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Saab 9-3 Sportwagon

Facelift aims to breathe new life into estate

Saab 9-3 Sportwagon

By Paul Bond

August 2011

  • Rating:
Following its highly publicised financial troubles, Saab is still struggling to find its feet. But that hasn’t stopped the firm bringing the updated 9-3 Sportwagon to dealers. We see if it’s a leap forward.

The familiar face of the estate has been gently revised for 2012, with a new set of ‘ice block’ green headlights, inspired by the 9-5 saloon. Plus, the lower grille gets a blacked-out honeycomb design.

Inside, it’s trickier to spot the changes. New titanium-effect trim on the dials and gearlever looks plasticky and cheap. The dated dash layout doesn’t help, either, and the flimsy build quality lags behind most class rivals.

Yet the firm claims that when equipped with this twin-turbo diesel, the Sportwagon is the most powerful estate on sale to sneak below the 119g/km CO2 barrier – making it exempt from road tax in its first year.

With 158bhp, it’s surprisingly punchy, and pulls strongly in the mid range. There’s no stop-start system or regenerative braking, either, which makes its combined economy figure of 62.8mpg very impressive.

Despite this, the relatively small 477-litre luggage bay limits its practicality. And while the Saab is well kitted out, it costs more than the likes of the VW Passat, and isn’t as spacious.

For an alternative review of the latest Saab 9-3 visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

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FIRST OPINION

    The 9-3 is still a capable cruiser, and Saab has added enough extra kit to keep things fresh. This diesel version provides a strong blend of performance and economy, too. It’s not the most refined engine, though, and the chassis and interior are now showing their age. At £24,120, the Sportwagon undercuts its premium rivals, but Ford and VW offer smarter, bigger and newer estates for a lot less money.

 

AT A GLANCE

    Price: £24,120
    Engine: 1.9-litre 4cyl turbodiesel 
    Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive 
    Power/torque: 158bhp/361Nm
    0-60mph: 9.3 seconds
    Top speed: 137mph
    Economy/CO2: 62.8mpg/119g/km
    Equipment: 17-inch alloys, climate control, cruise control, parking sensors, electric windows, ESP, automatic wipers, Bluetooth, heated leather seats, six airbags
    On sale: Now
     
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