Spy Shots: Saab 9-3 sedan with no camo
by John Neff on May 4th 2007 at 8:50AM 
It doesn't seem that Saab is too concerned about the public getting a glimpse of its 9-3 sedan wearing a new front fascia. We've already reported on spy shots of various lightly camoflouged models, and now we've discovered shots of a 9-3 sedan with no camo spotted in Sweden by a member of the Saab Turbo Club Sweden forum.
As we've noted in the past, the new 9-3 will receive a face that's directly inspired by the well received Aero X concept that debuted at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. The interpretation of the Aero X face on the 9-3 looks a bit exaggerated, almost like a charicature of the concept, but the car looks better in these images than any others we've seen. The matte black grille set against the gun metal gray paint minimizes the sense of exaggeration, and the car looks significantly more aggressive than the current model.
We've posted one pic here for you, but a couple more full shots can be viewed by clicking the Read link.
Thanks for the tip, Dave!
[Source: Saabturboclub.com via TrollhattanSaab.net]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Paul 8:57AM (5/04/2007)
Please Saab/GM, if there is an ounce of compassion in your soul, PLEASE build a Viggen!
No R models from Volvo, no Viggens... what is a Swede lover to do?!
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Johnny Aero 9:03AM (5/04/2007)
This is not an un-camoflouged model. All of the black surrounding the grill and above the lights is actually chrome (similar to the 9-5).
So much for Swedish minimalism. All that chrome is going to age real well, HA! HA! GM oh GM what have you done with my once proud brand.
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Phelix 9:06AM (5/04/2007)
the black actually looks really good.
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brimg87 9:19AM (5/04/2007)
Hmm, I like it.
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Ligor 9:31AM (5/04/2007)
For the price this cars sells I'd have to be stupid not to get a G35 or a CTS
that's just ugly, the current one looks better.
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Jason 9:47AM (5/04/2007)
What Ligor said. Walking past a G35 to buy this unreliable GM-that-used-to-be-Saab is insanity.
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Brian St. John 9:43AM (5/04/2007)
Sadly, the desperation to make the most of this face lift with the dearth of funds Saab has gone terribly wrong -- just like with the current ugly-as-sin 9-5. I also hope that the previous-version's break lines running along the top of the hood are an attempt at disguise and won't be stamped into the finished product!
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James 9:43AM (5/04/2007)
# 2 is right... this car is uncamoflaged, but they haven't yet applied the appalling chrome highlights to the lights and grille. The 9-5 (once a very elegant car, especially the wagon) is now something to scare young children with... why oh why oh why oh why???
*j*
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bmoredlj 9:50AM (5/04/2007)
The chrome around the 9-5's headlights are SO cheesy...I really hope that mistake isn't repeated.
Also, the plastic side vents of the grille seem to be false...particularly from the angle of the light in the photo, the whole grille looks cheeeeeep.
Extraneous trim doesn't sound too aircraft-inspired to me.
Styling aside, the 9-3 (and 9-5) are now way behind Volvo (not that I like volvo) in design evolution. New fascias won't fix the problem. Someone needs to light a fire under Saab product development's fanny post-haste.
Niche or not, Saab deserves more effort than this.
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Rolle 9:57AM (5/04/2007)
To any non-Saab person, this looks painfully like anything and everything Saab has ever done in the past... i.e., yaaaawn. The mini-badge looks like a tiny Chevy bowtie.
When will Saab EVER give a stab at ANYTHING approaching a fresh look at that terrible ugly front end/pancake hood? Sigh....
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dave 10:11AM (5/04/2007)
to #5: "For the price this cars sells I'd have to be stupid not to get a G35 or a CTS"
The problem with that, though, is that SAAB throws so much cash on the hood that it makes the difference for a lot of folks. Trust me, I'd rather be in a G35x or an A4, but the price difference is astounding.
Of course, you get what you pay for, and things go on sale for a reason. As much as I love the power, the looks, and the amazing fuel economy of my 9-3, I'd be willing to sacrifice a little of all of that for an interior that doesn't require me to think "Oh, right, GM bastards" every time I touch the plastics.
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Electronicaxle 12:43PM (5/04/2007)
Damn you GM! You destroyed a once proud and unique brand and made it something worthy of flushing down the toilet. Take a look at the 900 for inspiration...
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iQuack 1:50PM (5/04/2007)
Pathetic. Just another of the never-ending face lifts for a brand that's not dying because it's already been dead for years.
GM should finally bury this corpse.
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Huecifcer 3:42PM (5/04/2007)
So apparently Saab has a deathwish...
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Jay 4:04PM (5/04/2007)
Its interesting, eitherway a helluva lot more attention grabbing than the old nose. The 9-5s new shcnoz has grown on me too. Everyone flaming it should be quiet for a while and remember what happened to BMW, they introduced the "Bangle butt" and "flame surfacing" and almost immediately had a record sales year.
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BowserUSC 8:58PM (5/04/2007)
I always thought the older saabs, like the 9000, looked like a duck.
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Dr. Drive 11:39PM (5/04/2007)
Renault, save SAAB now!
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Tagg 2:38AM (5/05/2007)
If SAAB dies would anyone notice? I couldn't tell you the last time I have seen a SAAB on the road. I am not counting the SAAB Rainier but their uninspired, dreary cars that have never been the equal of their Swedish counterpart Volvo.
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TuuSaR 3:38AM (5/05/2007)
It has camo all over the car so story topic aint right.
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Jeff 3:39AM (5/05/2007)
1. All of you people saying that this car has been GM'd to death in terms of styling...the styling on this car takes tons of cues from NG900's (I should know, I drive one). The headlights are exactly the same.
2. Saab isn't dead, it's just asleep.
3.Saabs have had chrome FOREVER. Look at the grilles of ANY Saab. There's chrome. Especially on the older 99's. I mean, have you people even looked at Saabs, or are you just repeating what you read on The Truth About Cars? Also, there are rumors that the black tape above the headlights actually covers LED daytime running lights...but who knows.
4. Saabs have always been better than Volvos in terms of power, design, and safety. Expecially design. Look at a P1800 and then look at a 240, and ask yourself what idiot decided to go from one to the other. Saabs have always had beautiful, functional designs. As for safety, Volvo may think that they're the safest, but actual crash data shows that Saabs are by far safer. Speaking of which, they say that Volvos are built to keep their drivers safe from other Volvo drivers.
5. Enough with the damn Trollblazer jokes. There were something like 60 modifications done to the Trailblazer chassis (GMT900 platform I think? Or 360, I don't remember) before it was badged as a Saab. All of them added up to a vehicle that was lightyears ahead of any Trailblazer/Rainier. It is most definitely NOT a damn "Trailblazer with the key between the seats," screw you TTAC.
6. This is the last round of facelifts. There will be an all-new 9-3 in a few years (2, I think) followed by a brand new 9-5 (it's backwards, I know, but still). Also there will be the 9-4x CUV (not badge engineered at all), and eventually the 9-1 (which won't be a Subaru). Hopefully, there will be a Kappa roadster at some point, too.
Instead of just complaining about a brand you obviously know nothing about, go test drive a 9-3 Aero and see why us Saab people love these cars so much.
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