2009 SAAB 9-3 Convertible 1.8t BioPower 5AT (175 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Affected by the world economic crisis, General Motors had to sell Saab in 2010, but before that, it tried to boost the sales of the Swedish brand, and one of the vehicles that received an update was the 9-3 Cabrio.

Saab built excellent convertibles despite not having too many warm days in its yard. However, thanks to its expertise in a cold-weather environment, it managed to create very good ragtops for the 9-3 Cabrio range.

Saab was known for doing major upgrades on its cars, even if it shouldn’t add more burden to the accounting department. Yet, the Swedish engineers and designers preferred to create a completely new front fascia for the 9-3 Cabriolet in 2009. So instead of just changing a bit here and there, they brought massive improvements.

For starters, the new headlights featured the daytime running lights strip atop the headlamps, like a pair of eyebrows. Also, the bumper was new and integrated the front grille and a new lower apron. Moreover, the hood sported a new design. Some might consider that they should’ve stopped there, but no. Instead, the design team moved on and installed clear-lenses taillights and, obviously, a new bumper. It didn’t care that all these costs were the icing on the cake in GM’s decision to sell the brand.

Inside, the dashboard and the center stack were also redesigned, even though GM’s management told Saab to just slightly improve them, so it could fit the carmaker’s infotainment unit. As a result, not even the gateway for the automatic transmission gear selector kept its shape. This resulted in a much more refined cabin with high-quality finishes and not that cheap materials.

Under the hood, Saab added more engines to the lineup, gasoline and turbodiesels. In addition, the older five-speed automatic transmission was gone, and a new six-speed was added to the options list for selected powerplants.