Teknikens-Varld’s 9-3 image
November 25, 2011 in News
This cover picture from Teknikens Varld dropped into our mail box and I thought it would be nice to share it with you.
Big thank you to Jan Erik.
You are browsing the archive for Saab 9-3.
by RobinM
by RobinM
SU licence plate in Hungary
November 7, 2011 in SaabsUnited Related
Kiss Balázs has sent us a picture of his Saab 9-3 with his new SaabsUnited Licence plate fitted.
First one in Hungary I think.
by RobinM
SaabR’s Saab 9-3 Coupé
September 24, 2011 in News
The SaabsUnited team received this great email from Rob about his love for his 9-3 Coupé. Here is his story.
My name is Rob Adolph (SaabR on SaabsUnited) and I wanted to share the story of my Saab and my connection to this great marque. Although I have been in the Saab family less time than most, it is no less important to me.
A little bit about me first. I work with Jason Powell for Springman’s Saab in BC, Canada. I am one of two salespeople on the floor here and love to talk Saab. The cars, the company, the community all make working for the future of our company worthwhile.
by TimR
Griffins have arrived at Ana
July 1, 2011 in News
Saab has delivered four 9-3 Griffins to ANA dealership in Trollhättan. Here is one of them.
by TimR
9-3 2.0T BioPower Aero Griffin Convertible
June 18, 2011 in test drive
On the 9th of June, 2011, I got to borrow a 9-3 2,0T BioPower Aero Grffin Convertible. The reporting of the test-drive was performed in 10 different updates spanning over 5 days, this is all those parts merged together into one big post.
by Carl-Henrik
The Griffin has landed – in Germany
April 20, 2011 in News
We just got this pleasant news from our SU-friend “kaiger” in Germany. Saab Zentrum Osnabrück in the city of Osnabrück got a small Easter surprise this morning when they got delivery of their first 9-3 SC Griffin. This corresponds well with what TimR reported last week about cars being shipped out from the factory in Trollhättan.
Thank you kaiger for the photos! Everybody near Osnabrück should pay a visit to Saab Zentrum Osnabrück at once!!
by Rune
CBS: Saab 9-3 the main prize on ‘The Price is Right’
April 7, 2011 in Uncategorized
Some exposure for the brand today on ‘The Price is Right’. This game show dating back to 1972 (or 1956 in its first incarnation) finally yielded a truly remarkable prize: A brand new Saab 9-3.
Read more about this over at mlive.com
Thanks to David for the tip.
by RobinM
Low carbon Saab is a hit with Alex
April 3, 2011 in Saabology
Below is a piece written by Steve Sowden from The County Gazette in Somerset, England.
Alex is a good friend of mine and my co-founder of South West Saab. The snowy photo’s were taken on the 24th December which was the day Akex received his new TTiD.
With an ever increasing focus on how we can do our bit to help protect the environment, eco-conscious Alex Rankin from Yeovil has invested in one of the cleanest, low carbon Saabs ever produced.
When Saab recently launched its low emissions Saab 9-3 range, Alex headed straight to Astley Saab in Yeovil to find out more and was
instantly impressed by the quiet and smooth drive and superior styling combined with class leading fuel performance and low emissions
offered by the Saab 9-3 SportWagon.
Read the rest of this entry →
by Red J
Press Release: Saab Independence Edition
February 23, 2011 in News
UPDATE – Photos added….. and holy cow! that’s one good looking convertible!!!!! – SW
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Limited Edition Saab Convertible Celebrates First Year of Independence
• Saab celebrates year of independence with launch of numbered limited edition
• Saab 9-3 Convertible Independence Edition based on Aero specification
• Unique color and interior trim features
• Choice of three turbo engines: diesel, gasoline and BioPower
Trollhättan, Sweden: Saab is celebrating the first anniversary of its independence by launching an exclusive Independence Edition of its 9-3 Convertible. Just 366 examples will be produced, one for each day during the first year and one extra for the start of a second year.
Unveiled at Saab’s assembly plant in Trollhättan as part of a day of celebration, the Independence Edition features a unique, Amber Orange metallic paint finish. It is based on top-of-the-line Griffin Aero specification and includes a limited edition number etched into the rear side windows.
