Saab 9 3X 1.9 TTiD 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The 1.9 litre four cylinder turbocharged diesel engine produces maximum figures of 178 bhp at 4000 rpm and 295 lb-ft at 1800-2500 rpm and feels adequately potent. A 0-62 mph time of 8.7 seconds and a top speed of 140 mph are respectable figures for a family car.

This Saab 93 X’s ride is comfortable when cruising on motorways, but pointing it down a twisting country road reveals its flaws. The steering feels rather dull and lifeless and the suspension tends to clunk over bumps and potholes. Overall, the car’s handling doesn’t live up to its sporty appearance. On the plus side, wind and road noise are suppressed fairly well making the cabin a pleasant place to clock up motorway miles.

There’s plenty of adjustment in the driver’s seat and the steering wheel moves for rake and reach so most drivers should be able to find a decent position. The dashboard is laid out reasonably well with easy to read instruments, but for the most part its quality falls short of the dashes of its rivals.

The Saab 93 X 1.9 TTiD 5dr is a smart and stylish looking car and carries that unmistakable Saab DNA.

Inside you get a CD player, MP3 connectivity, Bluetooth, electric windows, electric door mirrors, cruise control, rear parking sensors, leather sports seats and climate control as standard. It also comes with alloy wheels, an alarm and immobiliser and front fog lights.

Metallic paint is a £540 option and Satnav £2,025.

There is plenty of room in the front of the cabin but the rear is smaller than you might expect from a Saab. It can still seat three in the back but if all the passengers are adults, shoulders will be touching. The boot has a wide opening and a low sill, which makes loading easy, offering 477 litres of space with the rear seats in place or 1,273 litres with them folded almost completely flat.

This Saab 93 comes with many safety features including six airbags, ABS, Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and stability control.

Saab’s fare reasonably well in the reliability stakes but they aren’t without their problems. This car comes with a three year 60,000 mile warranty.

At £26,500, the Saab 93 X 1.9 TTiD 5dr is a premium price. It has a roomy, comfortable cabin with a good spec and a useful amount of luggage space. It cruises well, but its ride quality lacks the panache and excitement of its rivals. Overall, it feels sturdy and well built, but it’s not the most exciting or practical car in its class and it’ll attract fairly low resale values.

A combined cycle of 55.4 mpg is a good figure for a car of this size performance and with a CO2 emissions figure of 135 g/km the taxes and running costs are very favourable.