The first word that pops into the head when thinking about the Saab 9-3 SportWagon is “Stalwart” – it feels like its been around for a long, long time, and aesthetically things haven’t changed that much since the 9-3 was launched back in the 20th century! So where does the 9-3 SportWagon fit in the current automotive market? Well it’s difficult to say, and this is one of the reasons for the Swedish carmaker’s uncertain future. It’s not that the car isn’t without merit but in the face of stiff competition from Audi and BMW (to name two) the 9-3 SportWagon sadly falls short.
Saab 9-3 SportWagon lease prices
Saab 9-3 SportWagon new and nearly new car prices
The 2.0T XWD, which is an all wheel drive estate, is only bettered in the 9-3 SportWagon range by the V6 XWD, and it shows with a powerful and capable performance coming from the engine, which sees the 4.6 metre long car capable of hitting 143mph and 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds. Pick up through the gears is particularly satisfying with the car really responding to dropping down a gear and overtaking a slow moving vehicle, in fact the car has an impressive amount of torque to call on in the higher rev range. Coupled to the engine is a six-speed manual (although a six-speed auto is also available) which is responsive and delivers the undoubted power of the engine. However, one very disappointing aspect of the car is its CO2 missions of 207g/km, which is substantially worse than the BMW 320i SE Touring (148g/km) and the Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TFSI SE (154g/km) making it a tough pick for business users looking for a vehicle under the magic 160g/km threshold.
Read the full Saab 9-3 SportWagon 2.0T XWD road test
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