Friday, December 25, 1992 - North Shore News - 33 Photo cubmitted THE Saab 9060 is noted for its roomy interior, huge trunk, powerfu! four-cylinder engine, and safety features. Saab 9000 Revised styling, improved fuel economy as Saabs move into mainstream ~ SAABS HAVE always been different, some say unusual, cars. : Unconventional ‘‘whale-tail’’ styling, ignition keys mounted on the floor, and two-stroke engines are some unique traits of past Saabs. Like Sweden’s other famous carmaker, Volvo, Saab aufomobiles appeal to buyers who are safety conscious and quality conscious. * ‘Saabs are also oriented towards performance, and lately, have become very luxurious. Saab is. now half-owned by General Moiors, and that may explain why Saab is moving away from the unusual and towards the mainstream. A traditional notchback sedan body-style was introduced a cou- ple of years ago, and the 1993 Saab 9000 hatchback now has front and rear styling which seems more generic than previous 9000s. The grille, headlamps and turn | signals merge in a horizontal line across the nose while the smaller and higher rear taillights blend in- to the stubby tail. In addition, the useful but unattractive rear quarter side win- dow has been climinated. Thankfully, the basic hardware of 1993 9000 models is unchang- ed, and slightly improved, Base sedans and hatchbacks of- fer Saab’s unique non-tur- bocharged 2.3-litre 150- horsepower four-cylinder engine Greg Wiison TEST DRIVE with dual overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, and twin- balance shafts, while upievel models offer a 200-horsepower turbocharged version. This engine, introduced in 1990, still rates as one of the smoothest small powerplants in the world, combining an unusual combina- tion of high performance and rea- sonable fuel economy in a mid- sized luxury car. The turbocharged models with an automatic transmission average 11.3 litres per 100 kilometres (27 mpg) in combined urban/highway driving. The 9000 is also one of the roomiest cars for its size, with lots of rear legroom and a huge trunk, _ Seats aa es 46 Outward visibility over the low dashboard and hood is excelient, as is rear visibility. 99 particularly the hatchback model. As far as 1 know, the 9000 is the only $40,000 luxury car avail- able as a hatchback. With the rear folded down, you could almost consider it to be a station wagon. And the #00 is one of the safest cars on the road, employing front and rear crumple zones, a strong steel cage body structure, padded interior surfaces, anti-lock brakes, traction control (optional on base models}, and a driver’s side airbag. For 1993, the C pillar on the hatchback has been reinforced for increased rigidity and roll-over strength. Model designations have been changed this year. The base non-turbocharged hatchbacks are now designated 9000CS while sedans are still 9000CD. Turbocharged hatch- backs are now CSE; sedans, CDE. The 9000’s user-friendly interior is very accommodating. The push-button controls for the autematic climate control and stereo are unusually large with large white letters on a black sur- face for easy visibility. Big, round including a turbo- boost gauge, are also clearly marked and visible. Outward visibility over the low dashboard and hood is excellent, as is rear visibility. One complaint: the intermittent wipers have only one speed. A variable timing system would be an improvement. it’s too bad instruments, the telescoping _ wheel is no longer offered, as this feature was a great help to people with long, or short, arms. Partial compensation takes the form of driver and passenger seats which are electrically adjustable for rake and height via two but- tons mounted on the side of the seat cushion. Other standard features include central power-door locks, now ac- tivated from either driver or pas- senger side; power windows with a One-touch down feature; heated outside rear-view mirrors; aniti- theft alarm; and headlamp/washer wipers. Options include power glass tilt/slide sunroof, leather upho!- stery, healed seats, Icather-wrap- See Saab page 39 Price as tested $47,345 Type four-door, five- passenger hatchback Layout transverse front engine/front-wheel drive Engine 2.3-bitre four- cylinder, turbocharged, inter- cooled, 16 valves, DOHC, electronic fuel injection Horsepower 200 @ 5,000 rpm Torque 221 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm Transmission four-speed automatic (std. five-speed manual) Carb weight 1,460 kg/3,220 bs. Wheelbase 2,672 mm/105.2 in. Length 4,761 mm/187.4 in. Width 1,764 mm/69.4 in. Height 1,420 mm/55.9 in. Cargo capacity 448 litres/15.8 cu. It. (rear seat up); 1,183 litres/41.8 cu. ft. (rear seat down) Fuel consumption City 13.6 L/100 km (21 mpg); Hwy 8.9 L/100 km (32 mpg) Warranty three years/60,000 km Check out the Saab 90900 sedan at Morrey Saturn Saab Isuzu, 4451 Lougheed Hwy, Burnaby.