- Saab has revised its 9-3 sedan and wagon, which will be rebranded 9-3 Griffin in the U.S. in early 2012.
- The updated 9-3 range offers a choice of two new turbocharged 2.0-liter direction-injection gasoline engines, delivering 161 and 217 horsepower, respectively.
- Both the 9-3 sedan and wagon can be ordered in Europe in front- or all-wheel-drive variants, with choice of gasoline or diesel engines.
TROLLHATTAN, Sweden — Saab has announced a revised 9-3 model range in Europe for 2012, with exterior and interior styling updates for the sedan and wagon, plus a pair of new turbocharged direct-injection gasoline engines. The revised range will be introduced in the U.S. in early 2012, rebadged as the 9-3 Griffin, a Saab spokesperson told Inside Line, but will not include a convertible.
The 2012 9-3 sedan and sportwagon can be ordered in Europe in front- or all-wheel-drive variants, with a choice of gasoline or diesel engines, including a new 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine that comes in two stages of tune. The standard unit delivers 161 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, while the uplevel engine makes 217 hp and 258 lb-ft.
Exterior updates include restyled bumpers and grille and new "ice block" headlamps said to be inspired by those on the new 9-5 sedan and the earlier Aero X concept. The 2012 9-3 sedan also gets a standard rear deck lid spoiler and offers a choice of redesigned 17- and 18-inch wheels.
The 9-3 cockpit has been revamped, with titanium or graphite trim and restyled leather seats.
Inside Line says: Will modest visual changes on the 9-3 be enough to lure former Saab loyalists back into the fold? — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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k55 says:
09:38 AM, 02/28/2011
"Griffin" is a mythological symbol ; a winged cross creature somewhere between a lion and hawk. Griffin was also the name given to prior high performance SAAB's. I find SAAB's interesting but I agree that this may be an attempt to update a vehicle that is overdue for an all new platform. Hopefully it is due soon . Cant wait to see what they come up with for the 9-2.
rayzor says:
12:07 AM, 02/26/2011
I saw a Saab 9-3 wagon driven in the snow the other day. It was black with big dual exhaust tips in the back...Looked really awesome! Unfortunately, the rear seat leg room is tight...Otherwise I would consider one.
cdyer says:
12:12 PM, 02/25/2011
*SNIFF* Saabs used to be so cool. Especially the 99 and 900 turbo variants. Wonky looks, decent performance, HUGE space inside, and how 'bout those soccer ball alloys. I still want a '78 99 turbo w/Barracrafter ski racks on top (year round), blasting Supertramp on the Blaupunkt with confusing-as-hell icons on the buttons (with autoreverse!); all whilst wearing my big brother's hand-me-down Lacoste shirt, 501s, and Stan Smith Adidas.
Spyker Saab (Spykraab?) better have some amazing cars ready for '13-'14 cuz this ain't gonna do it. I'm sure these are good cars, but good cars aren't enough these days.
carguyinca says:
09:59 AM, 02/25/2011
I am so amused by people that post here with such little clue - one person says this is pathetic because their "2.0 Honda engine makes more power"....yet they FORGET that while it might have more HP than the 161 base SAAB motor, that their little Honda engine has utterly NO TORQUE, kinda important when comparing performance, don'tcha think?!? Also, when Audi gets 211 HP from a 2.0 motor, everyone praises it and is like "oooh, ahh, what a great engine!" ...yet the SAAB engine, while making MORE power, is suddenly gutless?!? wake up! Mercedes is about to introduce a turbo mill in the C-class that makes 201 HP...I'm sure no one will mention it though, cuz certain brands can do whatever and no one complains.
http://www.insideline.com/mercedes-benz/c-class/2012/2012-mercedes-benz-c-class-2011-detroit-auto-show.html
top_hat says:
09:24 AM, 02/25/2011
I see nothing here that will make them more competitive. Saab hasn't been competitive in a long time and that is why GM was losing money with them. I really don't know why anybody would buy a Saab now. Do you really want to make that large an investment in a car from a company that is not in solid financial shape? You need massive amounts of capital to engineer and produce a production car in today's economy and Saab doesn't have it. I predict Saab will be gone soon.
kev455 says:
08:55 AM, 02/25/2011
What an absolute joke. Saab should have just ended. If you can't come out with new products, then you can't survive as a company. Stop building things on GM platforms and build something good from the ground up. It's just embarrassing that they honestly think this is something different.
bb30 says:
08:22 AM, 02/25/2011
Torque is often more noticeable than horsepower, when merging onto highways or passing. 161 hp isn't much, 236 ft-lb is pretty good, and if it's a typical Saab engine it'll be tuned for torque to kick in at modest RPM. That 2L Honda engine in cz_7l's Civic is 197 hp/136 ft-lb and you need to rev the heck out of it to get the car moving. My '01 9-5 wagon has 185 hp/225 ft-lb and it has no problems merging, passing, hauling 400 lbs of mulch etc while being fast enough to easily keep up with traffic - and that's a larger, heavier vehicle than the 9-3.
The question for me is - will these new engines improve mileage? The GM Ecotec 2L up to now was pretty good on gas, if the direct injection ones do 10% better than they may be attractive with gas prices rising.
tdiluv says:
06:39 AM, 02/25/2011
Don't even see SAAB dealerships anywhere, didn't GM kill the brand !
eki79 says:
02:53 AM, 02/25/2011
161 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque is enough to move the car forward at a decent pace. Not everyone is looking for the blow-everyone-off-when-lights-turn-green power in their car.
EU is tightening emission regulations all the f**king time, so engines with low power / high tourque are wanted. Especially if they burn less petrol than competition...
cz_75 says:
07:52 PM, 02/24/2011
I have a 2.0L civic w/ no turbo or DI that makes a lot more power than that - pathetic.