Saab switches gears, turns heads with the 9-3

Saab is known for doing things differently.

The automaker from Trollhattan, Sweden, has a long, proud, oddball tradition. For years, Saab has mounted its ignition in the center console, produced front-wheel-drive automobiles when others hadn’t thought about it and designed cars with hatchbacks in a world of notchbacks (or trunks.)

It’s the latter that is the 2003 Saab 9-3’s most notable change, one that will surely puzzle Saab fans. The new 9-3 has a trunk.

It’s hard to think that Saab has lost one of its distinguishing characteristics. After all, Saab has been selling hatchbacks since the late ‘60s. Although the Saab faithful will blame corporate parent General Motors Corp. for this turn toward normality, the truth is that Saab is looking for greater sales.

More buyers in the United States prefer sedans with a proper trunk, so Saab has delivered it. It also has delivered a car that’s normal.

Certainly that could be said of the styling, which is a sporty iteration of the larger Saab 9-5. It almost looks like the 9-5’s athletic little brother. The car’s stance is especially fetching, exchanging the hatchback’s dowdiness for a more European, muscular posture.

Fit and finish were excellent on the test car, which drew admiring glances, especially from those under 30 years old.

Where the 2002 9-3 used the old Opel Cavalier chassis, the 2003 9-3 employs a new GM mid-size platform that also will be used for the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu and 2005 Pontiac Grand Am.

The platform features a fully independent suspension that features what Saab calls ReAxs. This system helps prevent understeer in cornering by allowing a slight amount of rear-wheel steering. Coupled with a more sophisticated suspension design, this is the best-handling Saab 9-3 yet produced.

Steering is quick and precise, with just the right amount of steering assist. The ride is firm, more so than in a Volkswagen Passat, one of Saab’s competitors. But the 9-3 makes up for it with better, agile handling.

The front and rear disc brakes are ventilated. Braking characteristics are just what you would expect from a top-notch sports sedan.

The 9-3 comes in three versions: understated Linear, luxurious Arc and performance-minded Vector.

All three trim levels are equipped with what makes a Saab feel like a Saab: a 2.0-liter turbocharged, double-overhead-cam four-cylinder engine. In the Linear and Arc trim levels, the engine produces 175 horsepower. In the Vector, it’s good for 210 horsepower.

The Linear felt underpowered from a standstill, although there was good power once the car was underway. Few automakers produce a better turbo engine than Saab.

Unfortunately, the new transmission doesn’t always seem well-mated to the powertrain. The new Sentronic allows for manual gear selection by moving the lever to the left and tipping it forward to upshift and backward to downshift. But the operation is too slow; there is too much lag time between gear selection and activation.

The 9-3’s cabin is thoroughly revised for 2003 as well. Seats are comfortable with good room up front, though rather tight legroom in back. Saab’s usual tall, well-ordered dashboard is easy to use, once you take some time to learn the functions of the controls, something not self-evident.

The Saab 9-3 starts at $25,995. Go easy on the options, and it is a welcome and less expensive alternative to some pricey competition.

Because Saab isn’t the oddball it once was, the new 9-3 is sure to become more popular, as more buyers discover what Saabophiles have always treasured: being different.

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2003 Saab 9-3 sedan

Engine: 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4

Transmission: five- or six-speed manual or five-speed automatic/ manual

Wheelbase: 105.3 inches

Length: 182.2 inches

Width: 68.3 inches

Weight: 3,285 pounds

Base price: $25,995

Fuel economy: 22 miles per gallon city, 31 mpg highway

Source: Morning Call