2002 Saab 3-Sep Review

The 2003 Saab 9-3 sport sedan is the first in a new family of cars, through which the company is redefining its public image. While the Swedish automaker will continue to emphasize safety and spirited performance, it is pursuing a larger wedge of the entry luxury pie with sensuous styling and three "variants" targeted toward different types of buyers. "Our challenge as a brand is to get on people's shopping lists," said Dan Chasins, president of Saab Cars USA.

Following the trend Mercedes-Benz established with the C-Class coupe, pricing for the Linear variant begins at $25,900 to attract aspirers from mainstream brands such as Honda and Toyota. The Arc sport sedan incorporates a larger engine and more luxury amenities to appeal to traditional Saab buyers, while the sporty Vector adds a six-speed manual transmission, larger wheels and brakes to appeal to current 9-3 Viggin owners and to compete against German sport sedans such as the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A-4. Saab utilized the financial muscle of parent corporation General Motors to expand and modernize its Trollhattan, Sweden, plant, where the new 9-3 is being produced. The $450 million investment was the largest in 40 years, and has transformed the plant, which dates back to Saab's days as an aircraft fighter manufacturer in WWII, into a state-of-the-art facility.

A new assembly line currently produces both 9-3 and 9-5 sedans, but eventually will be used exclusively for the new 9-3 to improve its efficiency. A $100 million upgrade to the body shop went to new automation and robots, including two welding control systems that measure each vehicle from four angles to ensure the best fit and finish. The plant eventually will produce two additional 9-3 models, a crossover vehicle and a third configuration not yet announced.The 2004 9-3 convertible will be produced with Saab's partner, Steyr, at its plant in Graz, Austria. Saab has established a sales target of 200,000 units annually for the 9-3 sedan, an increase from the current level of 130,000 units per year. Saab also wants to increase its share of the entry luxury market to 4.5 percent from 2.5 percent. According to Lars Olsson, Saab vice president of technical development, the sales increase would bring the 9-3's market share up to the same level as the larger 9-5 sedan.

"We are spending $400 million dollars a year in engineering and investments," Olsson said. "With the cars we have developed, we know the market share we can get, and we told General Motors how many cars we could sell with this. "Transforming the 9-3 from its current five-door hatchback design to a sedan should help. According to the manufacturer's statistics, five-door hatchback sales comprise a mere 2 percent of the entry luxury market, while sedans account for 60 percent of premium car sales. "The new 9-3 is the linchpin of our continued growth," Chasins said. "The attention that this car receives will be the rising tide that lifts all boats. "Diversifying the 9-3 lineup will enable Saab to grab customers from a wider demographic, including younger customers. While the median age for buyers of the current model is 42, Saab projects that customers for the new family of sedans will range in age from 30 to 45 in Europe, and 35 to 45 in the United States.

Although Saab officials predict the new 9-3 will continue to attract a large percentage of female buyers (the current car skews about 60 percent female), the Vector model should bring more male buyers into the fold. Saab is luring technophiles with a new infotainment, entertainment and communications system that debuts on the 9-3 at the beginning of the 2003 calendar year. "Bluetooth" technology that enables wireless connectivity to personal digital assistants, laptops and cellular telephones becomes available as part of this system for the 2004 model year. A headset that functions either inside the car or up to 10 meters outside of the car gives the user hands-free calling capabilities, as well as Internet access. There is also a voice-activated feature for stereo controls. True to Saab's heritage, the new 9-3 emphasizes "real-life" safety, with a revised active headrest system to prevent whiplash, side and side curtain airbags, front airbags and seat-belt pretensioners. Like the larger 9-5, the body structure incorporates a B-pillar hinged from the roof, which collapses in pendulum fashion in a side impact to protect the occupants heads and necks. The ignition key is in the center console, as per Saab tradition, so it's away from the driver's knees in the event of a frontal collision.

Magnesium door handles are strong enough to tie a rope or chain to and pry the door open if it is frozen during a side-impact collision. In order to grab conquest buyers, Saab is increasing its efforts at the dealerships with City Centers, showrooms in the heart of large metropolitan areas, which will increase exposure where potential customers work, travel and shop. The Linear sport sedan rolls into American dealerships Oct. 15, followed by Arc and Vector variants in February-March 2003. Nina Padgett-Russin is a certified mechanic and Phoenix-based auto writer.