The Independence Edition is further distinguished by:
• Five spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels with a satin chrome/black finish
• Orange trimmed beige sports leather seats and glovebox
• Carbon-fiber look leather finish for the instrument panel, handbrake, gearshift molding and door handles
• Driver ‘welcome’ message in instrument display, unique turbo boost gauge
• Orange stitched sports leather steering wheel and carpet mats with grey piping
The powertrain choice comprises a 180 hp, 1.9-liter two-stage turbo diesel; a 220 hp, 2.0-liter gasoline turbo with direct injection and variable valve timing, and a Biopower version able to run on any combination of gasoline or E85 fuel. All engines are available with six-speed automatic or manual transmissions.
The Independence Edition follows a successful tradition of special Saab Convertible models launched at springtime. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the start of sales for the first Saab Convertible.
by Swade
Report: This is your 9-3 replacement mule
February 3, 2011 in Saabology
There’s nothing I can really see to give it away, but autoweek.nl say this convertible is the first mule spotted featuring (some of the) tech that will come out on the Saab 9-3 replacement.
Visit Autoweek, click the image on the story and you’ll also find a rear view of this same car.
As mentioned, there’s not much different to look at here, except for the different wheels and wheel arches. The exhaust pipes at the rear look a little underdone and there seems to be an unfamiliar spaciousness about the underbody.
I really don’t know what else to look for here, but if you do then maybe you can help the rest of us.
Looks just like a convertible to me.
by Swade
e-AAM Driveline Systems video
February 1, 2011 in Uncategorized
e-AAM is the new venture that will supply the rear electric drive units that will go into the Saab 9-3 replacement vehicle late in 2012. The company is owned one-third by Saab and two-thirds by American Axle and has a whole bunch of (now former) Saab people working in Trollhattan, including Peter Johansson, the father of XWD.
They recently did some testing/drive events at Kinnekulle racetrack and handily for us, they took a video camera.
There’s not a lot you can see in these videos, though the “roller” video is definitely an interesting insight, as is the uphill start in the second video.
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e-AAM e-AWD/Hybrid system with Torque Vectoring. Saab Prototype vehicle on rollers. Electric motor on rear axel powers the vehicle in the event of no grip at front axle. The system has several patents and first customer launch is 2012. Lexus RX450 MY10 with standard electric AWD used as reference.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njo5zBeFtr0
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Electric Torque Vectoring on rear axle gives the vehicle outstanding chassis performance. The system has several patents and first customer launch is 2012.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DepKIIvhGKA
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Prototype vehicle on Kinnekulle race track
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccF1ULOKZgI
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by Swade
Recall – 2010-11 Saab 9-3 for fuel pump issue
January 22, 2011 in News
From Inside Line:
WASHINGTON — Saab is recalling 4,400 Saab 9-3s to fix a defective fuel pump that can cause the engine to stall, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“Certain fuel pumps installed as original equipment may have internal components with incorrect specifications,” said the NHTSA in its recalls summary of the problem. “The subject fuel pumps can seize, causing the engine to stall, which increases the risk of a crash.”
In other documentation filed with the federal government, Saab said there have been no reported accidents or injuries due to this defect.
“The defective fuel pumps may seize, stopping fuel flow to the engine and causing a stall,” wrote Gary T. Jones, Saab Cars North America compliance manager. “Once seized the fuel pump will no longer operate and must be replaced. The fuel pump defect is due to a process issue of the fuel pump component supplier, resulting in an out-of-specification internal component in the fuel pump. The component was limited to certain batches of fuel pumps.”
Saab dealers will replace the defective fuel pump. The recall is expected to begin on February 18. Owners can contact Saab at (800) 955-9007.
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The VIN’s concerned:
XWD Start VIN A1613280-> B1306695
FWD Start VIN A1613280-> B1307318
Saab dealers were told to check all 9-3s they had in stock so if you’re taking delivery of a 9-3 in the next week, your car should have already been checked. If your dealer doesn’t tell you it’s been checked, ask.
If you’ve picked up a 2010-11 Saab 9-3 recently then get it back to your dealer for a check (you can do a cursory check on the VIN yourself according to the numbers above, but for peace of mind, I’d take it back anyway just to be sure).
This is a precautionary recall. No incidents have been reported.
by Swade
AMS.se on sales, Saab 9-3 and TTiD SportCombi
January 9, 2011 in News
Our friends at Auto Motor and Sport have been speaking to Saab and there’s some indications there that some good news we’ve been expecting for a little while now is just over the horizon.
