Saab 9-3 Sportwagon TiD Vector 120bhp - Diesel Road test

Saab 9-3 Sportwagon TiD Vector 120bhp

This is the car Saab said it wouldn't make. But that was back in the days when anyone asking for a Swedish estate was told to pop next door to those nice guys at Volvo. Saab simply didn't see the boxy furniture-carrying market as its natural territory, preferring instead to keep banging on about being at heart a jet-fighter manufacturer.

So Saab had its head in the clouds and missed a trick?
Yes, basically. While the likes of Audi, BMW, Volvo and even Lexus noshed on the emerging worldwide demand for 'premium' estates - family motors that offer no apparent compromise to the keen driver who wants more flash than function - Saab could only watch. Under GM's parental influence though, this is now put right. The neatly packaged 9-3 estate, sorry 'SportWagon', bowled into Saab showrooms last September. And just to underline the pent-up appeal for such an idea, a massive 8,500 customers placed advance orders. IKEA, eat your heart out.

Is their keen interest well-placed?
Well despite coming to the market late, there's nothing derivative or reactive about the Sportwagon - it's a car that really stands out and is a welcome, classy alternative to all those de rigueur German schleppwagen. Shape-wise, the 9-3 cuts a dashing outline; if anything, it upstages its saloon sister and the frosted, LED tail-light units which the designers call 'ice blocks' (and which your local Vauxhall Nova Modification Society may well be interested in half-inching) promise a street appeal that's very mid-noughties.

And inside?
A clear round with no faults: stylish design and surprising practicality are the themes. Despite not resembling a Transit van too closely, this Saab is seriously roomy and is worthy of serious consideration if you carry heavy loads (but still want to swank about at the weekend). I was irritated by the tail's apparent inability to close without being forcefully slammed, but there's nothing flimsy. Under the load floor and accessed via an aircraft-style pull handle lies a hidden 'sub-floor' for extra, secure storage. And the rear seats are exceptionally well designed for quick and effortless conversion for a (virtually) horizontal load bed.

What about up front?
It's business as usual, really. Saab doesn't see you so much as a driver as a pilot. The dashboard and controls are more of a flight deck, with the most-used controls placed close by and everything clear as crystal. Note the soft green illumination and the sculpted ergonomics of the steering wheel. Complete with the now-standard night-panel illumination (which shuts down all non-vital info when driving at night so you get minimal distraction) this is the best driving seat for muddle-free motoring and outsmarts anything Germany can muster.

How important is the diesel here?
We're talking absolutely essential: there's a top-flight 250bhp 2.8-litre V6 Aero model that snorts an average of 27.2mpg if pushed and is certainly a thrill (if someone else is paying your fuel), but Saab is already saying that more than half of projected sales in the UK are the 150 bhp/110kW 1.9TiD option, available in all Linear and Vector specifications. I was intrigued by the 'baby' diesel option though - a 120bhp version... Best elements first: check the fuel consumption readout on the dashboard' central binnacle and you might do a double-take. During my driving week, over a mix of back-roads and motorways and including some oh-bugger moments of nearly missing trains and airports, my test model ranged from 43mpg down to 41.4. In other words, while so many diesels out there just can't deliver their makers' boasts on true-life tarmac, the 9-3 Sportwagon is exceptionally good.

. So it's a slouch to drive?
Well, you might anticipate some catch, but it would be unfair to say this is lazy in any respect. From the off, it's got plenty of practical, low-end torque, though it's not a showy performance and (unlike the petrols) you're not constantly reminded that all the power is trying to squirt through the front wheels. It's well balanced and handling is extremely good for the size and length of the car. The only caveat is that, unless you work the (very slick) six-speed 'box, there is a deficit of power when it comes to overtaking at mid and higher speeds, while a sudden hill can catch the engine napping. A small price though for a car that feels sporty enough and delivers such wonderful fuel figures.

So late but not lax?
This is a model we could have been enjoying two years ago, at least. But it's one that has been worth the wait. Saab's approach has been painstaking - and the results suggest a new star in the posh estate league.

Vector spec includes 17-inch alloys, split leather and textile upholstery, Saab Audio premium sound system and auto climate control (with cooled glovebox). Price: ¯¿½22,960

Tiscali rating: 9/10 A Swedish steed that's also a willing workhorse.

---