Roof down for the winter; MIKE TORPEY drives the Saab 9-3 Convertible Aero 2.0T

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), March 21, 2008

Byline: MIKE TORPEY

WHEN the inspiration for a conver tible comes from Scandinavia, where extremes of weather are commonplace, the emphasis has to be on year-round adaptability.

Saab's 9-3 soft-top was always a fourseater, but this streamlined sensation has got a whole lot better.

Much of that is down to a fresh look. The front has the aggressive grille and bonnet design first seen on the Aero X concept unveiled last year.

While many manufacturers opted for coupe cabriolets with a metal folding roof, like Swedish rivals Volvo, Saab has stuck with the traditional fabric arrangement.

It's a treat to operate too. You just press a button on the key to lower the hood and windows.

Thanks to something they call CargoSET - whereby the soft-top is connected to a concertina storage well - when the roof is in position the well retracts to open up useful storage space in the boot.

Best of all is that with the triple-insulated hood in place - and that includes a heated glass rear window - you actually forget you're behind the wheel of a convertible.

Sensibly, there's also a rain gutter sewn into the side of the soft-top fabric, which prevents water droplets dripping onto the seats when the door is opened.

Of an all-turbo engine line-up that includes petrol, diesel and BioPower choices, the test car in sporty Aero trim featured the strongest of the 2.0-litre turbo unit's three power ratings.

With 210bhp on tap there's terrific punch from the four cylinder engine as well as 90% of the car's pulling power available just below 2,000rpm.

The Saab's handling is also very composed.

Inside, a touchscreen eliminates the need for a battery of knobs and switches. There are steering wheel mounted audio and info controls plus, in true Saab fashion, the ignition is located below the gearshift rather than on the dashboard.

A slick piece of design sees the handbrake sit flush with the rim of the tunnel console.

Saab has a long tradition of attention to safety and the 9-3 Convertible boasts important advances in both crash and driving safety thanks to an arsenal of electronic aids.

Among them are DynaCage rollover protection in the shape of two spring-loaded popup bars and active head restraints to go with a five-star rating in the EuroNCAP crash tests for adult occupancy.

It all adds up to a slick package - and one of the coolest looking cabrios on the market.

Facts and figures

Make: Saab

Model: 9-3 Convertible Aero 2.0T

Price: pounds 32,030

Mechanical: 1,998cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6 speed manual gearbox

Max speed: 143mph

0-62mph: 7.7 seconds

Combined mpg: 31.7

Insurance group: 17

CO2 emissions: 213g/km

BiK rating: 29%

Warranty: 3 years/ 60,000 miles

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TREAT TO OPERATE - the Saab 9-3 Convertible Aero 2.0T