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The Saab 9-3X 1.9 TTiD is capable of 51.4 combined mpg and 144g/km CO2, however be careful – despite its looks this is just a front-wheel drive car.
The 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine does come with Saab’s Cross Wheel Drive system (XWD), so it’s a shame that Saab’s engineers haven’t been able to mate the diesel engine with the four-wheel drive system, as it would potentially promise class-leading emissions. Although the automatic version of the diesel drops right down to 40. – more than 10mpg worse than the manual.
Apart from the lack of four-wheel drive, the 180hp 1.9 TTiD has good performance, with a 137mph top speed and 0-60mph in 8.3 seconds.
Ride height is raised slightly, by 35mm on the petrol model, and just 20mm on the diesel model.
The pseudo 4×4 looks include new front and rear bumpers, side sills and wheel arches with a protective covering for loose road surfaces, as well as skid panels with a matt aluminum finish.
Although not available with the low emission diesel, the XWD technology is an intelligent, active system that continuously distributes engine drive torque between the front and rear axles as required for optimum stability and traction in all conditions. To optimise traction the Saab XWD system incorporates an innovative, pre-emptive engagement of the rear wheels. Unlike conventional all-wheel drive systems, this eliminates the need to detect front wheel slip before rear drive is activated.
