THE long wait for a Saab 9-3 replacement has been rewarded with a thoroughly impressive new model that does well all the things done not so well by the previous 9-3. Dynamics are now among the best in class, interior space is unquestionably competitive and the car looks well proportioned where the previous model was always narrow-waisted. The only negative is that the 9-3 no longer offers commodious hatchback luggage space and is merely a reasonably handy sedan, pretty much like everybody else in the category. Still, it's a car with the potential to allow Saab to climb back into market prominence.

Saab 9-3 S hatch
Released: June 1998
Ended: November 2002
Family Tree: 9-3Appearing Down Under in June 1998 in three and five-door hatch variants - as well as a two-door convertible - the previous 9-3 was itself a rehash of the early-90s-tech Saab 900 hatch. The most direct predecessor for the top-spec 9-3 Vector sedan tested here (excluding the forthcoming Aero), therefore, is the 9-3 S five-door, which first appeared with naturally aspirated 2.0 and 2.3-litre four-cylinder engines before receiving a turbocharged 110kW 2.0-litre in early 2001.
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