Saab celebrates 20 years of open-top motoring

Saab is raising the roof, celebrating two decades of Convertible sales success by introducing an eye-catching 20th anniversary model, the Saab 9-3 Convertible Cerulean edition.

The concept of a practical, all-year-round, 'four season, four-seater' soft top was pioneered by Saab in the premium car segment when sales of the first Saab 900 Turbo Convertible began exactly 20 years ago, in January 1986. A limited production run of 400 units for the US market, powered by a 175 bhp, 2.0-litre turbo engine was an immediate success, and the following year the Saab Convertible was taken into full global production, prompting a two year waiting list.

Now, more than 240,000 Saab Convertibles later (over 34,000 of which have been sold in the UK), the new 9-3 Cerulean edition is unveiled as the latest expression of an iconic product that combines sporty Swedish design with surprising functionality, the core appeal of the Saab brand.

On sale in the UK from late February 2006 in Vector and Aero specifications, the 9-3 Convertible Cerulean edition will be distinguished by a unique blue metallic paint finish, and offered with a full choice of engines, including the acclaimed 150, 175 and 210 bhp turbocharged petrol engines, plus a newly-introduced 150 bhp 1.9 TID turbo diesel (full details will follow shortly). The high performance 250 bhp, 2.8 V6 turbo engine, with a lowered sports-tuned chassis, remains unique to Aero variant.

The Cerulean specification adds just £775 to the on-the-road price of the Vector models (Vector 1.8t Cerulean from £27,979), and only £625 to the Aero (Aero 2.0T Cerulean from £31,214). The Cerulean edition includes the following unique features:

Colour-keyed blue tonneau cover, door trims and door handles
Unique 'double five-spoke', 17-inch alloy wheels
Parchment leather sports interior with pale blue upholstery trim inserts
Colour-keyed rear lip spoiler (standard for Aero, optional for Vector)

All 9-3 Convertibles include a fast-acting, fully automated hood that can be operated on the move at speeds of up to 22 mph, plus Saab’s innovative CargoSET space-saving flexible boot storage, DynaCage integrated safety system, including pop-up rear roll bars, plus a five-star EuroNCAP crash safety rating. Other Saab 9-3 Convertible features include:

Front seats with integrated seat-belts for ease of use/ convenient rear seat access.
An airy cabin ambience with light parchment-coloured interior headlining.
Profiler instrument/function customisation for personal driver preference.
Saab ComSense functionality to minimise potential driver distraction.
Bluetooth wireless communication with optional driver's head set.
Soft-top lowering by remote control (optional).
'Intelligent' automatic climate control with heat settings when soft-top is down.
Saab ReAxs passive rear wheel steer characteristic for optimum handling.
Active front head restraints to help prevent neck injury in rear-end collisions.
DynaCage rollover protection system with pop-up rear roll bars, strengthened A-pillars, sills and automatic seat-belt pre-tensioning.
Standard electronic chassis systems include Saab-tuned stability control; EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution), CBC (Cornering Brake Control) and TCS (Traction Control System).