Spy Photos: New Saab 9-3 without camo
Click on the photo for a gallery of high res pics showing the new Saab 9-3
Our friends at Auto Motor & Sport in Sweden just gave us a heads up on some new photos they found of the revamped Saab 9-3. They found both the convertible and wagon models completely devoid of camouflage roaming the roads and back alleys of Sweden. Like the wagon, the new convertible also gets clear lens taillights and the front gets an Aero-X look that we've seen in previous photos. If any of you can read Swedish, feel free to translate in the comments.
[Source: Auto Motor & Sport, pics used with permission]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jim Sanders 10:42PM (4/21/2007)
They are cheap beyond cheap.
Is the chrome front end only on the top of the line model!??!?!?!
That is just cheap. Saab is junk.
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Mike G 11:27PM (4/21/2007)
It's nice; tight and sharp in the way that the new Subaru WRX design is squishy.
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Deezee 11:40PM (4/21/2007)
Meh.
And I mean that in the strongest possible way.
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Nima 11:51PM (4/21/2007)
To add to the constructive comments already listed, here's a translation of the article:
"For the first time we can now see how the 9-3 convertible will look after its facelift. The car in these pictures is entirely unmasked and as we can see, a significantly modified front fascia and a multitude of new details will be present at the official unveiling of the car this fall.
One of our alert readers quickly grabbed these pictures only a few days ago, upon seeing a 9-3 convertible unassumingly parked at a gas station; except for it being the post-facelift model!
It was only really a question of whom the honour of capturing these pictures would befall. Over the previous week we have received numerous reader reports about the unmasked cars. The consensus seems to be that Saab will be releasing official pictures of the cars in mid-May, but at this point, a month before that date, Saab's technicians seem to have bored of concealing the car's appearance.
The car was stationed at an abandoned refuelling pump in the county of Bohuslän [near Saab's factory in Trollhättan] and the driver seemed occupied with making notes. A passing reader swung by, took three quick pictures on his mobile phone (though one wishes the windows had been down) and drove off again, all in the space of a few seconds. Taking pictures of factory cars in this region is not a popular pastime and can cause untold trouble.
Thus, the pictures are not technically proficient, but nevertheless they're the first batch to show what the unmasked facelifted car looks like.
Previous pictures have been blighted by the presence of masking tape and black detailing, simply to obscure these features. By combining these pictures with the higher-quality ones we published of a masked car only a few days ago, it becomes easier to imagine the showroom appearance of the car after the upcoming facelift.
Most obviously, a deeper grille on the front fascia, combined with the oblique "kidneys" flanking it, which together with the new headlights also have a chrome strip running across the top, are new. The borders of the large headlights, also in chrome, together with the other details, combine to give the appearnce of an 'X' at the front, not unlike the Saab-branded 9-2x version of the SUbaru Impreza, though the abundance of detailing has led some observers to note the front-heavy appearance of the car.
Give the quality of the pictures, it is difficult to judge whether the car's bonnet has been modified, but this is a possibilty. The previously black plastic bands along the flanks are now body-coloured, though this is true only for the convertibel, the sedan and estate lose this detail. Another difference is the convertible retaining the current door-handles, while the other two body styles adopt the ones seen on teh cadillac BLS.
The rear light clusters are now entirely white before being lit, resembling the appearance of those on teh current SportWagon, while a chrome strip runs the length between them, above the registration plate. Black details at the bottom of the rear bumper lend this area some visual substance.
Otherwise, the car appears mostly unchanged, and it remains to be seen whether any major interior changes accompany these new exterior details. The most interensting addition is not styling-related at all, but comes in the form of the new Haldex four-wheel-drive system which will now be an option.
With the new all-wheel-drive system, it should also be posisble to improve the performance of the turbo-charged V6 engine, which until now has been almost embarrasingly poor. Count on the Aero-version with 4WD to produce nearer 300hp and substantially more torque. As we can see from the comments below, it is being reported that the 4WD system will no be introduced together with the facelift, but may instead appear up to 6 months later; this would be consistent with reports on various internet forums"
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dorseto 11:55PM (4/21/2007)
Can someone give me cliffnotes to Nima's post above?
To add my own opinion, holy moly, what's Saab's obsession with huge front overhang lately?
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Jeff 12:12AM (4/22/2007)
Love it. Can't wait to see the SS.
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Agent MOO 12:30AM (4/22/2007)
@nima
Way too much effort...
In layman's terms, there's nothing to see here, move along.
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Nima 12:40AM (4/22/2007)
@Agent MOO
Idle hands...
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Drewboy 1:28AM (4/22/2007)
I like the front of the convertible, but am not keen on the tails.
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Mike G 2:09AM (4/22/2007)
@Nima
Wow you're not nearly as clever as you think you are. You'd make a great car designer.
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David S. 2:34AM (4/22/2007)
Saab haters suck. Clever enough?
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RR 2:47AM (4/22/2007)
Same tired old unattractive Saab look. They're stuck in the past, just can't seem to get anything modern going. Unless thy're able to get some fresh designs going, who except diehard Saab fans will buy this stuff?
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Jason 2:54AM (4/22/2007)
Stuck in the past indeed. And there is way too much going on with the grille and front end. Bleh. A4 is far cleaner and modern.
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Par Brandt 3:48AM (4/22/2007)
Nima!
Could we use your excellent translation on our site?
Pär Brandt/auto motor & sport
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SilverAero 3:49AM (4/22/2007)
You can always tell if someone has never driven a saab because they hate on them. I think that this thing looks great, a little long but great, should have no problem selling with that face. Can't wait for the AWD.
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swe 6:41AM (4/22/2007)
SilverAero - my father has one and he wishes he never bought it. it breaks down more than it works. also i have driven vans that drive better.
saab is not what it used to be.
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sk 7:48AM (4/22/2007)
I can't wait to drive the new AWD Aero. SAAB should have released AWD on its 9-3 and 9-5 line-up years ago. That was the main reason I didn't by a new SAAB after selling my Aero in 2002.
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lornie 11:26AM (4/22/2007)
GM ruined the Saab, it is, as they say in Sweden, a non car.
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Bob 10:51AM (4/22/2007)
saab rocks!!!!!!!
http://mininova.wordpress.com
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Nima 11:21AM (4/22/2007)
@Pär Brandt
Considering it's your own article to start with, you are more than welcome to. Tackar för komplimangen.
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