Saab SportWagon

Powerful yet with CO2 emissions down to 122g/km, the Saab 9-3 SportWagon is a good choice for drivers unwilling to sacrifice performance in the interests of fuel economy

Saab says they design ‘from the driver outwards’. This explains the extremely comfortable and ergonomically-sound interior; the cabin is notably spacious and the seating position and all dials are perfectly positioned, which was appreciated during the 400 mile round trip up to Manchester.

The model I drove was the Saab 9-3 SportWagon Vector Sport 1.9 litre TTiD (180ps). As an automatic, the car performed very well, with seamless gear change. The twin turbocharger delivers impressive torque, sprinting to 0-60 in 8.3 seconds and it held the road very well at high speeds – and even in the torrential rain that occurred that evening.
    
The automatic can also be driven manually; when the shift lever is moved to ‘M’, gears can be changed by moving the gear stick up and down. There is also the option of changing gears with the steering wheel buttons. I tested this whilst in sport mode which made for a sporty and exhilarating ride.

The CO2 level on the SportWagon is as low as 122g/km on the manual, and 159g/km on the automatic – which is impressive for such a large and powerful car. Fuel consumption figures are 61mpg on the combined cycle for the manual, and 47.1mpg in the automatic.
    
The Saab 9-3 is also available with a BioPower engine which is able to run on E85 bioethanol fuel as well as petrol. This is the only flex-fuel technology that uses turbocharging to deliver increased power and performance. It also offers a very practical solution because BioPower engines can run on petrol if E85 fuel is not available.

As well as having a very spacious cabin, the Saab has excellent on-board storage and a large boot with ample 421-litre capacity. Up front, there is a storage compartment under the driver’s armrest, two good-sized door bins, and a large air-conditioned glovebox.
    
The 9-3 is jam packed with safety features, including Active Head Restraints (SAHR), Electronic Stability Programme (ESP®), Mechanical Brake Assistance (MBA), Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Cornering Brake Control (CBC).
    
The integrated satellite navigation has a large 6.5-inch colour monitor with touch screen, making it easy to use and follow. Elsewhere the car has all the mod cons you’d expect from a premium segment car, such as cruise control, Bluetooth, heated seats, and dual zone automatic climate control.

Saab 9-3 SportWagon

Engine: 1.9-litre
MPG (combine): 61.4 (man) / 47.1 (auto)
CO2g/km: 122 (man) / 159 (auto)
RFL: D (man) / G (auto)
0-62mph: 8.3 sec (man) / 8.4 sec (auto)