Saab 9-3 2006 News

From baby beep-beep hatches through to luxury supercars, the millions of dollars worth of metal on display is guaranteed to thrill and delight. But there are always some that stand above the crowd. Our 10 show stars were:H3 HummerOnly a distant relative of the behemoth that raced through the Gulf in Desert Storm, but it still has the aura. The Hummer is known for its size - particularly its wide girth. However, in reality it's not much bigger than your average family SUV but - for better or worse - is designed to make you think in supersize.Ferrari 599 GTBAs slick and stylish as the Hummer is clunky. A beautiful piece of Italian design wrapped around F1 engineering. You may never own one but don't miss the chance to see it up close and personal.Audi R8With this race-bred beauty Audi steps up to the supercar plate and hits a home run. Refined over a year on the motor show circuit, the production model is one to desire.Mitsubishi TRM 380 ConceptPoints for bravery on this one. Some exterior flash, some shiny new rims and performance rubber, racing shocks and a Sprintex supercharger bolted to the 380. The result is a special that is definitely worth a look.Volvo C30What will be the baby of Volvo's fleet when it arrives in 2007 should once and for all put paid to any suggestion the Swedes can't style a car. The little coupe should be a must-have for cashed-up youngsters - and safe to boot.Saab Aero X conceptWith a nod to its aeronautical beginnings, the Saab design team has come up with an absolute cracker. The ethanol-powered performance car was named best concept at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. Bentley Continental GTCAnother from the dream end of the market. The drop-top Bentley is proof that large cars - very large cars - can still look stylish ... and there is no substitute for that special attention to detail for which Bentley is known.Suzuki SX4 WRC ConceptWith its war paint on, the car that is going to take a resurgent Suzuki back to world rallying is an absolutely awesome sight. Even better: try to imagine this corker in civvies and you will have a pretty good idea of just what a grand Swift GTi this would make.Honda Sports 4 ConceptA glimpse into Honda's future with regard to their sports lines - particularly the Accord. The four-seat coupe is both sleek and menacing.Aurion Sports ConceptClose to the TRD Aurion scheduled to be revealed as a production car in early 2007, the Aurion Sports Concept is still a front-driver. The sports concept promises a substantial lift of the base car's 200kW thanks to a force-fed engine lifting torque above 400Nm.And a couple of extras that deserve a special mention with our top 10 favourites:Mazda Kabura ConceptThose crazy Japanese. Named for the sound of a howling arrow, the Kabura is a three-seater with a token effort at a fourth behind the driver. Styling and packaging is guaranteed to turn heads but don't be too quick to dismiss it out of hand. Mazda don't do things by accident.Hyundai Arnejs ConceptKorean design has been taking giant steps and the Arnejs Concept is one of the most stylish studies to come out of the Hyundai studios. Unveiled in Paris last month, the Arnejs points clearly towards the Euro-hatch derivative of the company's new Elantra.

SAAB's 9-3 Aero V6 is a car for very grown-up girls.The shape impresses – smooth and sleek, and it sits on alloys.Open the door and slip into the most comfortable seat you could find. The only thing missing is the movie and the popcorn – or perhaps the caviar to match the car's style. Play with the switches at the side and the seat goes forward, backward, up, down or tilts. The driver's seat has three different memory settings so it's simply a case of fitting everything to your requirements and then hitting the button.Buttons are everywhere – they cover the dash and make it look as if you could take the SAAB to the airport and line up for takeoff.But all these buttons deliver great gadgets – all the sound you'll ever need and even an in-car phone. While SAAB has packed the Aero with features, they're trying to attract a wider customer base with lower prices.A favourite is the trip computer which shows how much farther to go before the fuel runs out.Little orange warning lights telling you to fill are one thing – a read-out telling you there are just a few kilometres until you stop is harder to ignore. And the best thing is it resets, depending on how hard you're driving. A perfect feature for those well accustomed to walking the road, trusty fuel can in hand.SAAB has dropped a Holden-built V6 under the bonnet but its SAAB-driven tweaks mean that this drives with much more grunt and style than your average family sedan.Plant the foot on a country road to overtake and the tweaks are apparent – be prepared to be flung back into those comfortable seats. Grown-up girls who like their grown-up comforts also need a little space and there's enough room in the back seat for a passenger or two – although a third could struggle with a cup holder popping out between their legs.If you're taking a few passengers for a country picnic in one of the state's great wine-tasting regions, rest assured – there's enough room in the boot for the picnic basket and the odd carton of grape juice.LOVE IT LEAVE ITSaab 9/3 Aero V6Price: $69,900 (man) $72,400 (auto)LOVE ITFront seats – electronic, heated and more comfortable than a lounge chair.Power, and plenty of it.Gorgeous shape, leather interior.Screen telling me how far until I run out of fuel.LEAVE ITNot-so-great visibility when backing.No middle back headrest for a bigger family.Not enough cup holders.