Eccentricity Has Its Merits

By PAUL DEAN

Nov. 12, 1993 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Here’s to patience and global partnership.

Saab dallied like Micawber for 14 years, killing time and straining buyer tolerance by hawking commemorative-edition cars, before finally redesigning its classic 900. The new mid-size sports sedan from Sweden and the rest of Europe goes on sale in the United States this month with a platform by General Motors/Opel of Germany and an engine by GM/Vauxhall of Great Britain.

Here’s to devotion and inexplicable tradition.

The 900’s ignition switch is still mounted between the front seats--which probably explains why Saab enjoys the world’s lowest theft rate--and the key can’t be removed until the car is parked with the shifter in reverse.

Here’s to the ultimate trendiness of the world’s quirkiest car.

Police in Aspen and Vail, Colo., use Saab 900s to pursue the Mercedes and Range Rovers of the chic and shameless.

Obscured by such trivia, perhaps, is the 900’s real world position as a high-quality, thoroughly distinctive, very capable car embedded in the passions of almost a million owners.

And the 1994 900SE is much better than that.

With that British-built, 170-horsepower V-6 engine--Saab’s first entry in the six-cylinder stakes--the car may be Sweden’s toughest power player since tennismeister Bjorn Borg. With a top speed of 140 m.p.h., it certainly is the fastest five-door hatchback around. The car is larger, safer and cozier than previous years with a vastly improved, fumble-free five-speed offering synchromesh in every gear, including reverse.

And that could make the front-wheel-drive 900 the finest car in Saab’s 44 years.

So, breathe easy, those who fretted that GM’s 50% assumption of Saab would bowdlerize the marque’s charm and eccentricity into some sort of Swedish Saturn. From a weighty profile that’s mostly bullfrog, to a trunk that’s practically walk-in, Saab’s newest apple has not fallen far from the family tree.

And where other manufacturers have stumbled, the company has achieved--building a car with enough pleasant oddities to sate Saab disciples, while raising equipment and performance levels to tempt those who have resisted the cult.

For the present and near future, the 900 series is a couple. The 900S with a base price of $20,990 comes with a four-cylinder, 2.3-liter engine producing 150 horsepower.

The V-6-powered 900SE will not be here until January, at an estimated price of $27,000. There will be a 900S Turbo next spring, a convertible and a three-door lift-back by fall, but prices are still being mumbled by the serious types in cost accounting.

For less price than a 900SE, of course, you could buy a Toyota Camry or a Nissan Maxima, both with V-6s. And $27,000 definitely flirts with the bottom lines of BMW’s prestigious 3-Series.

But what the competition doesn’t deliver is Saab’s rich inventory of standard equipment. It is so complete, only four options are listed for the basic car--glass sunroof, child booster seats, automatic transmission and a CD changer. Everything else--including such pricey goodies as anti-lock brakes, dual air bags, theft alarm, central locking, power windows, cruise control and air conditioning--come with the car.

The 900SE is even better equipped for its sticker. It is fitted with all the above, plus traction control, leather seats, automatic air, alloy wheels, power seats and sunroof.

There’s one flaw, inarguably a nit yet an irritation quickly assuming the status of national slur among North American car buyers and automotive critics. Although American manufacturers build cars with right-hand drive for countries where driving is on the wrong side, it might take United Nations intervention before Europeans build cars with cup holders for American habits.

So until blue moons rise and Buicks fly, Saab 900 owners will still have to settle for thirsty commutes or rubber aprons.

From outside, the 900s carry all the Nordic nuances that are distinctly Saab. The trapezoidal grille and sloping nose. A turtle-backed rear covering a trunk with more cargo space than the QEII. A windshield straighter than most and more of a large window pane.

So no great changes here, although room to work a styling revolution certainly existed on what is essentially a 1979 design. Instead, Saab opted for styling that’s a logical progression, an evolutionary quiver guaranteed not to spook loyal followers.

Interior changes are just as gentle and rather like meeting an old friend who suddenly has decided to live higher. Pillars and panels are better cushioned with more thought given to blending colors and fabrics. Seats are among the best in the business, comfortable without being squishy, supportive without feeling stiff and undersized--like a $10 girdle.

This is categorized as a five-passenger mid-size sedan, but many will question the wisdom of carrying a quintet of anything. There’s ample room in the rear for two, but stuffing three adults back there will achieve nothing but groans and charley horses.

Saab’s aeronautical heritage remains a masterpiece of ergonomics with large dials in a flat fascia; controls never obscured by the movements of hands and steering wheel; even placement of the ignition switch between the seats has far more purpose than eccentricity.

Think about starting a car. The first movements are ignition, gearshift, hand brake. In a Saab, that is performed by one hand in a series of short movements alongside a driver’s right thigh. Classic, simple, exquisite ergonomics.

The 900 remains a remarkably stiff, stout vehicle exceeding most federal standards for passive and active crash protection.

Unlike other sturdy, super-safe cars, however, it is far from tweedy and cumbersome. With that V-6 engine, improved handling and redesigned gearbox, slick and gymnastic are more suitable adjectives.

It zips from rest to 60 m.p.h. in around seven seconds, which, despite a mite of torque steer when powering that hard, is as quick as the Ford Probe GT, Lexus 300, Mercedes 300SL and other respected sprinters.

The power comes on and on with an inexhaustible surplus--and a mid-range punch at 3,000 r.p.m. reminiscent of turbocharging.

The gearbox is snick and click with an abbreviated throw and none of the waffles that plagued earlier transmissions. But some drivers may wish for a noticeable notch between fourth and fifth.

As it is, the final throw feels eerily like downshifting into third--good for anxiety attacks on behalf of the cogs with collateral damage to one’s pride.

Steering, aided by the sticky bite of premium Pirelli tires, is tight and precise. There’s never a doubt about angles ordered for any corner nor a need for course corrections after applying steering pressure.

It all makes for a comfortable, superior driving experience with broad margins for errors set up by man or traffic emergencies. That’s a security found only in quality cars from engineers who believe that in matters of optimum performance, handling is the equal component of power.

And the Saab 900 achieves that performance with an engine note that’s all muscle and mischief.

Which could be the sound of a huge new era for Saab.

1994 SAAB 900SE

Cost

* Estimated base price: $27,000. (Includes dual air bags, leather upholstery, automatic air conditioning, traction control, anti-theft system, power seats, windows and mirrors, anti-lock brakes, cruise control, alloy wheels and premium sound system wired for CD changer.)

Engine

* 2.5-liter V-6 developing 170 horsepower.

Type

* Front-drive, five-passenger, five-door, mid-size hatchback.

Performance

* 0-60 m.p.h, with five-speed manual, 7.1 seconds.

* Top speed, track tested, 140 m.p.h.

* Fuel consumption, EPA city and highway, 18 and 25 m.p.g.

Curb Weight

* 2,900 pounds.

The Good

* Quirky enough for SAABians, not too weird for new buyers.