Saab 9³ Cabrio

The world of automobile manufacturers has become in recent years noticeably smaller. In Europe, although many countries are engaged in the automobile production, but only France and Germany still have truly independent producers. Thus, the Scandinavian companies ended under the roof of American parent companies, Volvo at Ford, Saab at General Motors. This has consequences that we once want to look for the above 9³.

Also in this car is disappeared the last, Saab's own engine. Whether the would be better than the current Opel engines, is still questionable. After all, one can now offer a convertible with diesel engine. The turbocharger for gasoline engines at Saab has a long tradition and one can only hope that experiences have been incorporated from it in these power train. At least the less powerful engines are considered as soft-turbos. This is more favourable in practice than it sounds. One can estimate the geometric compression high and loads only a little. Thus the efficiency remains obtained in the lower load range. And if the supercharger does not blow so strong also a possible turbo gap is not noticeable so much.

It is not so easy for a subsidiary company to distinguish itself from other less expensive subsidiary companies with almost the same chassis with drive train and suspension. The 9³ convertible does this through more differentiation in the more powerful engines. Here will be varied obviously the relatively easily to adjust boost pressure - combined with other measures. A second thing seems to be the electronic brake intervention. One is satisfied apparently not only with the newest electronic antilock braking system, electronic stability program and electronic differential lock functions and offers additional brake booster and distribution via computer. If the Opel limousines do not get these benefits?

At the body visible from outside and the dashboard is of course again to recognize the clear signature of Saab engineers. Ratherconservative and therefore not unconditionally modern, the design stands out from other vehicles in its class. The appearance isremained. That also applies to the dashboard. The ignition switch has remained in the center console, too. Conservative is also the choice of the type of roof. One remained at the folding top with heated rear window and reached as small advantage compared with folding roofs, a particularly small opening time of 20 seconds. Much more important is the quality of this roof, from which one can imagine that it extends protectively over the passengers with its insulating filling in Scandinavian winter. It remains - for a convertible not naturally - quiet until nearly to the top speed. Interesting also that it is supported by six convertible top bows. These are the cross connections within the convertible soft top and the more thereof are installed, the better the design, streamline and form stability at high speed.

Incidentally, the name 'Aero' neither has something to do with the missing roof nor with the turbocharger. It marks simply the best equipment. Among them are the 'Vector' and as an introduction the 'Linear' version. Hardly any company offers so much choice in rim design, albeit not quite moderately priced. The wheels remind us of the question how the 350-Nm strong V6 brings the power to the road and if not already in the second gear wheelspin, but who shares with other group subsidiaries the chassis with drive train and suspension can get perhaps someday an optional rear-wheel drive. By the way, Sweden has not only lost control of the factory, the production of the 9³-convertible has now moved from Finland to Austria.