What kind of car is the Saab 9-3 Sport saloon?
The 9-3 Sport Saloon marked a very definite change of direction for Saab. For years it had largely campaigned in this corner of the market with hatchback models and this five-doored assault on what was ostensibly four-door territory wasn’t reaping the required rewards.
Which is the best car to buy in Saab?
While Saab tacitly admitted that tilting at the Audi A4, the Mercedes C-Class and the BMW 3 Series was maybe beyond the 9-3 Sport Saloon, there was certainly no reason why it couldn’t have a good go at the Jaguar X-TYPE, the Alfa 156, the Volvo S60 and the Lexus IS200.
When did the Saab 9-3 start having reliability problems?
Used Saab 9-3 Review – 2002-2012 Reliability, Common Problems | What Car? What is it like?
Is the 9-3 Sport Saloon a good car?
Latterly a similar renaissance at Mazda has also passed many potential customers by. Fortunately for Saab, there were a contingent who were at the sharp end of automotive trendspotting and these early adopters of the 9-3 Sport Saloon got a very good car.
When did the second generation Saab 9-3 come out?
The most drastic change from the former generation was the elimination of the hatchback design. The second-generation 9-3 was available as a four-door saloon, an estate (introduced in late 2005 as a 2006 model, known as the SportWagon, SportCombi or Sport-Hatch dependant on the market), and a two-door convertible (introduced in 2004).
Where was the Saab 9-3 Viggen convertible made?
As with the preceding generation, convertibles were built by Valmet in Uusikaupunki, Finland. Valmet was also the only plant assembling the 9-3 Viggen, in all three bodystyles. After production at Saab’s main plant ended, Valmet kept producing non-Viggen hatchbacks until 2003. Altogether, Valmet built 7789 Hatchbacks of all models.
When did Saab start using Trionic 7 engine management system?
The cars were equipped with a higher capacity intercooler, performance tuned ECU, flow through muffler and tip, heavy duty clutch and pressure plate, stiffened and lowered springs, firmer dampers, as well as stronger CV joints and driveshafts. In 1999, the Viggen was the first 9-3 to use Saab’s Trionic 7 engine management system.
Where are spark plugs located on a Saab 9-3?
The non-turbo models use a distributor, and leads to each spark plug, while the turbocharged engines utilise Saab’s Trionic engine management system with a Direct Ignition Module (or cassette) mounted at the top of the engine, directly connecting to the spark plugs.