Good car for a money. As fun to drive as sedan but with small SUVs Cargo space. Fits like a glove when you sit on drivers seat. Night panel is excellent innovation.Good combination between Cargo room and driving performance.New for 2006
The Saab 9-3 SportCombi is a new entry-level luxury wagon. Its built using much of the same hardware as the Saab 9-3 sedan but grants the typical wagon benefits of added versatility and cargo room. The SportCombis rear hatch opens upwards to reveal 14.8 cubic feet of cargo space. Folding down the 60/40-split rear seat brings the total to 45 cubic feet. A special "TwinFloor" feature provides additional flexibility when loading items such as grocery bags. Like the 2006 Saab 9-3 sedan and convertible, the SportCombi is offered in two trim levels: standard and Aero. Standard versions have a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 210 horsepower and 221 lb.-ft. of torque. SportCombi Aeros have a new-for-06 turbocharged 2.8-liter V6. Its rated at 250 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque.
Interior
The SportCombi maintains basic 9-3 design cues inside, as well. Its white-on-black gauges are easy to read and main function controls are easy to reach, but the center stack is still a button-rich field where a phalanx of switchgear for the sound and dual-zone climate control systems is visually overwhelming, with or without the optional navigation system and its 5.8-inch color LCD screen. A leather-wrapped three-spoke wheel--aluminum trimmed in Aero models--with fingertip controls for the "infotainment" system caps the SportCombis tilt/telescoping steering column. The ignition switch is in its classic Saab floor-mount position, alongside a cleverly integrated handbrake lever that forms the left margin rail of the center console.
Other SportCombi amenities include power windows/locks/mirrors, cruise control, keyless remote entry, an auxiliary audio input jack, and a seven-speaker/150-watt AM/FM/CD stereo (2.0T) or 13-speaker/300-watt system with six-disc CD changer (Aero). A non-locking--but air-conditioned--glovebox, console cubbies, a covered center bin, and pockets in each door provide stow space for smaller objects. Cupholders consist of a usable one in the front console, a useless pop-out unit in the dash, and two marginal rear-mounts that deploy from the front of the lower seat cushion. Three 12V powerpoints -- in the lower instrument panel, front console, and cargo area -- complete the picture.
The SportCombi seats--particularly the firmish but well-formed and highly adjustable front buckets--are made for long-distance cruising. The Aero gets dual eight-way power seats, but only the drivers side gets standard electrical assist in the 2.0T. Its sedan-like rear accommodations include a 60/40 split bench seat thats belted for three but best suited for two average-sized adults. Each element flips forward at the pull of a lever to create a nearly flat floor and raise cargo space from 29.7 cu ft to a max of 72.3, all easily accessible via a large, one-piece aluminum hatch with bumper-level cutout. Four tie-down loops, a retractable cargo cover, and extra storage in a hidden sub-floor recess add even more utility.
Exterior
From its B-pillar forward, the SportCombi is pure 9-3 Sedan. From there back, this high-styled hauler melds a sweeping roofline, distinctive greenhouse shape, and unique "ice light" LCD rear lamps into a signature look with a unique Swedish accent that nets a very respectable 0.33 Cd number and zero aerodynamic lift at both the front and rear axles. All SportCombis have all-season tires on alloy wheels, the 2.0T getting 215/55HR16s and the Aero variants we drove wearing V-rated 235/45 boots on 17-inch rims.
Behind the wheel
A well-engineered unit body made from 60 percent high-strength steel gives the SportCombi nearly the same overall rigidity as its Sedan counterpart. Even with a 90-lb weight penalty and slightly tauter suspension tuning, the Aeros control/compliance balance is a happy one, and theres liveliness to match the precision of its power rack-and-pinion steering. Some tire noise bleeds through on rough surfaces and theres perceptible body roll on transitions. But those minor shortcomings are more than offset by its ability to gobble up freeway miles and carve through corners with confident flair, aided by a progressive and driver-selectable ESP stability control system. Reassuring stops come from big (2.0T) and bigger (Aero) four-wheel ABS vented disc brakes fortified with traction control, Brake Assist, Cornering Brake Control and Electronic Brake force Distribution.
Although both engines have enough firepower to keep things interesting, the new turbocharged V-6 is clearly the star here. Torque steer has been largely tamed, and with so much of its peak twist always on hand, acceleration is more a liquid rush than the binary on-off response that plagues many turbo applications. Most buyers will match it with the Sentronic automatic, but new cable linkage on both manual gearboxes that delivers smoother, more precise shifts adds considerable appeal to the do-it-yourself gearbox.
Powertrain
Like other 9-3 models, the new SportCombi comes in two potency levels: 210-hp/2.0-liter turbocharged four and a 250-hp/2.8-liter T-charged V-6. The former carries over from 2005--although its 175-hp entry-level alternate does not. The latter, tuned by Saab, represents the first turbo application of GMs "world" six, and uses a dual-stage intake manifold and variable timing on its intake valves. Both of these free-revving twincammers are intercoooled and boast a broad torque band with minimal lag. The four makes 221 lb-ft of twist at 2,500-4,000 rpm and the six hits and holds its 258 lb-ft peak from 2,000-4,500 revs. Transmission choices include a five-speed manual or optional five-speed automatic in the 2.0T and a pair of six-speeds in the Aero, with its optional Sentronic autoshifter also adding steering-wheel-mounted gear change levers.
Safety
A strong passenger cell with B-pillar side impact structure, active head restraints on the front seats, and three-point belts with pretensioners/force limiter complement "smart" front airbags. Front side torso bags and side curtain airbags are standard on all SportCombis, as are stability/traction controls and ABS disc brakes with Brake Assist, Cornering Brake Control, and Electronic Brake Force Distribution.
overall review
The wagon version of the Saab 9-3, named SportCombi, has a few things going for it. It has a decent-sized and versatile cargo area, its reasonably affordable and its turbocharged engines make competitive amounts of horsepower and torque. Buyers interested in qualities such as these could be very satisfied with a 9-3 SportCombi purchase. Other vehicles to consider, though, would be Saabs own 9-2X (which has more cargo room than the SportCombi, by the way) or the more luxurious Audi A4 Avant.