Saab 9-3 convertible 2005 review: road test

Few people are aware but the famous Swedish aircraft and car manufacturer is wholly owned by Holden's parent company General Motors.

However, until recently, the two companies were permitted to operate as separate entities – at least in Australia.

That all changed from the first of January, when Holden took charge of the show and installed its own general manager.

Together, the new leaner meaner team sink or swim.

The decision was a global one, but follows on the heels of declining sales over the past three years in Australia, with the number of cars sold falling 14 per cent in 2004.

Saab sells just three models here: the 9-3 sedan, 9-3 convertible and larger 9-5 sedan and last year sold a total of just 1848 cars.

It's biggest seller is the 9-3 convertible popularised by actor Rebecca Gibney in the Halifax FP television series, which accounts for 40 per cent of sales.

Consequently a lot is riding on the success of the "new" 9-3 Convertible, a car which is not so much new as revised, with a third and cheaper model added to the lineup.

In Australia the two biggest selling four-seat convertibles are the Saab 9-3 and BMW 3 Series.

The Saab commands 45 per cent of the market while the Beemer runs a close second with 40 percent, followed by the Audi A4 with 17 per cent in third place.

It is not surprising then that the price of the entry level Linear model has been pegged at $66,900 – exactly the same price as the BMW 320Ci.

Other models are the 129kW Vector priced from $73,900 and 155kW Aero priced from $89,900.

Saab is hoping the Linear's lower more attractive price will draw customers from the cheaper cars like Astra and Peugeot 307 convertibles.

It is also hoping to "leverage" fleet sales from Holden which has access to some 350 fleets across Australia.

Saab is also looking to bolster sales in Sydney where it has only two dealers at present.

Of course much depends on the quality and appeal of the car and there is no doubting the 9-3 Convertible is a sexy looking thing.

It's a car that appeals equally to men and women.

The Linear model is powered by a 2.0-litre four cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 110kW of power and 240Nm of torque.

A five-speed manual transmission is standard while a five-speed tip-shift style auto is a $2500 option.

Standard equipment includes: leather seats and steering wheel, 16-inch alloys, body-coloured bumpers and side sills, pop-up roll bars, heated front seats, cruise control and rain-sensing wipers.

The 9-3 has one of the fastest opening and closing roofs in the business, an honour it shares with the BMW 330Ci.

It's a soft, thickly insulated fabric roof unlike some competitors which now offer hard top convertibles.

The roof has no retaining clamps and can be opened at the touch of a button in 20 seconds, either remotely or via a dash mounted button.

It can also be operated on the fly up to a speed of 30km/h.

Unfortunately, the roof on our test car was temperamental, refusing to fully close at times.

This happened on two or three occasions but persistence paid off and the roof eventually responded.

Although the engines of some competitors produce more power, none but the more expensive and soon to be released Mercedes CLK 200K produce as much torque.

The more torque, the more driveable a car is and the more easily it goes up hills.

Other than niggling problems with the roof, the car performs flawlessly.

There's sufficient power there for top down cruising, with the the auto providing the option of changing gears manually for more spirited driving.

Linear misses out on electronic stability control but remains sure footed even on dirt roads, with ABS, traction and corner brake control standard.

Economy is excellent with our test car returning an average of 9.3 litres per 100km over the course of about 300km, using standard grade unleaded.

The 9-3 scores a maximum five stars in European safety tests, with four airbags and front active head restraints.

A full-size spare wheel is fitted.