2006 Saab 9-3
October 25th, 2006
An attractive wagon version and a powerful new turbo-charged V6 engine increase the appeal of the 2006 Saab 9-3. The 9-3 compact sedan, which debuted in 1999 and was last redesigned in model-year 2003, has rescued Saab from the brink of extinction. But it’s a bittersweet success story, as the car is definitely more conformist than past Saabs.
General Motors brought the ailing Saab brand fully under its corporate umbrella in 1999. To broaden the brand’s appeal and cut costs, the current-generation 9-3 is built on GM’s front-wheel-drive Epsilon platform. Gone is the sloping rear and yawning hatchback that defined the Saab 900, which the 9-3 replaced in model-year 1999.