Review: Saab 9-3 EcoPower Turbo Edition

Car makers are currently being squeezed by Europe-wide legislation to ensure they produce more efficient models, with the prospect of stringent fines encouraging them to meet their fleet-wide CO2-reduction targets.

To simultaneously meet their customers' expectations, most makers are striving to cut CO2 output without reducing the comfort, safety or performance their cars offer.

One customer expectation that will have to change relates to the badge on the boot, because a compelling route to better fuel economy is to fit a lighter, smaller engine than before, and to use turbochargers to bring power output back up to familiar levels.

Saab's 9-3 saloon is a case in point. This premium saloon car can be ordered with a 1.9TTiD "EcoPower" engine – a 1.9-litre, twin-turbo, four-cylinder diesel, which Saab says can match the performance of its own 2.8-litre V6 petrol engine.

Generating up to 180bhp and 400Nm (295lbft) of torque, the EcoPower engine offers enough poke to make the 9-3 feel very quick indeed, but it does so with a combined-cycle CO2 output of 139g/km. This equates to 53.3mpg, and puts the 1.9TTiD into VED band E, where an annual tax disc costs just £120.

For comparison, the outgoing petrol-powered 2.0t Saab 9-3 emits 216g/km and sits in band K, costing £215 to tax, while developing 175bhp and a much lower 265Nm (195lbft) of torque. And it's largely torque, or the lack of it, that makes a car feel quick or slow to accelerate.

Equally importantly, as a likely company car option, the 1.9TTiD's carbon score translates into a benefit-in-kind tax rate of 19 per cent, whereas a 216g/km car would fall into the 35 per cent BIK bracket.

For the Saab 9-3 Turbo Edition saloon we tested, equipped with the EcoPower engine and with a P11D value of £22,320, dropping from the higher to the lower BIK bracket saves £1,440 a year for a 40 per cent tax payer. Put another way, the 35 per cent rate would mean £260 a month in tax, the lower rate just £141 a month.

The 9-3 is generously equipped for the price (more so in special edition format) but against these figures should be set relatively heavy depreciation – the 9-3 is likely to shed 70 per cent of its purchase cost in three years. A similarly priced BMW 316d will be slower and much less well appointed, but is likely to retain at least 10 per cent more value over the same period. BMW's 320d SE is a better match for the Saab in terms of performance and emissions, but costs about £5,000 more and so will actually lose about the same absolute value in pounds and pence over three years.

So this state-of-the-art diesel Saab can add up financially, and is better in CO2 terms than most of its rivals. But how does it measure up to the other criteria that still govern consumer choice, namely safety, comfort, performance and prestige?

Safety

The 9-3 was crash tested by EuroNCAP in 2002, scoring the maximum five stars. Since then the car has been substantially revised, however, and the crash testing procedure has been toughened up too.

The 9-3 comes with Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) fitted as standard, which can be a vital factor in collision avoidance, particularly in the wet.

There are front and side airbags, and the active head restraints were given the maximum "good" rating by independent testing body Thatcham for preventing whiplash injuries.

Behind the wheel, all-round visibility is good, with screen pillars well positioned for safety at junctions and roundabouts. Audio controls are duplicated on the wheel, and are easy to use by touch.

The voice-controlled satellite navigation system fitted to our test car gave excellent, unambiguous verbal directions, making it rarely necessary to look away from the road ahead. The optional system can be a little fiddly to use, though, particularly when re-routing to avoid traffic. And it costs almost £2,000.

Comfort and convenience

The 9-3 Turbo Edition comes with leather seats as standard, heated in the front.

These are good, supportive chairs that we found very comfortable and simple to adjust. The leather-trimmed wheel offers plenty of adjustment.

Almost all of the surfaces in the cabin are of high quality with a soft feel – you have to reach below your knees to find brittle plastic. There is one noticeable exception to this rule – the indicator and wiper stalks feel nasty, and the cruise controls are awkward.

