The 1998 Saab 9-3 was an evolution over the previous 900 series, especially regarding design, but a completely new vehicle from the platform point of view, which was a “cousin” of the European Opel Vectra.
The unusual look of the car, with a sloped rear, was a Saab brand signature.

Inside the vehicle, some of the aviation-inspired features were kept and some others were added. For instance, the ignition key was placed between the front seats, next to the handbrake. The dashboard had a “night” mode, where only the speedometer was illuminated during the night to decrease the effort for the driver. The Swedish engineers worked hard to offer a Swedish car even if underneath it was a GM platform.

The engines were mainly 2.0-liters with outputs ranging between 130 and 205 hp. Only the base version was naturally aspirated. The 150hp, 154hp, 185hp and 205hp are all turbocharged. The top-performer is called “Viggen” (Thunderbolt) and borrowed its name from the Saab Viggen fighter-jet.

Saab introduced low-pressure turbochargers to increase the torque at low revs and decrease fuel consumption. The transmissions offered on the 9-3 were either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. The 9-3 Viggen had a 0-100 kph (0-62 mph) sprint in 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 249 kph (154.9 mph).

It worth mentioning that Saab 9-3 was the first car in the world to receive a 5 star EuroNCAP rating at the European crash-tests.