Last week I finally took a long-overdue opportunity to drive the latest iteration of the Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan, the 9-3 Griffin.
The 9-3 SS is a car that’s being regarded by some as a tag-along car in Saab’s range. The rest of the product offering from Saab is quite new, whereas the 9-3 was originally introduced as a 2003 model year car. There’s a temptation (that many succumb to) to write the 9-3 off as being ‘old’ before one even jumps into it. Don’t do it.
The Saab 9-3 Griffin shares little but the bare bones from that original car.
The design, as is usually the case with Saab, still looks fresh and contemporary even after all these years. Some might consider that it’s all just details, but it’s the details that finish the car and the work done on the Griffin sedan makes the whole package look quite distinctive.
The grille, headlamps, foglamps, bumpers, air intakes, badging and wheels have all been changed and all to great effect. A rear spoiler is standard on all sedan models and you get twin exhausts poking out the back, too.
On the inside, there’s new seat trim with leather/textile seats and contrasting stitching (super smart looking and super comfy), new dash panelling, a new graphite effect dash surround to replace the silver strip. There are new treatments on the doors, gearshift and glove compartment, too.
As with the exterior, each of these enhancements is a small modification when taken on its own, but it’s the details that make the whole package that much more impressive.
The exterior and interior enhancements make the car look and feel better as you approach the car, but it’s the drive that really had me looking forward to experiencing this car.
The 9-3 Griffin has a new petrol engine under the hood. It’s the same 2.0T inline four cylinder engine that’s found in the new Saab 9-5, with a tin scroll turbo, variable valve timing and direct injection. The engine’s available with either 163hp or 220hp, the second being the one that I drove last week.
Transplant those characteristics into the smaller Saab 9-3 and you get an engine that offers a much more satisfying drive than its predecessor. It’s only 10hp more than the old 9-3 four-banger, but it’s all in the way it delivers that extra power and torque. It’s so smooth, quite eager to please, and so easy to keep in the power band.
The car I drove was also equipped with Saab’s XWD system. The Haldex system made its worldwide debut in 2008 on the Saab Turbo-X and is still the most advanced all-wheel-drive system there is. Buyers of the more regular 9-3 petrol-driven models now have access to the XWD system and you should definitely give it some consideration.
Mate this XWD system to this new 2.0T engine and you really have the best driving Saab 9-3 we’ve ever offered and my quick drive last week backed up all the anticipation I felt prior to driving this car. It’s smooth, it’s quick, it’s very comfortable and it just can’t be moved from where you point it.
If you’re thinking of a new Saab, maybe your first new Saab, check out the 9-3 Griffin 2.0T. You won’t be disappointed. The Griffin is the best Saab 9-3 we’ve ever offered in terms of a standard product and it offers the absolute latest in terms of powertrain technology and driver comfort.
