Brake-through in Saab design

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

Swedish design simplicity extends not only to the functional look of the new Saab 9-3 cabin, but to the use of things like the handbrake.

The handbrake (circled) is integrated in the centre console, disguised as one of two symmetric rails, or handles, on either side of the ignition key and between the front seats.

The design allows the driver the convenience of only having to move his or her hand a few centimetres from the ignition key to the handbrake when parking the car.

The identical rail/handle opposite the handbrake can be fitted with a CD holder, ice scraper - for Swedish winters - or cup holder.

It's a clever piece of design, a layout that drew much praise at the recent launch of the 9-3 in Stockholm.

The cup-holder mounted in the middle of the dash is clever, too - but it isn't as tactile.

Press a button and the cupholder leaps out of the dash in a whirling motion of plastic arms and cradles before falling into place. It works but somehow feels out of place.

The new 9-3 will spearhead the new Saab philosophy - to trade on its quirky traditions while adding mainstream appeal. Saab wants to find a wider audience and keep them interested with a range of new body styles and niche variants off the same platform.

Saab promises a new model every year until 2007. Two such models will be based on the 9-3 platform: a four-wheel-drive soft-roader and four-wheel-drive performance car.

The soft-roader will rival the upcoming BMW X3 - a scaled-down version of the X5 - and the performance model will challenge Audi offerings.

The new 9-3 is still very much a Saab from the outside - the front end stays largely true to tradition - but the sedan dimensions around the rear make it appear more conservative.

It is the same length as the existing hatchback 9-3 - the car they call the coachroach design - but stands 17mm higher, 50mm wider, has a 71mm longer wheelbase and sits on the Epsilon platform which also underpins the new Holden (Opel) Vectra.

The boot in the sedan isn't as flexible as the hatchback when it comes to loading, but it copes with family-of-four luggage loads. There is more interior room but tall front occupants make things a bit uncomfortable - legroom-wise - for rear passengers.

The quirkiness of the aircraft-influenced cockpit has been softened. The traditionally styled air vents are still there and other obvious Saab interior touches like the upright dash and ignition key remain, but the centre console as such is a mix of Saab, BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Lexus.

Four models of the 9-3 will go on sale in New Zealand - the Linear, Arc, Vector and Aero - all powered by reworked 2-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engines from Opel recalibrated to offer different outputs and mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or five-speed automatic with manual over-ride.

The Linear will produce 110kW, the Arc and Vector 129kW and the Aero 155kW. The 9-3 handles and rides better than anything Saab has done before, thanks largely to a body that is 120 per cent stiffer.

The chassis sits on MacPherson struts in the front and a four-link set-up at the rear and provides accurate and consistent handling. Turn-in is sharp and the car's line through the twisty bits is aided by some rear steer from a toed-out outside rear wheel.