turbo performance. Single twn-scroll turbocharger fed by both cylinder banks.
• All-aluminium 2.0-liter turbo engine. Saab developed and tuned for 150 (110 kW), 175 (129 kW) and 210 bhp (147 kW) with high torque for swift overtaking. All internal components unique to Saab. Balancer shafts for greater running refinement.
• 1.9TiD engine choice. Common rail with direct and multiple fuel injection delivering 150 bhp (110 kW) with 16-valve layout or 120 bhp (88 kW) with 8-valves. VNT turbocharging. Sporty character with outstanding refinement and fuel economy. A maintenance-free particulate filter is offered as an option.
• Sophisticated powertrain performance. Highly sensitive and precise throttle control, adaptive torque delivery and smooth power on/power off characteristics from powerful 32-bit engine management systems.
• Wide transmission choice. Uprated five-speed and six-speed manual gearboxes. Five-speed, adaptive automatic transmission with Saab Sentronic manual gear selection and optional steering wheel controls. Six-speed units offered with the 2.8V6 turbo and the 150 bhp 1.9TiD engine.

SafetySaab has a long tradition of successful work with car safety and Saab cars consistently show well in real-life accident surveys, often being ranked best in their segment. In EuroNCAP crash tests, the 9-3 Sport Sedan and 9-3 Convertible have achieved a maximum five-star rating.
• Database covering more than 6,100 real-life accidents involving Saab cars used in computer simulations and crash testing to replicate what happens in real accidents on real roads.
• Strong steel safety cage helps protect passenger compartment. Fabricated mainly from high strength steel, with beam sections completely closed for additional strength. Protected by deformable front structure with three load paths and wide bumper beam to spread impact forces.
• Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR) for front seats help to prevent serious neck injury in rear-end collisions. Effectiveness demonstrated by crash investigation findings and independent tests.
• Side impact protection with 'pendulum' movement of lower B-pillar, designed to engage side sills and door beams as an integrated structure.
• Roof-rail airbags to help provide occupant head protection throughout an entire crash sequence, including potential roll-over. Front seat-mounted side airbags help provide thorax protection.
• Sophisticated sensing for airbag/seat-belt deployment, including two-stage adaptive front airbags, pre-tensioning of seatbelts in side impacts and wearer reminder system.


Built Around the Driver

Jan Åke Jonsson, managing director of Saab Automobile, says: " The 9-3 Sport Sedan offers a level of driver involvement and responsive performance never seen before from Saab. The integration of a fine-handling chassis with the refined powertrain delivers a truly rewarding, 'fun-to-drive' experience."