26 Jul 04
New diesel is Euro 4-compliant
Saab's previous diesel-engined offerings have been less than competitive: the outgoing 9-3 2.2 TiD was not only expensive to buy, it rated poorly for carbon dioxide emissions thus clocked up a massive liability for company car tax, and it wasn't even particularly fuel-efficient. No wonder Saab lost out in this sector to the likes of the BMW 3-Series, the Audi A4 and Volkswagen Passat, and even to the increasingly-refined Ford Mondeo or latest Vauxhall Vectra. With diesel versions taking ever-greater proportions of sales of this size and type of car, this was a problem Saab needed to address - fast.
Bought out entirely by General Motors four and a half years ago, Saab had been in a rather ill-defined position within the greater GM empire, and largely left to struggle on alone. The odd engine was supplied to fill gaps in the ranges - the old 2.2-litre diesel unit and the 3.0 V6 TiD in the 9-5 - but these never seemed like more than compromise measures. With this latest 9-3, however, Saab has been able to access GM's development facilities, cut costs by sharing components and produce - at last - a modern car which is a credible alternative to the German opposition. Never mind that the 9-3 is built on the same basic platform as the Opel/Vauxhall Vectra: Saab's engineers have been able to modify the suspension and chassis enough to give the 9-3 satisfactorily different driving characteristics. It may not feel that authentically Swedish - whatever that might entail - but it doesn't feel like a Vectra, anyway. Even now, with the same 1.9-litre diesel engine, itself a joint development with Fiat and also fitted in Fiat and Alfa Romeo models.
1.9 same as that used in Alfa 156
This 1910cc, four-cylinder diesel engine will be available from September in 150bhp 16-valve form, with 8-valve 120bhp versions following a month later. Six-speed manual transmission is standard, with the option of a six-speed auto 'box in 150bhp models. Meeting the Euro IV emissions standards, thanks to a clever particulate filter, the 9-3 TiD thus qualifies for exemption from the 3 percent diesel company car tax surcharge, and carbon dioxide emissions are low at 159g/km (150bhp) and 154g/km (120bhp). Fuel consumption for the 150bhp model is a respectable 47.9mpg (manual) and 39.2mpg in auto versions; the manual-only 120bhp model does 48.7mpg. With prices starting from £18,995 (9-3 Linear 1.9 TiD 120bhp) and £19,995 for 150bhp models, running costs for company car buyers are far more manageable, and for the first time, the 9-3 does look like a viable financial proposition for the cost-conscious.
