Super TestCar reviews - Saab - 9-3 - Turbo X and TTiD rangeSaab modelsOverviewSaab's first AWD model is a reality in the Turbo X as muscular new TTiD 9-3 lobs too27 Jun 2008 RUNNING a long distance behind its competitors, Saab now has two significant new technologies with which to attract potential customers – all-wheel drive and a twin-turbo diesel. The two are still to be combined in the one model variant, and AWD (or cross-wheel drive, XWD, as the Swedish brand has termed it) is restricted for the time being to the ultra-limited-edition Turbo X. But our first taste test of both examples has left a strong impression. In particular, the advantages brought with XWD to the ageing 9-3 chassis is nothing short of remarkable. Model release date: 1 June 2008 to 1 January 2012 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelWith no twin-turbo diesel or all-wheel drive Saab offered before, it seems natural to refer back to another 9-3 that impressed aficionados of the Swedish brand and carried grand claims of its own: the Viggen – the fastest and most powerful road car Saab had ever built. It had a 2.3-litre turbo four petrol that produced 165kW and 342Nm – quite enough to overwhelm the front-wheel drive chassis when attempting to verify the acceleration claim of 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds. Now, if it had XWD… |
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