A convert to Saab

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

The body of the new Saab 9-3 convertible is 300 per cent stronger than the outgoing car, a stiffness that helps to improve the ride/handling mix considerably, says the Swedish carmaker.

The 2003 soft-top was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on Thursday. It will make its first appearance Downunder at the Sydney Motor Show in October and go on sale in Australia and New Zealand before Christmas.

Saab designers reinforced the chassis to compensate for the loss of structural rigidity caused by the absence of a fixed roof.

The carmaker says the stronger body will help to reduce scuttleshake, the inherent vibration around the windscreen in convertibles. The stiffer chassis will also make the 9-3 safer, a Saab trademark.

"The new 9-3 convertible is the biggest advance Saab has made in 20 years of designing four-seater, four-season soft-tops," said Saab president Peter Augustsson.

"Saab is launching this convertible from a position of strength, as we are already established as a market leader in the segment. This model is well placed to open up new opportunities for us."

The open-top shares its front styling treatment with the 9-3 sedan range, but is unique from the windscreen back. It also shares the Arc and Vector sedan names.

At 4635mm long it is slightly shorter than the outgoing model, but it is 51mm wider and the wheelbase is 70mm longer. These dimensions boost interior room.

The front and rear track has also been increased by 74mm and 63mm and the ride height is 10mm lower.

The convertible will be powered by a choice of two 2-litre turbocharged engines, the Arc delivering 129kW/265Nm and the Vector 155kW/300Nm. Both will be mated to a choice of five-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearboxes.

The car employs the first integrated belt system to be fitted by Saab, where the seat-belts are mounted entirely on the frame of the front seats.

The front seats have also been designed to provide easy entry/exit for rear seat passengers, moving forward on their runners up to 243mm.

The 9-3 comes with active and passive safety features, including four airbags, Saab's award-winning anti-whiplash system, and pop-up rear roll bars.

The power-operated roof opens or closes in about 20 seconds while the car's engine is running. Saab says the procedure is the fastest in its class.

A small gutter has been sewn into the side of the roof fabric to prevent water dripping on to the seats when a door is opened.

There is an exterior colour choice of black or blue for the roof. To lighten the inside, the headlining, header rail and side frame components are either beige or light grey, depending on the interior colour. Previous Saab soft-tops had a black headlining.

To save weight, the soft-top's frame, the swivelling braces and the padded front rail that connects to the windshield header are all made from magnesium.

When the roof is open the air-conditioning system automatically shifts to the 10 manual settings; closed, it switches to automatic.

The convertible shares its suspension with the 9-3 sedan - MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link set-up in the rear. But Saab has changed the geometry to reduce body roll through corners.

The car will be built at a new plant in Graz, Austria.