Originally from Sweden, the Saab brand did great things in the car manufacturing segment before its tragic death in late 2011. However, earlier in the 2000s, American car manufacturer General Motors acquired a 50 percent stake in addition to its initial 50 percent ownership to take complete control of Saab. Several cars were produced by Saab from the time following the initial and complete takeover by General Motors with one of the notable ones being the Saab 9-3.
Just as we did with the 900 Turbo, we’re looking back at Saab 9-3, the compact executive car that stole the show in its time. Being the OG, the first generation of the 9-3 model was manufactured in Saab’s Trollhattan Assembly located in Trollhattan, Sweden. Saab has since been sold by GM and it's currently owned by the Nation Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS). Consequently, we might be seeing the 9-3 again – albeit in a new powertrain. Hence, here are some refreshing facts about the iconic Saab 9-3.
10 Platforms
A platform is quite essential in the car manufacturing process. It sets the tone for the design and engineering of the car and basically, it features the floorplan, (which serves as the seat for the chassis and other structural parts of the vehicle) wheelbase, steering mechanism, suspension as well as influencing the type of engine and supporting components to be used.
Notably, the first generation of the Saab 9-3 (from 1998 till 2003) was based on the GM2900 platform from General Motors while the second generation (from 2003 till 2012) adopted the GM Epsilon platform.
9 The 1100 Changes
In a bid to improve on one of its best performing models ever, – the Saab 900 – the company launched the Saab 9-3 in 1998. The car was built on the GM2900 platform and being an improved version of the 900, Saab introduced a whopping total of 1,100 changes to the 9-3 making it as distinct as possible from its predecessor.
These changes include new styling that didn’t feature Saab’s signature 'snow & gravel flaps' (usually located underneath the car). Also, Saab introduced a rear spoiler into some models while the suspension got upgraded for better handling.
8 Diesel Engine
Diesel-powered passenger vehicles were first produced in 1936 when Daimler-Benz partnered with Robert Bosch GmbH for the production. However, back in the days, diesel engines were more widely used in larger cars due to their less obvious cost penalties and weight. Notably, during its first generation, the 9-3 was available with a diesel engine powertrain.
This is the 2.2 L D223L TD I4 diesel engine with a maximum output of 113 bhp and 191 lb-ft of torque. Also, the power from this engine is sent to the front wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission. Remarkably, the 9-3 was the first Saab to use a diesel engine.
7 Among The First Cars Fitted With Night Panel
Saab introduced several innovative features into their cars and one of them is the ‘Black Panel’ feature. The development of the Black Panel feature was largely influenced by Saab’s background in the science of aeronautics.
The Black Panel helps to reduce distractions from the dash lights when driving at night, and it’s controlled either through a panel dimming knob or through the touch of a button on the Saab Information Display (SID) digital interface. The Black Panel was added to the Saab 9-3 and was renamed Night Panel.
6 Viggen
Saab 9-3 Viggen was a limited edition, high-performance version of the 9-3. Saab used help from the Tom Walkinshaw Racing Group for the development of the car which was produced between 1999 and 2002 and was named ‘Viggen’ in honor of the Saab 37 Viggen aircraft.
Viggen’s powertrain features Saab’s 2.3 L B234R engine which produces 230 bhp when boosted with a Mitsubishi TD04-HL15-5 turbocharger. It’s mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and was the first 9-3 to feature Saab's Trionic 7 engine management system. In total, 4,600 units of Viggen were produced.
5 Turbo X
The Saab Turbo X is an all-wheel-drive blacked-out performance version of the 9-3 that was designed and built to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1999 Turbo. Available in two body styles of either Sport Sedan or the wagon-styled Sportcombi, the Turbo X is powered by a 2.8 L V6 with 276 horsepower while the power is transferred to the wheels through a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox.
Notably, the Turbo X is the first Saab car to use the XWD all-wheel-drive system built by Haldex Traction and eLSD.
4 Awards
Among several others, a fact that shouldn’t be forgotten also is that the Saab 9-3 did win several hearts during its hay days and while at it, the highly-sought after Saab model also carted home some cool awards. One of its most recent awards came in 2010 for being the most reliable vehicle in the middle class.
The 9-3 merited the award for having 93.1% of its production numbers showing no defect that’ll require servicing even after a 50,000 km drive. Also, it won the US ‘Top Safety Pick Award’ from 2006 to 2010.
3 9-3 Nameplate Almost Got Dumped
‘9-3’ replaced the use of the ‘900’ numeric on Saab. However, the Saab was sold by General Motors to Dutch manufacturer Spyker in January 2010. Thereafter, with the backing of Spyker CEO, Victor Muller, the company immediately started working on a replacement for the 9-3.
To erase GM’s influence over the new car, Muller and his team decided to use a completely new design and revert to using ‘900’. But with just the interior left to complete the car, Saab went bankrupt in December 2011, putting a halt to the name change.
2 Aero Sedan MY14
The National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) after acquiring production rights re-launched the production of the 9-3 in 2013. Now known as the Saab 9-3 Aero Sedan MY14, the only difference it has from the pre-NEVS takeover was the omission of the ‘Griffin’ badge (due to ownership rights) as seen on the 2012 model of 9-3.
NEVS’ assembled MY14 is powered by a 2.0-liter direct-injected twin-scroll turbocharged engine producing 220 horsepower. However, the car didn’t pass the new Euro NCAP tests for pedestrian safety, hence, just 1000 units of each style could be sold in the European market.
1 EV
The Saab 9-3 has received a second life in China, however, as an electric car. The National Electric Vehicle Sweden has started the production of electric cars at the company’s production factory based in Tianjin, China. NEVS acquired Saab in 2012 and the company is set to produce its first model of electric cars called the NEVS 9-3.
Based on the Saab 9-3 and Saab Phoenix E platform, the EV will run on CATL batteries and 130 kW electric motors. Also, the NEVS 9-3 is expected to be affordable as it’s estimated to cost less than $30,000.