Convertibles are rare in China, especially in the north. The pollution, noise, traffic jams, and cold weather in the winter make it less than ideal. However, some car brands have sold convertibles in China, mostly as image-builders. These brands include Peugeot, Renault, Volvo, and Saab.
The Saab 9-3 Cabriolet was dusty and dirty, but that is normal for any car in the harsh Beijing winter. The car was in great overall shape, inside and out. The second-generation Saab 9-3 was based on GM’s Epsilon Platform. Saab manufactured the Cabriolet from 2003 until 2011, with a facelift in 2008. The car in the photos is a pre-facelift variant.
Interior
The interior looked fantastic for its age! With beige-black leather, a large black steering wheel, and a whole bunch of buttons and switches on the center stack. It has a radio-CD unit with a tiny LCD screen. Saab integrated the handbrake beautifully into the center tunnel’s design.
Specifications
The Saab 9-3 is a front-wheel drive car. The output of the General Motors Ecotec 2.0 turbocharged four-cylinder engine was 175 hp and 265 Nm. The Vector had a five-speed automatic transmission as standard, good for a 220 km/h top speed, and 0-100 took 9.7 seconds.
Side note: for the Arc trim level, Saab offered a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic. The manual was an odd one for China. Chinese car buyers consider a cabriolet a luxury vehicle, which doesn’t match with a manual transmission. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 9-3 Cabriolet with a stick.
Saab officially sold the 9-3 Cabriolet in China from 2004 until 2007. The brand offered two trim levels: Arc and Vector. The car in the photos is the top-spec Vector. It came fully loaded, equipped with double-five-spoke alloy wheels and a rear spoiler. In 2007, it cost 460.000 yuan. That was a lot of money for a small convertible of a relatively unknown brand, so the open-top Swede is a rare sight in China.