Saab 93 Monte Carlo Car Review

Saab has released a strictly limited edition of its 9-3 model called the Monte Carlo. This version is available only in Monte Carlo yellow, and is available as a three-door coupe or a five-door sedan. Only 195 of these cars have been built for the world market, and Saab Australia has secured 50 of them for local sales.

The Monte Carlo is built on a special assembly line in Finland, set aside for Saab's high performance cars. Because it is a one-off limited production, the Monte Carlo has the potential to be a collector's item and therefore will be of particular appeal to the enthusiast, and as such, it is obviously not intended to compete against any other specific make.

Both versions can have either manual or automatic transmission and are fitted with sports tuned suspension, full leather seat trims, steering wheel and gear knob, power operated front seats, sports body kit, alloy wheels, climate control air conditioning and a CD stereo system. Unlike most vehicle makes, there is no difference in the pricing of the automatic and manual cars, the coupe being $63,900 and the sedan $65,900. Our test vehicle was a three door manual coupe, Monte Carlo No.4. Saab's high output turbocharged and intercooled two-litre engine, as fitted to the standard 9-3 SE, is used in both the sedan and coupe. However, the manual transmission model is given a higher turbo boost resulting in an additional nine kilowatts of power and fifty-three Newton metres of torque. Both the manual and automatic transmissions are standard 9-3 components.

The basic suspension and brake system is unchanged from other 9-3 models, although there has been some fine-tuning with the suspension system. Anti-lock brakes are standard equipment with the Monte Carlo.

Apart from the unique colour coding of the Monte Carlo's skirts and spoilers and the unique alloy wheels, there are no other obvious external differences to make this limited edition stand out in a crowd. Internally, the main differences are the full leather sports seats in the front and rear, plus the Monte Carlo number on the dash.

Saab has always been big on safety and the Monte Carlo has all their usual features including the Saab Active Head Restraint (SAHR). These restraints absorb and reduce the amount of whiplash experienced by the front seat occupants, in a collision. The dual front airbags are supplemented with side airbags for both front occupants, protecting both the body and head areas. The rear seat fold-down mechanism is a work of art and incorporates a built-in load restraint, plus a housing for the load cover that provides anchorage points for all three seatbelts.

The front seats were fairly roomy and although the legroom could have been a little more generous, it was vastly better than the rear. The rear centre position is really for occasional use only. Side pockets are provided front and rear for storage, plus a convenient pocket at the front and rear of the front seats, and glove compartments in the dash and console. The luggage compartment is quite generous, complemented by the ability to fold the rear seat for additional space, plus the convenience of a ski hatch through the rear seat. Access into the rear seat is fairly difficult, which is not unusual for a two-door car.

Once you are secured in the driver's seat of the Monte Carlo, the surroundings are consistent with most European cars of this era, accentuated by the left turn signal and right wiper stalks. However, when the Monte Carlo lurches into acceleration mode through every gear change and holds the corners as though it is on rails, it is obvious that this car is built with the driving enthusiast in mind. With so much power available, there was considerable, disconcerting torque steer on acceleration at each gear change.

Although European cars are becoming more popular, it is still difficult to move from this layout to a conventional Australian/Japanese one, at least the gear change pattern is slowly conforming, with reverse gear below the fifth gear position. I found there was insufficient space in the footwell to move freely from the clutch to the footrest, there were too many functions crowded onto the turn signal and wiper stalks and the rear vision was impaired by the large 'C' pillars and the head restraints at the rear.

The under bonnet layout is not very service friendly, indicating the servicing scheduled at 15,000 km/12 monthly intervals is a specialist technician procedure. The manufacturer's warranty period is three years and 100,000 km.

Summary

The Monte Carlo is a high-spirited sports coupe with performance and handling to satisfy most driving enthusiasts. Although registered as a five-seater, its main forte would be as a comfortable touring car for two people who enjoy the status of a limited edition model.

Test vehicle supplied by Saab Automobile Australia Pty. Ltd.