We didn't like the 9-3's handbrake either. The lever is styled to look like a grab handle, but its trigger release is harder to use than a conventional button and you can also squash your thumb.

The gear lever has a longish throw, and we also felt the clutch had too long a travel, making it more tiring than necessary to use.

While the front seats offer a very pleasant place to travel, headroom is a little tight in the rear. The rear seat-backs can be folded to allow bigger items to be loaded through the already commodious boot.

The 9-3's interior is very good overall, and in our test car's pale colours it felt bright and airy. Neither wind nor tyre noise is intrusive, and the seve n-speaker stereo is superb. The suspension also offers a good balance between isolation from bumps and body control.

There was no mistaking the diesel engine, unfortunately, but vibration and noise became intrusive only under heavy load at low revs.

Performance

The 9-3 Turbo Edition is a quick car – the sprint to 60mph takes 8.0 seconds and the 50-70mph overtaking lunge takes 6.8 seconds in 5th gear. You won't want to accelerate hard from 50mph in fifth, though, as this hits the harshest spot in the engine's rev range.

The car feels muscular and very stable at motorway speeds. The gearbox offers six speeds, with long gearing on fifth and sixth to improve economy while cruising. Sixth is actually a little too long for UK motorways – you will need to change down to maintain pace on hills.

On slower, twistier roads the steering is accurate but a little numb, and the chassis does an excellent job of channelling its power through the front wheels – we felt hardly a hint of torque steer during acceleration.

The two turbos fitted to the car operate over different parts of the rev range, overlapping in the middle. The aim is to give consistent power delivery. This works to an extent, but there is still no mistaking the turbocharged nature of the engine.

Prestige

The 9-3 looks a quality product inside and out, offering plenty of presence and visual appeal.

The clean, uncluttered sides give an impression of strength, and are appropriate design for a Swedish brand, but in the real world of supermarkets and shopping centres they are likely to suffer from parking dents. We would prefer to sacrifice looks to practicality and see rubbing strips on the doors.

Saab is a quirky brand, and has struggled under its current owner, ailing giant General Motors, to be seen as a credible rival to BMW or Audi. Swedish rival Volvo, owned by Ford, has done markedly better and outsells Saab by a substantial margin.

Saab itself is soon to be sold to Swedish sports car maker Koenigsegg. This does put a question mark over the future of the brand – Koenigsegg will have limited resources compared to most rival makers. The resulting uncertainty may harm Saab's already weak residual values.

Verdict

The 9-3 Turbo Edition is well equipped, fast and comfortable, and offers good value for money compared to its premium-marque rivals. The EcoPower engine is an economical choice for this class of car, offering plenty of power at the expense of a few rough edges. The main drawback is likely to be residual value – already a Saab weak point and, with the sale of the company, unlikely to improve.

Saab 9-3 Turbo Edition - specifications
Engine: 1.9 TTiD EcoPower
Capacity: 1910cc
Max Power: 180PS @ 4000 rpm
Max Torque: 400Nm @ 1850 rpm
Max Speed: 140mph
0-62 mph: 8.0 seconds
Luggage capacity: 425 litres
Insurance group: 14E/28E
VED: £120

Fuel Economy
City: 40.9mpg
Highway: 64.2mpg
Combined cycle: 53.3mpg
CO2 emissions: 139g/km

Standard Features
• Dual-zone automatic climate control with cooled glove box
• Driving Pack (cruise control and car computer)
• Saab Information Display (outside temperature, fuel consumption and fuel range)
• 17" 5-spoke alloy wheels
• Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
• Electronic Stability Programme (ESP)
• Front fog lights
• Saab Active Head Restraints (SAHR), front seats
• Side airbags, front seat mounted
• Heated front seats
• Leather seats
• Rear parking sensors
• Audio/telephone controls in steering wheel
• Single CD player, 7 speakers, 150w

Options as tested
• Business Pack (DVD satellite navigation system with traffic updates, 6.5-inch colour touch-screen, voice control, Bluetooth phone integration system): £1,937.87

On the road price, excluding extras: £22,495