Big, but not bulky
Dec 4 2009 By Edward Stephens
IT can be a bit of a dilemma. You need the grip of a four-wheel-drive vehicle but the last thing you want on your drive is a huge off-roader.
It’s a problem that faces a surprising number of motorists and there is an equally surprising number of car-makers claiming to have the ideal product to resolve it.
One of the latest – and more stylish – to come onto the market is the new Saab 9-3X.
At first glance this trendy estate – or in Saab speak, Sport Waggon – is anything but a 4x4, but this all-wheel-drive five-seater is more than capable when it comes to handling the rough stuff.
OK it’s not designed to tackle Land Rover-challenging conditions but then most drivers never want to encounter that either.
No, this spacious load-lugger is aimed at the motorist who needs that extra traction from time to time because of where they live or the hobbies they enjoy – which might take them off-road – but, at the same time, wants something that’s spacious rather than bulky and has enough performance sparkle to make motoring fun.
And that’s where the Saab 9-3X scores.
For starters, it’s some 35 mm higher than the standard two-wheel-drive version so you have that much more ground clearance. A torque transfer device splits the variable power delivery to both axles ensuring that they run at optimum efficiency with no slippage.
Just in case there is any gravel flying around, the edges of the wheel-arches and the side-sills have the same protective dark grey coating as the grey grained front and rear bumpers, so it’s designed to be both rugged and durable.
But when it comes to driving on the highway, the 2.0-turbo petrol engine produces a potent 210 bhp to deliver exhilarating 0-60 mph acceleration in just 8.2 seconds – on the way to a maximum of 143mph – and an abundance of flexibility through the six-speed manual gearbox. This might be an estate, but don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s a boring drive.
On the road, one of the first things you notice about this Saab is its quietness. This really is a refined car with a very up-market feel to it, thanks partly to black leather sports seats with soft fabric inserts.
But while it’s a model that has evolved, the characteristic Saab traits are still there. The key still slips into the ignition by the gear shift rather than on the steering column, the half moon-shaped speedometer has been retained and you can still operate the night panel which blanks out all but the speedo at night.
On the practical side, the surprisingly spacious rear cargo area has a low floor to help make loading easier and expands from a luggage space of 419 litres to 1,287 litres when the rear-seat backs are lowered. The useful “twinfloor” also gives you more flexibility when carrying a mixture of small and large items.
The 9-3X petrol model is priced at £25,995 while the 1,9-litre turbo diesel model costs £,1000 less. The auto version diesel is an additional £1,371 while the petrol auto is an extra £,1,511.
