Saab 9-3 Limited Edition gets extra goodies

SAAB aims to prop up sales of the compact 9-3 by offering 200 feature-packed Limited Edition examples of the TS Coupe and S Sedan. Sales of the 9-3 range have dipped appreciably this year with just 524 cars (including the Aero, Convertible and SE) finding new owners during the first half of the year. This compares with 887 sales for the same period last year. Saab's overall sales are also down from 1536 vehicles during the first half of 1999 to 1118 cars for the corresponding period this year. This would be a concern for Saab as the present models must soldier on for at least another three years. The next generation 9-3 is not due until 2003 and the 9-5 replacement will not come on stream until 2005. Nevertheless, the Swedish manufacturer hopes the Limited Edition models will re-ignite interest in the 9-3 line-up. The Limited Edition 9-3 TS Coupe and S Sedan are priced at $49,990 - a premium of $5935 over their standard siblings. The extra outlay adds leather upholstery, climate control air-conditioning and a power sunroof to the cars' standard equipment list. Cruise control, power windows and mirrors, CD sound system, remote central locking, trip computer, heated front seats, 16-inch alloy wheels and a body kit are already standard in the base models. Standard safety features include anti-lock brakes with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), active head restraints and front and side airbags. Both the sedan and coupe derive their power from a 2.0-litre, low-pressure turbo engine that generates 113kW at 5500rpm and 219Nm at 3600rpm.