Cue the Googletrans:
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Saab started slow, but climbing up
Pär Brandt – 2011-01-07 09:21,Sales forecast was written down twice and Saab sold not more than 32 000 cars in 2010. But the year ended with a faster tempo and according to managing director Jan-Ake Jonsson, [there is] confidence [for] sales [in] 2011.
Saab’s new start after the change of ownership in February was significantly slower than management had imagined. The original sales forecast of 60,000 cars were written down twice and finally ended up at only 32 000 cars. Although an improvement of 53 percent compared with 2009, but it was a particularly bleak year for the automotive industry as a whole and Saab in particular.
Despite the problems is managing director Jan-Ake Jonsson happy with what you did to accomplish in 2010. Saab loaded bearings out at the shops and established new sales organizations in several countries. Important markets such as China, Russia and Australia in the starting blocks and they will contribute positively, as the launch of the new 9-5 sedan and the 9-4X. In addition, hope you capture the more important to company clients during the early years then also 9-3 SportCombi in an eco-rated version with a low emissions to 130-180 hp. 9-3 will also get a face lift to increase interest.
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The bit of particular interest there is the last few sentences, where it states a couple of things we’ve been expecting, but hadn’t heard much of from a Swedish source.
- The 9-3 SportCombi will achieve the same low-emissions status with TTiD engines as the 9-3 Sport Sedan, and will be available in three versions from 130-180hp. This is expected early in 2011.
- The 9-3 range will receive a facelift to carry it through to a replacement model in late 2012.
It’s noted that those items aren’t direct quotes from people at Saab, but the author of the article is a man I know reasonably well, Pär Brandt, and I know he talks to the right people at Saab. He’s not one who’s given to idle speculation.
Anyone who knows anything about the Swedish market will recognise the massive drawcard a 119g/km emissions SportCombi will provide for Saab. Sales have been up already on the strength of the Sport Sedan offering this much power with such little emissions. To have to configuration available in the Swede’s favoured body style, the SportCombi, is going to be a huge bonus.
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It’s nice to see Pär make use of an article penned by our newest contributor, Red J, as part of his column.
Great stuff, and I imagine Red J might feel quite happy about that. As well he should 
Thanks to Tobias for the tip!
by Swade
News: Saab 9-3 replacement to show at Frankfurt 2011
January 5, 2011 in News
Trollhattan’s local newspaper, TTELA, have a report this afternoon speaking about several issues concerned with Saab. Most notable amongst them is the possible vehicle scheduling for the Frankfurt Motor Show, which will be held in September 2011.
From TTELA (Googletrans):
Saab can provide a first glimpse of the next generation 9-3 in the fall. This from Spyker CEO Victor Muller, who talked about future plans to a German motor magazine.
…..[the] Next 9-3, Saab’s most important model, will come next year. But as early as this autumn’s large Frankfurt International Motor Show, visitors will have a first glimpse of the car, according to Victor Muller speaking to German magazine AutoGazette.
Victor Muller says that in the 9-3 we will see Saab’s first hybrid engine and a pure electric car.
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TTELA also write about sales expectations in China:
In 2011, it may be about 2000-3000 cars sold and may double next year. Looking further ahead, and with the help of the next Saab 9-3, hope Victor Muller to sales exceeding 10,000 cars annually in China.
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Thanks to Henrik S for the link!
by Swade
Saab ‘Independence Day’ edition coming in 2011
December 15, 2010 in News, Saabology
Let me take you back to February last year and a quote from Victor Muller (direct to me via email).
I propose to call the actual closing day, which will be in the coming week, Independance Day and celebrate it year after year. vic
Exactly what this will look like is a little unclear at this point. But it seems there are plans afoot to celebrate Saab’s independence with a limited number of cars created especially for the occasion. The name “Independence Day Edition” is what I’ve heard but is not definite.
The whispers that I’ve heard indicate only the following.
There will be a limited edition of 365 vehicles, plus one for the number of years independent from GM. So for 2011 there will be 365+1 Independence Day Edition vehicles produced. For 2012 there will be 365+2, etc.
Initial indications are that the Saab 9-5 will be included but things were a little fuzzy as to whether the Saab 9-3 would be included as well (i.e. a mixture of 9-5 and 9-3, totalling 366 in all for 2011).
I’ll keep you posted if I hear any more, but they sound interesting. The anniversary of Saab’s independence from GM is on February 23, 2011.
Thanks to Djup Strupes.
